Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Roosting in exposed microsites by a nocturnal bird, the rufous-cheeked nightjar: implications for water balance under current and future climate conditions

Nocturnally active birds roosting in exposed diurnal microsites with intense solar radiation can experience operative temperatures (Te) that markedly differ from air temperature (Ta). Quantifying Te thus becomes important for accurately modeling energy and water balance. We measured Te at roost and nest sites used by Rufous-cheeked Nightjars (Caprimulgus rufigena) with three-dimensionally printed biophysical models covered with the integument and plumage of a bird. Additionally, we estimated site-specific diurnal water requirements for evaporative cooling by integrating Te and Ta profiles with evaporative water loss (EWL) data for Rufous-cheeked Nightjars. Between 12:00 and 15:00 hrs, average Te at roost sites varied from 33.1 to 49.9 °C, whereas at the single nest site Te averaged 51.4 °C. Average diurnal EWL, estimated using Te, was as high as 10.5 and 11.3 g at roost and nest sites, respectively, estimates 3.8- and 4.0-fold greater, respectively, than when calculated with Ta profiles. These data illustrate that under current climatic conditions, Rufous-cheeked Nightjars can experience EWL potentially approaching their limits of dehydration tolerance. In the absence of microsite changes, climate change during the 21st century could perhaps create thermal conditions under which Rufous-cheeked Nightjars exceed dehydration tolerance limits before the onset of their nocturnal active phase.
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Gene Polymorphism in Dyslipidemia and Hypertension

Abstract-Background: Hypertension and dyslipidemia have a multifactorial background based on genetic and environmental interactive factors. Increasing blood pressure (BP) and hypertension incidence have also been found to be linked with elevated blood lipids rates. Insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) are said to be linked to pathogenesis of both hypertension and dyslipidemia. -Objectives: We aimed to investigate the presence of the three genotypes of ACE gene (I/D) polymorphisms with hypertension and dyslipidemia. -Subjects and methods: Participants included 30 Egyptian patients with hypertension and /or dyslipidaemia (Group I) and 20 apparently healthy control (Group II). For all participants, DNA was isolated and amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR); the product was recognized by gel electrophoresis according to their size. -Results: Different ACE genotypes frequencies were detected according to the presence or absence of 287 bp fragment in intron 16, 30% for Deletion/Deletion (DD), 56.7% for Insertion/Deletion (ID) and 13.3% for Insertion/Insertion (II) in patients, denoting that (I) allele has a significant association with hypertension and dyslipidemia (p < 0.05). -Conclusions: There is increased frequency of ACE I/D and I/I and I allele among Egyptian patients affected with hypertension and /or dyslipidaemia.
Exponentiated Teissier distribution with increasing, decreasing and bathtub hazard functions

This article introduces a two-parameter exponentiated Teissier distribution. It is the main advantage of the distribution to have increasing, decreasing and bathtub shapes for its hazard rate function. The expressions of the ordinary moments, identifiability, quantiles, moments of order statistics, mean residual life function and entropy measure are derived. The skewness and kurtosis of the distribution are explored using the quantiles. In order to study two independent random variables, stress–strength reliability and stochastic orderings are discussed. Estimators based on likelihood, least squares, weighted least squares and product spacings are constructed for estimating the unknown parameters of the distribution. An algorithm is presented for random sample generation from the distribution. Simulation experiments are conducted to compare the performances of the considered estimators of the parameters and percentiles. Three sets of real data are fitted by using the proposed distribution over the competing distributions.
Spatial and Temporal Trends of Gaseous Elemental Mercury over a Highly Impacted Coastal Environment (Northern Adriatic, Italy)

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant, being highly persistent in the atmosphere, in particular gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), which can easily be emitted and then transported over long distances. In the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy), contamination by Hg is well characterised but little is known regarding the concentrations, sources and fate of GEM in the atmosphere. In this work, discrete measurements of GEM were recorded from several sites at different times of the year. The database is consistent with temporal night-day variations monitored using a continuous real-time device. The meteorological conditions were collected as ancillary parameters. GEM levels varied from <LOD (2.0 ng m−3) to 48.5 ng m−3 (mean 2.7 ng m−3), with no significant differences found among sites. A clear daily pattern emerged, with maximum values reached just after sunset. Air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction were identified as the main micrometeorological factors influencing both the spatial and temporal variation of GEM. Our results show that average atmospheric GEM values are higher than the natural background of the Northern Hemisphere and will be useful in future selection regarding the most suitable sites to monitor atmospheric Hg depositions and fluxes from soil and water.
Beyond experiments: Embedding outcomes in climate governance

