Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of Notch 2 and ABCC8 genes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and their association with diabetic kidney disease

Background. The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has increased over the past years and early identification and management of its complications especially diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is of great importance. T2DM and DKD are of multifactorial etiology with contribution of genetic and environmental factors. We aimed to study the expression of ABCC8 and Notch 2 genes in patients with T2DM and to find their association with DKD. Methods. The present work was carried on 80 patients with T2DM (40 with DKD and 40 without DKD) and 40 healthy subjects as a control group. Real time polymerase chain reaction was used to assess gene expression. Results. Altered expression of ABCC8 and Notch 2 genes were found in patients with T2DM compared to control group. ABCC8 expression had significant positive correlation with HbA1c while Notch 2 expression had significant positive correlation with fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c. Notch 2 expression was significantly higher in patients with DKD compared to those without DKD. Multivariate regression analysis showed that Notch 2 expression had independent relation with increased urinary albumin excretion and reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate. ABCC8 gene expression did not show significant difference between diabetic patients with DKD compared to those without DKD. Conclusion. Increased expression of ABCC8 and Notch 2 genes may play a role in pathogenesis of T2DM. Overexpression of Notch 2 gene may have a role in the development of albuminuria and DKD in patients with T2DM which may represent a possible diagnostic tool and a possible therapeutic target.
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for chemical and biological sensing using nanoplasmonics: The relevance of interparticle spacing and surface morphology

In this review, the weightiest decadal developments of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and nanoplasmonic materials in sensing applications are discussed. Today, there are several well-established research directions where plasmonic detection is employed extensively, namely, food and water quality monitoring, viruses, pathogenic bacteria and hazardous toxin investigations for theranostic applications, and explosive substance detection for military and civil protection purposes. A combination of vibrational spectroscopy and surface nanoengineering has gained a reputation as a powerful weapon for rapid and accurate determination of submolecular quantities of nanoanalytes. Signal enhancement achieved by employing various metallic nanoparticles and nanostructures can be amplified significantly due to the electromagnetic field confinement effect. Localized surface plasmon waves, which are responsible for the phenomenon, promote light absorption at nanovolume, generating ‘hot spots’ with an incredibly intense and confined electromagnetic field close to the nanosculptured metallic surface. However, the formation of the hot spot network is heavily dependent on morphology, size, and spatial arrangement of plasmonic nanomaterials. Under optimal excitation conditions, the interaction between the optically induced electromagnetic field in the hot spot region and a probing analyte attached to the nanosculptured metallic substrate enlarges photon scattering cross section, increasing signal intensity by 106–1010. As a result, fast single-molecule vibrational fingerprint recording is possible. This focused review collects recent state-of-the-art developments in nanoplasmonic SERS sensing, highlighting the most efficient surface morphology designs that hold the most promise for future developments.
Avoiding the by-catch of boarfish in pelagic trawling

The Dutch pelagic freezer trawler group (Redersvereniging voor de Zeevisserij, RVZ) wishes to avoid the by-catch of non-target species such as boarfish (Capros aper L.) as much as possible. This species is unsuitable for human consumption, and when present in the fishing gear with other species they will reduce product quality. A project was set-up in the VIP-programme. The goal of this project was to reduce the by-catch of boarfish as much as possible by early recognition of this species in echograms and technical trawl adaptions. This report focuses on the results of the acoustic work.
Social work bachelor students’ knowledge awareness during field practice

Social work has increasingly become a research-based discipline, while at the same time acknowledging the importance of knowledge gained through practical experience and user knowledge. Awareness of various forms of knowledge becomes particularly relevant to practice as it constitutes a framework for understanding and addressing social problems in real-life situations. This article presents findings from a Q methodological study exploring social work bachelor students’ perspectives on knowledge after taking part in research-oriented activities during field practice placement in Norwegian welfare organizations. The aim of the study was to explore how bachelor students of social work understand and find knowledge useful to social work practice. Q methodology aims at revealing shared perspectives, and facilitates comparison between perspectives. Three perspectives on knowledge emerged from the study. The first emphasizes the importance of combining experience-based knowledge and research-based knowledge. The second suggests an orientation towards research-based knowledge as a strategy for innovation, while the third focuses on an active and confident, yet critical, use of research-based knowledge when working with service users. Field placements as arenas for enhancing students’ knowledge awareness, and bridging various forms of knowledge, are discussed in light of these findings.
A Review of Bacterial Interactions With Blow Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) of Medical, Veterinary, and Forensic Importance

