Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Desiccation stress acts as cause as well as cost of dispersal in Drosophila melanogaster

Environmental stress is one of the important causes of biological dispersal. At the same time, the process of dispersal itself can incur and/or increase susceptibility to stress for the dispersing individuals. Therefore, in principle, stress can serve as both a cause and a cost of dispersal. Desiccation stress is an environmentally relevant stress faced by many organisms, known to shape their population dynamics and distribution. However, the potentially contrasting roles of desiccation stress as a cause and a cost of dispersal have not been investigated. Furthermore, while desiccation stress often affects organisms in a sex-biased manner, it is not known whether the desiccation-dispersal relationship varies between males and females. We studied the role of desiccation stress as a cause and cost of dispersal in a series of experiments using D. melanogaster adults in two-patch dispersal setups. We were interested in knowing whether (a) dispersers are the individuals that are more susceptible to desiccation stress, (b) dispersers pay a cost in terms of reduced resistance to desiccation stress, (c) dispersal evolution alters the desiccation cost of dispersal, and (d) females pay a reproductive cost of dispersal. For this, we modulated the degree of desiccation stress faced by the flies as well as the provision of rest following a dispersal event. Our data showed that desiccation stress served as a significant cause of dispersal in both sexes. Further investigation revealed an increase in both male and female dispersal propensity with increasing desiccation duration. Next, we found a male-biased cost of dispersal in terms of reduced desiccation resistance. This trend was preserved in dispersal-selected and non-selected controls as well, where the desiccation cost of dispersal in females was very low compared to the males. Finally, we found that the females instead paid a significant reproductive cost of dispersal. Our results highlight the complex relationship between desiccation stress and dispersal, whereby desiccation resistance can show both a positive and a negative association with dispersal. Furthermore, the sex differences observed in these trait associations may translate into differences in movement patterns, thereby giving rise to sex-biased dispersal.
Identification of neural progenitor cells and their progeny reveals long distance migration in the developing octopus brain

Cephalopods have evolved nervous systems that parallel the complexity of mammalian brains in terms of neuronal numbers and richness in behavioral output. How the cephalopod brain develops has only been described at the morphological level, and it remains unclear where the progenitor cells are located and what molecular factors drive neurogenesis. Using histological techniques, we located dividing cells, neural progenitors and postmitotic neurons in Octopus vulgaris embryos. Our results indicate that progenitors are located outside the central brain cords in the lateral lips adjacent to the eyes, suggesting that newly formed neurons migrate into the cords. Lineage tracing experiments then showed that progenitors, depending on their location in the lateral lips, generate neurons for the different lobes. The finding that octopus newborn neurons migrate over long distances is reminiscent of vertebrate neurogenesis and suggests it might be a fundamental strategy for large brain development.
Magnetism in Corrugated Carbon Nanotori: The Importance of Symmetry, Defects, and Negative Curvature

We demonstrate that carbon nanotori constructed by either coalescing C60 molecules along the 5-fold axis (incorporating pentagons and octagons) or by joining the ends of Haeckelite tubes (containing heptagons, hexagons, and pentagons) exhibit large magnetic moments when an external magnetic field is applied. In particular, we have used a π-orbital nearest-neighbor tight-binding Hamiltonian with the London approximation in order to study the influence of uniform external magnetic fields on various types of torous-like carbon nanostructures with negative and positive Gaussian curvature. We have calculated the ring currents and the induced magnetic moments on these structures. The results reveal the presence of an unexpected magnetic response, which is due to the presence of nonhexagonal carbon rings. Our results could also explain the existence of ferromagnetic nanocarbons. We envisage that coalesced peapods may exhibit unusual magnetic properties.
An evaluation of metered-dose inhaler administration technique among patients of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Saudi Arabia

Context Patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are majorly prescribed inhaled medications. This prescription is based on their efficacy and few adverse effects. Aim The study intends to evaluate metered-dose inhaler (MDI) administration technique among patients of asthma and COPD in Saudi Arabia. Settings and design A retrospective, cross-sectional observational design was used, and it was performed at the chest out-patient clinic at King Faisal Medical Complex, Taif, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methods A total of 144 Saudi patients who were diagnosed either for asthma and COPD were included. It also included patients with prescribed inhalation agents in the form of MDI. Statistical analysis IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 23.0. was used. Demographic characteristics were presented in the form of percentages and frequencies, whereas descriptive statistics were also applied. The significance value was determined at P value less than or equal to 0.05. Results Patients with asthma majorly used MDI technique, had unlimited attacks per month, and had experienced less than five attacks per month. The demographic evaluation showed that sex and age are insignificantly related to the use of MDI. However, education, medical diagnosis, number of asthmatic attacks per month, and duration of the MDI use were significantly related to the proper use of the MDI technique. Conclusion The findings of the study recommend that although patients were aware of the correct use, more training needs to be initiated. Educational intervention programs should be initiated for improving the MDI technique use among patients.
Patient Satisfaction of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection Services at a Referral Center