Concerted action on climate change will require a continuing stream of social and technical innovations whose development and transmission will be influenced by public policies. New ways of doing things frequently emerge in innovative small-scale initiatives – ‘experiments’ – across sectors of economic and social life. These experiments are actionable expressions of novel governance and socio-technical arrangements. Mobilising and generalising the outputs of these experiments could lead to deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the long-term. It is often assumed that the groundswell of socio-technical and governance experiments will ‘scale-up’ to systemic change. But the mechanisms for these wider, transformative impacts of experiments have not been fully conceptualised and explained. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the mobilisation, generalisation and embedding of the outputs and outcomes of climate governance experiments. We describe and illustrate four ‘embedding mechanisms’ – (1) replication-proliferation; (2) expansion-consolidation; (3) challenging-reframing; and (4) circulation-anchoring – for entwined governance and socio-technical experiments. Through these mechanisms knowledge, capabilities, norms and networks developed by experiments become mobile and generic, and come to be embedded in reconfigured socio-technical and governance systems.
STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF OIL PALM MESOCARP FIBRE (OPMF) IN WATER AT SUBCRITICAL STATE

Effect of subcritical water (sub-CW) on oil palm mesocarp fibre (OPMF) structure and cellulose conversion to obtain useful components was studied to reduce production of mesocarp fibre as waste in excessive amount. The decomposition of OPMF was carried out at temperatures ranging from 200°C-300°C and with a constant reaction time of 5 min using a batch stainless-steel tube reactor (reactor volume: 7.3 cm 3 ). The pressure inside reactor was equal to the saturated vapour pressure at the experimental temperature. Microscope images indicated sub-CW broke down the OPMF walls becoming smaller particles. Scanning electron microcopy (SEM) images showed that the particle size of OPMF was highly porous when treated at 240°C but was disrupted when treated above 250°C. From sugar analysis using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the highest amount of monosaccharides was 22.2 mg g -1 -dry OPMF at 240°C. The yield of sugar was reduced to 2.5 mg g -1 -dry OPMF at 300°C as cellulose and hemicellulose were degraded due to pyrolysis. The particle size of OPMF, when subjected to sub-CW, showed a good relationship with the yield of sugars. The OPMF particle became disrupted above 260°C due to the pyrolysis activity. The solid residue from OPMF was reduced significantly using sub-CW.
Commentary on the Paper "PART, a Distinct Tauopathy, Different from Classical Sporadic Alzheimer Disease"

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with a welldefined neuropathological background characterized by the accumulation of tau protein within neurons (neurofibrillary tangles; NFT) and the extracellular deposition of β amyloid (Aβ) (as plaques and amyloid angiopathy), which is associated with neuronal and synaptic loss [1]; yet some individuals at autopsy have NFTs in the absence of Aβ. When associated with cognitive impairment, this condition was previously termed tangle-only dementia (TOD) [2] or tangle-predominant dementia [3]. NFTs in the absence of Aβ pathology are also common in cognitively intact elderly individuals [4,5], while some ApoE ε4 non-carriers with mild to moderate dementia may have extensive NFT pathology and minimal Aβ plaques [6].
Impact of dietary modification on aflatoxicosis in poultry

Chen, Xi. Ph.D., Purdue University, May 2016. Impact of Dietary Modification on Aflatoxicosis in Poultry. Major Professor: Todd Applegate. Aflatoxin contamination in feed and feed ingredients is of high worldwide prevalence, posing serious risks to the livestock industry. A series of studies were conducted to better understand the comprehensive impact of aflatoxicosis and its interrelationships with dietary modifications in broiler chicks and ducks. Results of these studies emphasize the many factors that the severity of aflatoxicosis depends on, including animal species, age, presence of mycotoxin adsorbent, and concentration of major dietary nutrients. Exposure to 2 mg/kg cultured AFB1 led to reduced feed intake, BW gain, depressed feed efficiency, increased relative liver weight, negatively affected serum measures and complement activity, as well as affected hepatic gene expression in 21 d broiler chicks. Additionally, impaired gut barrier, increased endogenous N loss, and reduced energy, N, and amino acid digestibility, and altered mRNA expression of intestinal tight junction proteins and transporters are also consequences of AFB1 exposure at 1.5 mg/kg in broilers. Disparately, as low as 0.1 mg/kg AFB1 led to significantly impaired growth, liver functions, and innate immune dynamics in 14 d Pekin ducklings, while effects of AFB1 on the gastrointestinal tract are less noticeable in ducks, with partial changes in jejunum morphology, digestive enzyme activity, and apparent energy digestibility. This
Molecular Marker Based Genetic Diversity Analysis in Rice Genotypes (Oryza sativa L.) using SSR Markers

