Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Introduction to special issue: ‘Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals’

This special issue focuses on the relationship between life history and learning, especially during human evolution. ‘Life history’ refers to the developmental programme of an organism, including its period of immaturity, reproductive rate and timing, caregiving investment and longevity. Across many species an extended childhood and high caregiving investment appear to be correlated with particular kinds of plasticity and learning. Human life history is particularly distinctive; humans evolved an exceptionally long childhood and old age, and an unusually high level of caregiving investment, at the same time that they evolved distinctive capacities for cognition and culture. The contributors explore the relations between life history, plasticity and learning across a wide range of methods and populations, including theoretical and empirical work in biology, anthropology and developmental psychology. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals’.
Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen des Gerstenmehltaus (Erysiphe graminis DC f. sp. hordei Marchal) nach Resistenzinduktion mit mikrobiellen Stoffwechselprodukten

Electron microscopical studies on Mildew of Barley (Erysiphe graminis DC f. sp. hordei Marchal) after induced Resistance with Products of Microbial Metabolism Ultrastructural studies of the infection progress of barley by Erysiphe graminis after induction of resistance with products of microbial metabolism showed that pathogen development was affected through inducer activated defence mechanisms. The formation of papillae-like structures and an accumulation of electron dense material below the host cell wall at the penetration site appeared to be associated with reduced penetration. The haustoria were also altered in the extrahaustorial membrane and electron dense material accumulated at the cell wall of haustorial body and neck, thus apparently impairing efficient functioning and allowing only limited growth of the pathogen.
Phyllotactic arrangements of needles on elongating conifer shoots: a computer simulation

Needle primordia are arranged in high-order phyllotactic spirals within conifer buds, mostly within the Fibonacci number series 8, 13, 21, or 34. When the buds elongate, these spirals became distorted making the lower-order spirals more visible (mostly 3, 5, or 8). At all stages of elongation, the needles can be numbered in the order in which they were produced. A computer graphics programme has been written to display a wide range of spiral phyllotactic arrangements in three dimensions.
DÉTERMINANTS ORGANISATIONNELS ET CONSÉQUENCES DU HARCÈLEMENT MORAL AU TRAVAIL (HMT) AU MAROC : UNE APPROCHE EXPLORATOIRE

 Resume L'expression « harcelement moral » est nee en 1998, sous la plume de la psychologue francaise Marie-France Hirigoyen, dans son ouvrage Le harcelement moral. La violence perverse au quotidien (Hirigoyen, 1998). Dans un second ouvrage, la psychologue definit ce phenomene comme « […] toute conduite abusive (geste, parole, comportement, attitude.) qui porte atteinte, par sa repetition ou sa systematisation, a la dignite ou a l'integrite psychique ou physique d'une personne, mettant en peril l'emploi de celle-ci ou degradant le climat de travail» (Hirigoyen, 2001, p7). Ce phenomene, courant dans les lieux de travail, est rencontre par de nombreux salaries a l'echelle internationale (Bartlett & Bartlett, 2011). Le Maroc, pays arabo-musulman, en voie de developpement, n'en serait pas epargne. En particulier, les travailleurs sociaux (TS) marocains, sur lesquels nous faisons porter nos analyses, sont aussi concernes par le harcelement moral au travail (HMT), sous la pression sociale et economique de l'environnement et dans un contexte ou ce phenomene est largement ignore (ou omis) par le legislateur, le management et la communaute scientifique. A travers cette etude exploratoire, nous visons a mettre en avant les determinants du HMT chez les TS marocains ainsi que leurs consequences sur la sante et la performance des salaries. Nos premiers resultats mettent en evidence des caracteristiques du HMT particulierement marquees, qui nous permettent de formuler plusieurs hypotheses de recherche que nous pourrons maintenant mobiliser lors de recherches futures, portant sur un echantillon de TS marocains plus etendu.
Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Hemodialysis Patients