Abstract Blow flies are commonly associated with decomposing material. In most cases, the larvae are found feeding on decomposing vertebrate remains; however, some species have specialized to feed on living tissue or can survive on other alternate resources like feces. Because of their affiliation with such septic environments, these insects have close associations with microbes. Historically, a tremendous amount of research focused on these insects due to their veterinary importance. Within the past 40 yr, efforts have expanded this research to include areas such as systems ecology, forensics, and even wound debridement (maggot) therapy. Initial research efforts examining the relationship between microbes and these insects were hampered by the technology available. However, with the advent of high-throughput sequencing and modern molecular techniques, new avenues of research examining these interactions have opened up. The purpose of this article is to highlight the research exploring the interactions between microbes and blow flies with regards to blow fly biology, the application of such information to benefit humanity, and potential future pathways of research.
A frequency domain wild bootstrap for dependent data

We propose a resampling method for stationary dependent time series, based on Rademacher wild bootstrap draws from the Fourier transform of the data. The main distinguishing feature of our method is that the bootstrap draws share their periodogram identically with the sample, implying good properties under autocorrelation of arbitrary form. A drawback of the basic procedure, that the bootstrap distribution of the mean is degenerate, is overcome by a simple Gaussian augmentation with variance estimated by a response surface fitted to preliminary simulations. Extensive Monte Carlo evidence is reported comparing alternative bootstrap methods in tests of significance and location in a regression model with autocorrelated shocks, and also of unit roots.
Accuracy in atomic and molecular data

Uncertainty estimates have long been a standard part of experimental physics, but the same has not been true on the theoretical side. However, the culture is now changing, and it is becoming more common to include uncertainty estimates in theoretical calculations of atomic and molecular properties. This tutorial paper discusses the progress that has been made in assessing the accuracy of both theory and experiment in a wide variety of circumstances, ranging from the most fundamental measurements of atomic properties such as the electron anomalous magnetic moment and the proton size puzzle in the hydrogen atom to uncertainty estimates for two- and three-electron atoms (helium and lithium), for many-electron atoms and for electron–atom scattering processes. This is followed by a discussion of uncertainties for molecules, and especially the recent remarkable progress for H2+ and H2 treated as full three- and four-body problems without the use of the Born–Oppenheimer approximation. The paper includes a discussion of variational methods and the Hylleraas–Undheim–MacDonald theorem, which guarantees variational bounds for excited states as well as for the ground state. This leads naturally to a discussion of the use of pseudostates to perform perturbation sums over intermediate states, and a demonstration calculation for the polarizability of hydrogen. The results of well-defined uncertainty estimates have important implications for both the search for new physics beyond the standard model from high-precision measurements, and for the application of theoretical atomic and molecular data to plasma physics and to astrophysics.
Bifurcations at the Stability Transition of Earthquake Faulting

Tectonic faults typically break in a single rupture mode within the range of styles from slow slip to dynamic earthquake failure. However, in increasingly well‐documented instances, the same fault segment fails in both slow and fast modes within a short period, as in the sequences that culminated in the 2011 Mw = 9.0 Tohoku‐Oki, Japan, and 2014 Mw = 8.2 Iquique, Chile, earthquakes. Why slow slip alternates with dynamic rupture in certain regions but not in others is not well understood. Here, we integrate laboratory experiments and numerical simulations to investigate the physical conditions leading to cycles where the two rupture styles alternate. We show that a bifurcation takes place near the stability transition with sequences encompassing various rupture modes under constant loading rate. The range of frictional instabilities and slip cycles identified in this study represents important end‐members to understand the interaction of slow and fast slip on the same fault segment.
Using diatoms to assess river restoration: A pilot study in Whychus Creek, Oregon, USA

A primary goal of river restoration is to reestablish lost ecological functions. Yet the impact of restoration on diatom assemblages and algal biomass in a stream is rarely addressed in the scientific literature reporting the outcomes of restoration projects aimed at improving riverine habitat. To investigate the potential for using benthic diatoms as indicators of the benefits to habitat associated with river restoration, we conducted a pilot diatom study in Whychus Creek, a headwater tributary of the Deschutes River in Oregon, USA. As part of a work study project for college students, we collected periphyton samples in a restored reach, a restored transition reach and an unrestored reach (control) and compared diatom assemblages and algae biomass of these reaches. Diatom assemblages and traits differed substantially between the control and restored reaches and the median percentage of chlorophyll a in the periphyton biomass increased from 9% in the control reach to 12% in the restored reach. The results of this pilot study suggest that benthic diatom assemblage may be useful indicators of river restoration success, particularly for approaches that aim to reconfigure channels and increase floodplain connectivity and habitat complexity.
Regional drivers of diversification in the late Quaternary in a widely distributed generalist species, the common pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Pleistocene climate and associated environmental changes have influenced phylogeographic patterns of many species. These not only depend on a species’ life history but also vary regionally. Consequently, populations of widespread species that occur in several biomes might display different evolutionary trajectories. We aimed to identify regional drivers of diversification in the common pheasant, a widely distributed ecological generalist.
Transforming University Education: A Manifesto