Assessment of genetic diversity is important in plant breeding if there is to be improvement by selection. The role of a broad genetic base and systematically characterized germplasm in the crop improvement of cultivated plants has been well recognized. Genetic variability studies are important in selection of parents for hybridization as sound crop improvement depends upon the magnitude of variability in the base population. In the present investigation five rice genotypes were evaluated for genetic diversity. Upon PCR amplification the alleles were separated on Agarose Gel Electrophoresis system. Initial polymorphism detection was conducted using twenty primer pairs distributed on five rice chromosomes. A total of 65 alleles were detected with an average of 3.25 alleles per locus. The polymorphism information content (PIC) reflections of alleles diversity frequency among the varieties, which is ranged from 0.215 to 0.791, with an average of 0.493. RM 260 was found as the best marker for identification of genotypes as revealed by PIC values. The highly informative markers identified in this study could be utilized in further studies for comparative mapping and marker assisted selection for drought tolerance.
In vitro Screening of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils from Four Moroccan Medicinal Plants

Aims: Evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities of essential oils extracted from Salvia officinalis , Mentha viridis , Eucalyptus globulus and Myrtus communis from Ouezzane province. Study Design: In vitro evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities of medicinal plants essential oils (EOs). Methodology: Essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation method, while agar well diffusion, microdilution and spectrophotometry methods were used to evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities respectively. Results: The yields of EOs are 0.9, 1.2, 2.5, and 2.1% for M. communis , E. globulus , M. viridis , and S. officinalis respectively. EOs showed significant antibacterial activities against test bacterial strains: Staphylococcus aureus CECT 976, Staphylococcus aureus CECT 994, Listeria monocytogenes serovar 4b CECT 4032, Proteus mirabilis , Staphylococcus aureus MBLA, Escherichia coli K12, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis 6633. Salvia officinalis EO was more active than the rest EOs on the test bacteria and exhibited the highest zone of inhibition (23 mm) against B. subtilis bacterial, while P. aeruginosa was the most resistant bacterial strain. S. officinalis and M. communis EO showed minimum inhibitory concentration at MIC=0.5 % (v/v) against L. monocytogenes and P. mirabilis. The antioxidant results indicated that M. communis and S. officinalis posess the ability to scavenge DPPH radicals. Their IC 50 Values of 0.24 and 0.46 mg/mL respectively, suggest their anatioxidant capacity compared to reference drugs IC 50 value (IC 50 =0.027 mg/mL for ascorbic acid and IC 50 =0.043 mg/mL for Trolox). Conclusion: Our study showed that apart from the local uses of the plants extracts, the EOs of S. officinalis , M. viridis , E. globulus and M. communis plants poses strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties and may be useful as food preservatives.
Output Voltage Control of MMC-Based Microgrid Based on Voltage Fluctuation Compensation Sliding Mode Control

As a novel topology of microgrid, the output voltage control of MMC half bridge series microgrid (MMC-MG) is rarely studied. In this paper, on the basis of fully analyzing the mechanism of output voltage fluctuation of MMC-MG under the condition of islanded mode, a control strategy of a hybrid energy storage system is proposed to reduce the generating module (GM) DC-link voltage fluctuation caused by the randomness of renewable energy microsource output power. Moreover, in order to further improve the stabilization of the MMC-MG output voltage and meet the requirements of fast voltage recovery and antijamming, a sliding mode controller is designed. Then, a voltage fluctuation compensation controller is designed to suppress the DC component and fundamental frequency deviation of system output voltage caused by GM DC-link voltage fluctuation. The proposed control approach is validated against simulations using MMC-MG models with 4-GM per arm. The results show that the proposed hybrid energy storage control strategy can suppress the GM DC-link voltage fluctuation, the sliding mode controller can stabilize the system output voltage when the load drastic changes, and the fluctuation compensation strategy can suppress the DC component and the fundamental frequency deviation of system output voltage.
A LATENT ASPECT MINING FRAMEWORK FROM TEXTUAL REVIEWS

Abstract The problem of latent aspect mining from textual customer reviews is important in knowledge discovery and natural language processing. Given a collection of review texts, it is required to automatically determine aspect ratings for each textual review and identify important aspects for all textual reviews. Existing works on aspect-based sentiment analysis has used deep learning techniques with architectures designed based on neural networks. However, they take a lot of time to learn models and need computer configuration to be big enough. This paper proposes a framework (which contains three sub-tasks: (1) aspect term extraction, (2) aspect category detection, (3) aspect ratings and important aspects determination) using simpler and more efficient techniques based on constrained-KMeans algorithm and word2vec. In experiment, we use a data set of 174615 reviews of 1768 hotels with five common aspects including cleanliness, location, service, room and value. Experimental results show that aspects represented by averaging word vectors are more effective than represented by a bag of word. In general, our model outperforms some other benchmark algorithms.
Investigating EFL Teachers' Attitudes Towards the Use of Authentic Materials in Teaching English in Iraqi Kurdistan Region