The potential effect of zinc supplementation on kidney functions, hematological parameters, parathyroid hormone and minerals was investigated in hemodialysis patients. Thirty patients in the age between 35 to 60 years who were on regular hemodialysis (HD) for more than three months, three times per week for 4-6 hours in each session received zinc supplement daily 250 mg (zinc citrate) /day (100 mg elemental zinc) for two months. Blood samples were collected at zero time, and at the end of this study, before hemodialysis from each patient. The results indicated that, supplementing hemodialysis patients with zinc caused a highly significant (P<0.01) decrease in the levels of serum urea, creatinine, uric acid , phosphorus and potassium. Significant (P<0.05) decrease was recorded in levels of white blood cells (WBC) and TIBC, compared to patient's status before zinc supplementation . On the other hand, zinc supplementation caused a highly significant (p<0.01) increase in the levels of mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), calcium and zinc and significant (P<0.05) increase in the levels of hemoglobin (Hb). The obtained results suggested that supplementing hemodialysis patients with zinc may cause improvement in kidney functions and hematological parameters. Key words: Zn, supplementation, hemodialysis patients, kidney functions, hematological parameters, parathyroid hormone, minerals.
Angiogenesis by transplantation of HIF‐1α modified EPCs into ischemic limbs

Hypoxia inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) is a key determinant of oxygen‐dependent gene regulation in angiogenesis. HIF‐1α overexpression may be beneficial in cell therapy of hypoxia‐induced pathophysiological processes, such as ischemic heart disease. To address this issue, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) were induced to differentiate into endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and then were transfected with either an HIF‐1α‐expressing or a control vector and cultured under normoxia or hypoxia. Hypoxia‐induced HIF‐1α mRNA and protein expression was increased after HIF‐1α transfection. This was accompanied by VEGF mRNA induction and increased VEGF secretion. Hypoxia‐stimulated VEGF mRNA induction was significantly abrogated by HIF‐1α‐specific siRNA. Functional studies showed that HIF‐1α overexpression further promoted hypoxia‐induced EPC differentiation, proliferation and migration. The expressions of endothelial cell markers CD31, VEGFR2 (Flk‐1) and eNOS as well as VEGF and NO secretions were also increased. Furthermore, in an in vivo model of hindlimb ischemia, HIF‐1α‐transfected EPCs homed to the site of ischemia. A higher revascularization potential was also demonstrated by increased capillary density at the injury site. Our results revealed that endothelial progenitor cells ex vivo modification by hypoxia inducible factor‐1α gene transfection is feasible and may offer significant advantages in terms of EPC expansion and treatment efficacy. J. Cell. Biochem. 103: 321–334, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ecology of Diplostomid (Trematoda: Digenea) Infection in Freshwater Fish in Southern Africa

The complex life cycles of most trematode parasites include three hosts. The first intermediate host is a snail, the second is normally a teleost fish and a piscivorous bird serves as the definitive host. Lymnaeid snails are most likely to be responsible for cercarial shedding, which infect exposed fish and in turn are eaten by piscivorous birds. From 2008 to 2010 fish in the Okavango and Orange-Vaal River Systems were collected and dissected in order to determine the prevalence and intensity of larval trematode infections in the eyes and brains. This paper discusses the possible ecological factors which can influence the probability of certain fish species becoming infected with diplostomid cercariae and hence metacercariae. The feeding strategies and sizes of piscivorous birds, which could act as definitive hosts for the adult worms, are summarized and discussed. Information on the snail species responsible for furcocercous cercarial shedding in the two study sites is also included.
Etude des mécanismes impliquant le facteur de risque génétique FERMT2 dans le métabolisme de l’APP et ses conséquences dans le processus physiopathologique de la maladie d’Alzheimer