What is a university degree for? What can it offer to students? Is it only about getting a job? How can we measure the quality of an undergraduate degree? Paul Ashwin shows how, around the world, economic arguments have come to dominate our thinking about the purpose and nature of university education. He argues that we have lost a sense of the educational purposes of an undergraduate degree and the ways in which going to university can transform students' lives. Ashwin challenges a series of myths related to the purposes, educational processes, and quality of an undergraduate education. He argues that these myths have fuelled the current misunderstanding of the educational aspects of higher education and explores what is needed to reinvigorate our understanding of a university education. Throughout, Ashwin draws on his deep engagement with international research to offer an accessible and thought-provoking analysis of the nature of university education.
If You’re Not First, You’re Last: Are the Empirical Premises Correct in the Ethics of Anti-Doping?

ABSTRACT In the ethical discussion of anti-doping, a number of normative arguments rely on empirical premises. The truth of these premises, however, often remains unverified. This article identifies several examples where normative arguments for anti-doping employ unsubstantiated empirical premises. It then focuses on one example—the effects of testing and sanctioning athletes to ensure fair contests—to show how the available empirical evidence does not support the empirical premise asserted in several normative arguments. The article concludes that normative arguments for anti-doping should include empirically informed premises.
Effects of the wet catching method on the detection of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from trapped longhorn beetle vectors

The pine wood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus , causes pine wilt disease and is transmitted by Monochamus beetles. An efficient trapping system for these organisms is essential for their early detection in threatened regions. A wet catching method, using monoethylene glycol (MEG) in a collecting cup to preserve captured insects, was suitable for catching longhorn beetles. As a second step in developing this technique, we studied the influence of MEG on nematode detection. When M. galloprovincialis carrying PWN were submerged in MEG, nematodes died within 24 h. The preservative altered certain morphological features of nematodes immersed in solutions of 10, 30 or 60% MEG, impeding their morphological identification. However, molecular identification was possible as long as the MEG concentration was below 70%. At higher concentrations, a rinsing step with water before DNA extraction was enough to allow molecular detection. Wet trapping requires less frequent monitoring than dry trapping, thus reducing maintenance and related costs.
Determinants of low-carbon transport mode adoption: systematic review of reviews

Urban transport provides access to multiple services, structures and impedes daily life of residents, and translates into wellbeing considerations, sustainability impacts, and GHG emissions. Thus motivated, multiple disciplines, ranging from psychology to urban planning, are invested in understanding the potential for transitioning to low-carbon and sustainable urban transport systems. While each discipline has carved out a growing body of knowledge, a consistent cross-disciplinary understanding of psychological, sociological, and urban form determinants of urban mobility choices is, perhaps surprisingly so, still lacking. Here, we systematically review the reviews of several strands of literature and lay out the evidence for individual, social, and infrastructure level factors pertinent to urban mode choice. Synthesizing the results from 75 review papers, we find that all three dimensions (individual, social, and infrastructure) unambiguously interfere with mode choice. Individuals are most motivated to shift modes, if they are well informed, if personal norms match low-carbon mode use, and, most importantly, if they perceive to have personal control over decisions. Perceptions about common travel behaviour (descriptive social norms), especially if supported by perceived normative beliefs of others (injunctive norms), are highly influential to support mode shift. However, the overall margin of shift as induced by individual and social settings remains limited. Instead, the infrastructure factors explain large differences in mode choice. New shared mobility modes, and teleworking and shopping, add a long tail to modes chosen, but are no game changer. We conclude that a transition to low-carbon mobility requires low-carbon infrastructure, which leverages enthusiastic individuals’ concerns and empowers them for mode change, and that address safety concerns prevalent especially in cities of the Global South. The mode shift to low-carbon option can then be sustained and enhanced by social influence in the form of collective social norms.
The temperature of Britain's coalfields