This study investigates Kurdish EFL teachers' attitudes towards the use of authentic materials in EFL classroom. To achieve the goals of this study, a questionnaire is used to elicit the required data. The participants of the study consist of 40 EFL teachers (males and females) from different secondary schools in Akre town, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The findings of the study reveal that Kurdish EFL teachers have a positive attitude towards introducing and applying authentic materials to learners. Moreover, the findings show that the Kurdish EFL teachers' preferences of using authentic materials in their classes do not differ according to their teaching experience. Finally, the findings of the study are discussed and recommendations for further research are provided.
Identification of a DNA marker associated with dwarf trait in Hevea brasiliensis (Muell.) Arg. through random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis

The current study was conducted to identify DNA markers linked to genes controlling dwarf character in rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Hybrid progenies were developed between dwarf parent (natural variant) and cultivated clone RRII 118. Genomic DNA was subjected to PCR analysis using 85 random sequence 10-mer primers, of which 9 produced clear, scorable bands. Among the 9, one showed polymorphism which was used for dwarf character analysis. An initial comparison was made between two parents and later the dwarf parent along with their hybrid progenies. In the dwarf parent alone with the primer OPB-12, a DNA fragment with molecular size of 1.3 kb was amplified. This primer amplified the same DNA fragment (1.3 kb) with the segregated 6 F1 hybrid progenies and it was absent in the other parent. The segregation data for the marker and the dwarf trait in the F1 hybrids indicate that the DNA marker identified is linked to dwarf character. Analysis of RAPD loci by southern blot hybridization indicated that this is a specific loci of the same gene fragment. DNA markers associated with dwarf trait genes are useful to facilitate the introgression of these genes in breeding materials for the development of high yielding clones with dwarf nature to avoid wind damage of this important perennial tree crop. (Resume d'auteur)
Motivação e trabalho: investigação sobre a experiência dos jovens no primeiro emprego

Os altos indices de desemprego e rotatividade nas empresas juntamente com as novas configuracoes do trabalho apresentam desafios para a insercao do jovem no âmbito profissional. Nesse cenario, a motivacao pode auxilia-lo a obter uma carreira promissora. Para tanto, o destaque do presente estudo foi investigar qual foi a motivacao dos jovens para comecar a trabalharem comparacao com a motivacao para permanecer no trabalho. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo com uma amostra nao probabilistica por conveniencia, que foi composta por 30 jovens com idades entre 18 e 23 anos, que se encontram no primeiro emprego na funcao de assistente administrativo como Jovem Aprendiz de um Centro de Integracao Empresa-Escola localizado na Paraiba, Brasil.Para coleta de dados foram utilizados dois instrumentos: um questionario contendo dados sociodemograficos e um questionario norteado pelosobjetivos do estudo em questao, analisado pela tecnica de analise de conteudo tematica e categorial. Foi possivel perceber que para a maioria dos jovens sua motivacao inicial para trabalhar esta na remuneracao, experiencia e ajudar a familia e sua motivacao para continuar trabalhando consistiu em alcancar independencia e sucesso profissional. Esses resultados se relacionam com a teoria motivacional da Hierarquia das Necessidades de Maslowe trazem implicacoes para a atencao das autoridades sobre a saudavel insercao do jovem no mercado de trabalho, considerando que os primeiros passos profissionais produzem efeitos na carreira dessa geracao e no futuro das empresas e do pais.
Assessment of Physicochemical Parameters and Storage Stability of Reused Oils

Oils are obtained from nuts and seeds of plants such as corn, groundnut, soyabean, olive, sunflower, cotton seed, palm, coconut and rape seed. Oils are extracted from the nuts or seeds by crushing and by the use of solvent extraction [1]. Deep fat frying is a popular food preparation method, where thermal stressing of polyunsaturated fatty acid, generates high levels of cytotoxic aldehydic products, arising from the fragmentation of conjugated hydroperoxydiene precursors. Such aldehydic compounds are damaging to human health [2]. Cooking oil is chemically decomposed in the cooking process and this decomposition leads to a deterioration in cooking quality, if the oil is kept in use for a long time [3]. Hence the present study was undertaken to assess the physicochemical parameters and storage stability of reused groundnut and palm oils. Results showed that physiochemical characteristics of oil were altered during repeated frying and storage and the changes in sensory attributes were also observed.