La mise en place d’etudes d’association pangenomiques (GWAS) a permis une avancee majeure pour l’identification de nouveaux facteurs de susceptibilite genetique de la maladie d’Alzheimer (MA). En revanche, ces analyses realisees sans a priori ne permettent pas de determiner le role de ces genes dans le processus physiopathologique de la MA. Dans ce contexte, seule la realisation d’analyses dites « analyses post-GWAS » peut preciser les mecanismes moleculaires impliquant ces genes. Le laboratoire a donc entrepris d’identifier quels sont, parmi les facteurs genetiques caracterises par les GWAS, ceux dont la variation d’expression module le metabolisme de l’APP. De plus, notre modele nous a permis d’etudier l’implication potentielle des micro-ARNs (miRs) dans la deregulation de ces genes.Dans ce contexte, nous avons pu montrer que le miR-4504, qui est surexprime dans le cerveau des patients atteints de la MA par rapport aux temoins, diminue l’expression du gene FERMT2, facteur de susceptibilite genetique de la MA. Nos resultats montrent que cette sous-expression serait dependante de la presence d’un variant (rs7143400) localise dans le 3’UTR de FERMT2 qui entraine alors une modulation du metabolisme de l’APP et une augmentation de la secretion du peptide Aβ. Dans ce projet, j’ai pu montrer que les effets de FERMT2 sur ce metabolisme necessitent son interaction directe avec l’APP. De plus, l’utilisation du modele de culture primaire de neurones en chambres micro-fluidiques m’a permis d’etudier les fonctions neuronales du complexe FERMT2/APP. J’ai ainsi pu identifier que cette interaction FERMT2/APP participe a la regulation de la croissance axonale et a la synaptogenese. Finalement, nos analyses de la potentialisation a long terme dans le cerveau de souris, pour lesquelles une sous-expression de FERMT2 a ete induite, montrent une diminution de la plasticite synaptique ; mecanisme pouvant etre a l’origine de l’effet deletere de la baisse d’expression de FERMT2 dans les neurones et dans le processus physiopathologique de la MA.En conclusion, l’ensemble de ces resultats suggere le role du facteur de risque FERMT2, regule par la presence du variant fonctionnel rs7143400 et du miR-4504 dans le processus physiopathologique de la MA en conduisant a des alterations synaptiques de facon dependante de l’expression d’APP. Ce travail permettrait, a terme, de mieux comprendre le processus physiopathologique conduisant a la MA et de caracteriser de nouveaux mecanismes impliques dans le fonctionnement synaptique.
Manipulation de particules diélectriques micrométriques par ondes électrostatiques progressives et stationnaires - Études théorique, expérimentale et numérique

Les convoyeurs electrostatiques a ondes progressives (COP) et stationnaires (COS) se presentent comme des moyens avantageux pour manipuler et transporter efficacement des particules sur une surface. L’objectif de cette these est d’etudier le comportement de particules dielectriques micrometriques sur ces systemes. Les etudes experimentales commencent par la caracterisation granulometrique et optique des particules et l’analyse de leur charge. Ensuite, l’efficacite de deplacement des particules par les deux types de convoyeurs est etudiee dans differentes conditions. Par ailleurs, les trajectoires des particules sont visualisees en utilisant une camera ultra rapide. Un post-traitement des images obtenues en utilisant la velocimetrie par suivi de particules (PTV) est mene pour calculer et etudier la vitesse des particules en fonction de differents parametres. Les etudes theoriques et numeriques menees avaient pour objectif d’etudier les ondes du potentiel electrique, la variation spatio-temporelle du champ electrique, et le bilan des forces mises en jeu. La derniere partie concerne la modelisation des trajectoires et le calcul numerique de la vitesse moyenne, ainsi que de la distance de deplacement des particules. Les resultats obtenus par modelisation sont en accord avec les observations et les calculs experimentaux. Plusieurs modes de mouvement sont obtenus en fonction de la frequence, la tension, la charge et la taille des particules. Les particules sont transportees plus efficacement dans le COP lorsqu’elles sont en mode synchrone sautillant. L’augmentation du nombre de phases permet a la fois de minimiser l’effet des ondes harmoniques inverses et d’augmenter la vitesse de propagation de l’onde directe ; cela mene a un deplacement plus rapide et plus loin des particules dans une seule direction, ce qui augmente l’efficacite du systeme.
Evaluation of water‐effect ratio methodology for establishing site‐specific water quality criteria