Low-temperature heat recovery, cooling and storage schemes, using abandoned flooded mine workings, are a viable option for low-carbon heating solutions within many abandoned British coalfields. The temperature of mine water is a useful parameter, coupled with depth to water, sustainable yield and recharge potential, to identify suitable locations and calculate the likely performance of heat recovery schemes. This paper aims to provide the first mapping and synthesis of the temperature of Britain's coalfields to support this emerging technology. Using the best available evidence, a median geothermal gradient of 24.1°C km−1 was calculated for the British coalfields. However, geothermal gradients between separate coalfields can vary from 17.3 to 34.3°C km−1. The North East, Cumbria and Yorkshire coalfields all have mean geothermal gradients generally >30°C km−1, whereas geothermal gradients of generally <23°C km−1 are measured in the Warwickshire, South Wales, Staffordshire, Douglas and Fife coalfields. Active dewatering schemes are shown to locally increase the apparent measured geothermal gradient by ingress and mixing of deeper water into the pumping shafts. This baseline spatial mapping and synthesis of coalfield temperatures offers significant benefit to those planning, designing and regulating heat recovery and storage in Britain's abandoned coalfields.
Internal market orientation, frontliners' organizational commitment and customer-oriented behavior: A study of airport service in Vietnam

This research examines the three-component structure of the concept internal market orientation (IMO) and investigates its impact on frontliners’ organizational commitment (OC) and customer-oriented behavior (COB) in the context of airport service in Vietnam. Based on a sample of 294 frontliners working in various airports, SEM analysis reveals that IMO has a strong impact on OC. It also has direct and indirect impacts on COB. Moreover, the empirical result supports the component structure of IMO. It is, therefore, suggested that IMO is powerful to enhance both internal employee management and external marketing performance in the research context.
Patent Prospecting on Helmets in Brazil from 1997 to 2016

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is a genre that has several species, including gloves, glasses, boots, and among these is the helmet. The helmet is one of the main components in the safety, being one of the equipment of individual protection obligator in the most diverse work activities, which made this research necessary. Prospecting or the search for patents on helmets was carried out through the collection of patent information in the database of the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). Analyzes of 127 helmet patent deposits were carried out, from 1997 to 2016, with 2003 being the year with the largest number of deposits, with 35 registrations. Brazil in the period of 1999 made a total of 106 deposits, the other deposits of origin in France 5, United States 4, Germany and Italy 3 deposits. The depositors with the highest number of applications are not resident, Pfanner of Germany with 3, and IBTEC de Goiás with 5 residents. It is also noted that the international ranking with the highest patents registered was A42B3 / 04 with 35 deposits.
The Functional Morphology of Lizard Locomotion: Integrating Biomechanics,Kinematics, Morphology, and Behavior

MCELROY, ERIC J., Ph.D., August 2008, Biological Sciences The Functional Morphology of Lizard Locomotion: Integrating Biomechanics, Kinematics, Morphology, and Behavior (182 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Stephen M. Reilly Lizards have long served as a model system for understanding how locomotor functional morphology meets ecological demands. However, far less is known about how behavior modulates this relationship. Likewise, there is still a need for a comprehensive understanding of lizard locomotor functional morphology. This dissertation presents four studies that focus on how behavior molds locomotion and advances our understanding of lizard locomotor functional morphology. Chapter one examines variation in locomotor performance, whole-body mechanics and gaits in a phylogenetic array of lizards that use differing foraging modes. Multivariate and phylogenetic comparative analyses show that foraging mode drives the evolution of biomechanics and gaits in lizards. Sit-and-wait species used only fast speeds, trotting gaits, and running mechanics, whereas wide foraging species independently evolved slower locomotion, different walking gaits, and walking mechanics. Chapter two examines patterns of variation in the hierarchical relationship among morphology, kinematics and force during fast running in seven species of lizards. Multivariate analyses test for correlations among levels to reveal the morphological basis for kinematics and locomotor forces. The results show that limb length, support duration and float distance directly influence the nature of forces applied to the ground during the support phase of steady state locomotion and suggest that this relationship may affect locomotor energetics and endurance.
Social media, rituals, and long-distance family relationship maintenance: A mixed-methods systematic review

For families with limited opportunities for face-to-face interaction, social media can be a vital communication medium to help shape the family identity, maintain bonds, and accomplish shared tasks. This mixed-methods systematic review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method empirical studies published between 1997 and 2019 uses a convergent data-based framework to explore how long-distance families engage in family practices using various modes of social media. Fifty-one papers were synthesized into four domains: (1) doing family in a social media environment, (2) performing family through stories and rituals, (3) the nature of online communication practices, and (4) privacy, conflict, and the quality of family relationships. Given the value of patterned routines to families, research into the role of family kinkeepers is suggested. Finally, families use chat (messages) extensively for both assuring behaviour and conflict resolution so further investigation of the impact of this asynchronous mode is recommended.