Purpose: To evaluate the patient satisfaction of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injection services for ocular complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) at a referral center. Methods: Patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) who had undergone IVB injections between March and September 2018 were interviewed by telephone using two questionnaires. First, demographic information, medical history, and the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18) 5-point scale were collected. Then, the Retinopathy Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (RetTSQ) 7-point scale was completed. Total scores are presented on a 100-point scale, with 100 indicating complete satisfaction. Results: Two hundred and fifty patients (145 with DME and 105 with DR) were interviewed (mean age: 61 ± 10 years; male-to-female ratio: 1:1.5). The response rate was 96%. Twenty-one patients had only one injection. Two hundred and forty-eight (99.2%) patients had insurance. The mean number of total injections was 12.2 ± 11.5. Seventy (28%), forty-seven (18.8%), sixty-one (24.4%), and seventy-two (28.8%) patients underwent IVB treatment for <6 months, between 7 and 12 months, between 13 and 24 months, and >25 months, respectively. The mean total and overall scores were 90.8 ± 22.5 (completely satisfied) and 88.7 ± 16.6 (completely satisfied) based on PSQ-18 and RetTSQ, respectively. Financial problems and appointment scheduling systems were the highest cases of dissatisfaction. Conclusion: The majority of patients were highly satisfied with IVB injections for the management of ocular complications of DM. The appointment taking procedure, waiting times, out-of-pocket expenses, and access to the hospital should be improved.
DEPENDENCE OF Pfr/Ptot‐RATIOS ON LIGHT QUALITY and LIGHT QUANTITY

Abstract— Not only the spectral distribution of the light source determines the relative proportion of phytochrome in the Pfr(Pr) form, the Pfr/Ptot‐ratio also depends strongly on the fluence rate of the irradiation. This dependence has been observed in the cotyledons of etiolated mustard seedlings for blue light of fluence rates below 20 Wm‐2. It has also been observed for white light and seems to be a characteristic of the phytochrome system resulting from the involvement of phytochrome thermal reactions as well as Pr Pfr photoconversions. The fluence rate dependence of Pfr/Ptot‐ratios can be used to analyze the characteristic transformations of the phytochrome system. Phototransformations together with a fast thermal transformation (τ½⋍ 3min) are consistent with the results obtained for blue and white light.
Current situation on regulations for mycotoxins. Overview of tolerances and status of standard methods of sampling and analysis.

A worldwide enquiry was undertaken in 1986–1987 to obtain up‐to‐date information about mycotoxin legislation in as many countries of the world as possible. Together with some additional data collected in 1981, information is now available about planned, proposed, existing or absence of legislation in 66 countries. Details about tolerances, legal bases, responsible authorities, prescribed methods of sampling and analysis and disposition of commodities containing inadmissible amounts of mycotoxins, are given. The information concerns aflatoxins in foodstuffs, aflatoxin M1 in dairy products, aflatoxins in animal feedstuffs, and other mycotoxins in food‐ and feedstuffs. In comparison with the situation in 1981, limits and regulations for mycotoxins have been expanded in 1987 with more countries having legislation (proposed or passed) on the subject, more products, and more mycotoxins covered by this legislation. The differences between tolerances in the various countries are sometimes quite large, which makes.
Adsorptive Removal of Cationic Dyes from Aqueous Solutions Using Graphite Oxide

In this study, graphite oxide (GO) was prepared by a simple one-pot treatment method and used as an adsorbent for removing cationic dyes, methylene blue (MB), crystal violet (CV) and rhodamine B (RhB) from aqueous solution of different initial concentrations. We found that an increase in initial dye concentration favoured adsorption. The adsorption kinetic process fits to the pseudo-second-order equation. When compared with the expanded graphite, GO exhibits a high adsorption capability on non-acid dye molecules, with the adsorption capacities of 199.2, 195.4 and 154.8 mg·g−1 for MB, CV and RhB, respectively. An analysis of the results of UV–Vis spectra suggested that the adsorbed dye molecules represent a different form of aggregation. Meanwhile, the layered graphene structure and surface oxygen functional groups play an important role in adsorption capability.
Broadening the Competitive Advantage Perspective: Trustworthiness of Supplier Companies and Their Rep resentatives as a Competitive Advantage