One approach outlined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for derivation of site‐specific water quality criteria for metals in natural surface waters involves the development of water‐effect ratios (WERs). This approach entails multiplying national water quality criteria by an experimentally derived WER, where the WER is defined as the ratio of the toxicity of the metal in the site water to the toxicity of the same metal in standard laboratory water. We discuss technical issues associated with test methods described in the U.S. EPA WER guidance document that may lead to inappropriate WERs. Critical issues include accounting for differences in calcium and magnesium concentrations (Ca:Mg ratios), alkalinity, and pH between site and laboratory waters; ensuring appropriate fish acclimation; and accounting for interspecies variability, multiple metals interactions, end‐point variability, and temporal and spatial variability in the derivation of the WER. Failure to address these issues may have the unintended effect of deriving site‐specific water quality criteria that are underprotective of aquatic life. We recommend that WER testing and future regulatory guidance for derivation of site‐specific water quality criteria incorporate consideration of these potential confounding variables so that site‐specific criteria can be established with greater confidence.
“Select and retrieve via direct upsampling” network (SARDU-Net): a data-driven, model-free, deep learning approach for quantitative MRI protocol design

Purpose We introduce “Select and retrieve via direct upsampling” network (SARDU-Net), a data-driven framework for model-free quantitative MRI (qMRI) protocol design, and demonstrate it on in vivo brain and prostate diffusion-relaxation imaging (DRI). Methods SARDU-Net selects subsets of informative measurements within lengthy pilot scans, without the requirement to identify tissue parameters for which to optimise for. The algorithm consists of a selector, identifying measurement subsets, and a predictor, estimating fully-sampled signals from the subsets. We implement both using deep neural networks, which are trained jointly end-to-end. We demonstrate the algorithm on brain (32 diffusion-/T1-weightings) and prostate (16 diffusion-/T2-weightings) DRI scans acquired on 3 healthy volunteers on two separate 3T Philips systems each. We used SARDU-Net to identify sub-protocols of fixed size, assessing the reproducibility of the procedure and testing sub-protocols for their potential to inform multi-contrast analyses via T1-weighted spherical mean diffusion tensor (T1-SMDT, brain) and hybrid multi-dimensional MRI (HM-MRI, prostate) modelling. Results In both brain and prostate, SARDU-Net identifies sub-protocols that maximise information content in a reproducible manner across training instantiations. The sub-protocols enable multi-contrast modelling for which they were not optimised explicitly, providing robust T1-SMDT and HM-MRI maps and goodness-of-fit in the top 5% against extensive sub-protocol comparisons. Conclusions SARDU-Net gives new opportunities to identify economical but informative qMRI protocols from a subset of the pilot scans that can be used for acquisition-time-sensitive applications. The simple architecture makes the algorithm easy to train when exhaustive searches are intractable, and applicable to a variety of anatomical contexts.
Fear learning sculpts functional brain connectivity at rest beyond the traditional fear network in humans

Neuroscientific research has identified specific brain networks involved in the acquisition of fear memories. Using fMRI to assess changes in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) induced by fear acquisition, single brain regions from these networks have also been linked to fear memory consolidation. However, previous studies only examined RSFC changes within restricted sets of brain regions or without a proper control group, leaving our knowledge about fear consolidation outside of traditional fear networks incomplete. Here, we tested a group of 84 healthy participants in a differential fear conditioning paradigm and quantified RSFC changes between 358 cortical and 16 subcortical brain areas. Subsequent to fear learning, 21 functional connections exhibited significant RSFC changes. Importantly, these connections were not restricted to the traditional fear networks but also comprised various frontal and visual areas. Our findings indicate that fear memory consolidation is a complex process that integrates relevant information across the entire brain.
ANTHROPOGENIC SOUND: EFFECTS ON THE BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY OF FISHES

There has been an increase in the concern about the effects of anthropogenic (human generated) sounds on marine animals. This paper cites some earlier studies that have shown that intense sound affects fishing and also has potentially profound effects on the auditory system of fishes. Thus such sounds can have the potential to decrease the survival of individual fishes and populations. The paper concludes that further exploration is needed on the effects of various types of sound and long term impacts of how anthropogenic sounds impact on the behavior and ecology of fishes.
Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antioxidant activity of methanol crude extract of Aspilia africana leaves: an in vitro approach

Aspilia africana (Compositae) is one of such plants considered of great importance in pharmacopeia of traditional medicine. Its leaf is widely used in ethnomedicinal practices in tropical Africa because of its ability to stop bleeding and promote rapid healing of wounds. This study was carried out on the leaf part to determine its antimicrobial and antioxidant potentials of its leaf methanol extract. The methanolic extract of the leaf was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and it indicated the presence of saponins, tannin, resin, phlobatannins, and phenols. The in-vitro antibacterial test of the methanol crude extract using agar well diffusion method showed broad-spectrum activity with minimum bactericidal concentration of 30, 75 mg/mL for Klebsiella pneumonia, and Bacillus subtilis respectively. In-vitro antioxidant activities using 2, 2–diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay indicate that the methanol leaves extract had higher activity than of 92.23 µg/mL compared to standard drugs (Ascorbic acid 1.07mg/mL) and IC50 at 4.66. This study concluded that Aspilia africana methanol crude extract exhibits dosage-dependent antioxidant potential and could be further explored if it’s are in pure form.
Interrelations Between Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) and Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieui) in Four Northeastern Minnesota Lakes, 1948–69

Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) introduced from 1945 to 1948 into four rocky, infertile northeastern Minnesota lakes with established walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) populations reached maximum abundance in 9–15 yr and then declined to low numbers within 2–4 yr. In three, walleyes declined as the bass increased and in the fourth there was a simultaneous rise of walleye and bass followed by increased abundance of walleye with the decline of bass. Interspecific competition for spawning sites, shoal habitat, or food did not appear to be factors in the fluctuations in abundance. Growth of both species was density-dependent implying that intraspecific competition may have been the main factor. Also, predation of young walleye by bass may have been a factor in failure of walleye year-classes. Key words: Percidae, species interrelations, Stizostedion, Micropterus, competition, diet, populations fluctuations, habitat use, density
Quantitative studies in ovule development. III: An estimate of shape changes in Phyllostachys aurea

Multivariate analysis of ovule development data from Phyllostachys aurea determined that there are (i) changes in estimators of organization (eigenvectors of principal components axes, determinants of correlation, and variance–covariance matrices); (ii) differences of a shape component in each axis (angles between principal components axes and a vector of isometry); and (iii) an increase in variation in the parameters calculated. Angles between principal components axes are all significantly different from 0° (zero), when calculated from jackknifed estimates, indicating that each axis represents different shape components. Because these vectors are derived from principal components axes, they are another manifestation of correlation structure, i.e., organization. Thus angular differences between vectors are a function of differences in organization. The relationship between organization and vectors implies that the concept of shape is another way of expressing the organization that is inherent in biologic.
OSTEOHISTOLOGY OF CONFUCIUSORNIS SANCTUS (THEROPODA: AVES)

Abstract An analysis of 80 thin-sections of the long bones of a relatively large and presumably adult specimen of Confuciusornis sanctus, a basal bird from the Early Cretaceous of China, reveals osteohistological patterns similar in some ways to those of extant birds of approximate size, but different in other ways. The fibrolamellar tissue typical of its cortex is commonly laid down by adult birds at standard estimates of 10 μm or more radial growth per day. If this rate were characteristic of its ontogeny, Confuciusornis could have reached maturity in 20 weeks or less. These tissue patterns, read straight, suggest lower growth rates than in the larger immediate relatives of Confuciusornis, the coelurosaurian dinosaurs, as well as in large extant birds, taxa that reached their large adult size relatively quickly. However, tissues of the inner cortex, as well as new analyses of rates in living variants of the fibro-lamellar tissue complex, suggest far faster growth and an estimated time to maturation as short as 8–13 weeks, longer than in most small living birds but commensurate with larger birds or relatively slowly growing birds such as tinami.