The conceptual article deals with the taxonomy and managerial handling of competitive advantages. It suggests an extended lis t of competitive advantages including time-related differences and differences in fulfilling promises and thus trustworthiness. Trustworthiness is considered in c onnection with reliability but interpreted as a more restricted and specialised va ri ble. The article proposes a set of hypothesis for the analysis of the relevance and importance of trustworthiness from a buyer’s perspective and for action/reaction by suppliers. The conceptual approach of this “work-in-progress” article points out the need for empirical research on trustworthiness as a buye r ́s evaluation criterion and a supplier ́s attribute in business-to-business market ing relationships.
Examining Provider-Patient Communication and Family Knowledge of Treatment in Pediatric Asthma Care

Examining Provider-Patient Communication and Family Knowledge of Treatment in Pediatric Asthma Care Thomas W. Ewell Asthma knowledge is an essential factor in being able to consistently and effectively manage asthma symptoms over time, which in turn reduces asthma morbidity and improves quality of life. The way in which certain provider factors, such as communication strategies or techniques, may differentially impact pediatric patients and their caregivers has little in the way of prior investigation. The current study involves a secondary analysis from a larger project. This larger study included 45 pediatric asthma patients (ages 8-17 years; M = 11.79) and their primary caregiver recruited from pediatric asthma and allergy clinics within the WVU Medicine system to take part in a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the relative impact of two types of asthma action plans (AAPs), text-based or pictorial. The asthma action plan education session during their initial session in clinic was audiotaped, in which the asthma care provider described the child’s prescribed asthma care plan. Patient and caregiver knowledge of the prescribed asthma care regimen was assessed separately via a structured interview immediately after asthma education. The overarching objective of this study was to evaluate the potential mediator role that provider, parent, and child communication plays in the effect of asthma education intervention type (i.e., type of AAP) on asthma treatment knowledge. While several significant correlations were found, none of the communication variables considered were found to either significantly predict asthma knowledge or mediate the relation between the type of AAP the patient received and AKI scores. These non-significant findings likely stem from limited variability and low frequency in key communication variables (e.g., family questions to provider, provider assessment of family understanding). However, child age, time since diagnosis, and having had a pictorial AAP were all significantly and positively correlated with child AKI scores. Future studies should engage a larger number of providers from a wider range of expertise and include communication training for providers and families when evaluating the utility of a pictorial AAP.
High-Yield Production of Nano-Lateral Size Graphene Oxide by High-Power Ultrasonication

Nanographene oxide (GOn) constitutes a nanomaterial of high value in the biomedical field. However, large scale production of highly stable aqueous dispersions of GOn is yet to be achieved. In this work, we explored high-power ultrasonication as a method to reduce particle size of GO and characterized the impact of the process on the physicochemical properties of the material. GOn was obtained with lateral dimensions of 99 ± 43 nm and surface charge of −39.9 ± 2.2 mV. High-power ultrasonication enabled an improvement of stability features, particularly by resulting in a decrease of the average particle size, as well as zeta potential, in comparison to GO obtained by low-power exfoliation and centrifugation (287 ± 139 nm; −29.7 ± 1.2 mV). Remarkably, GOn aqueous dispersions were stable for up to 6 months of shelf-time, with a global process yield of 74%. This novel method enabled the production of large volumes of highly concentrated (7.5 mg mL−1) GOn aqueous dispersions. Chemical characterization of GOn allowed the identification of characteristic oxygen functional groups, supporting high-power ultrasonication as a fast, efficient, and productive process for reducing GO lateral size, while maintaining the material’s chemical features.
Making the Right Choices for Reliable HCP Monitoring by ELISA 60

The clearance of biopharmaceutical drugs from host cell protein (HCP) impurities during manufacturing remains a constant challenge, necessitating the reliable monitoring of their removal from the final drug product. The ELISA is the broadly accepted gold standard for HCP monitoring. Important steps for customised HCP ELISA development will be discussed Making the Right Choices for Reliable HCP Monitoring by ELISA
Young children's inhibi on of keyword heuris c in solving arithme c word problems

Arithme c word problems are par cularly difficult to solve when they are presented in inconsistent language, where the keyword (e.g. "more than") does not match with the correct arithme c opera on (e.g. subtrac on). To solve these problems, one should abstain from deriving the arithme c opera on directly from the keyword (keyword heuris c). Using a nega ve priming task, this study examined the need of inhibi ng the keyword heuris c among 9to 10-year-olds and compared the inhibi on efficiency of children with differen al problem-solving abili es. Results showed a nega ve priming effect, sugges ng that the keyword heuris c had been inhibited when solving the inconsistent-language problem. Importantly, there was no difference in inhibi on efficiency between the above-average and below-average problem solvers. Hence, at least for elementary-grade children, what differen ates their problem-solving abili es may not be related with their efficiency in inhibi ng a misleading heuris c.
A STUDY ON CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) EFFECTIVENESS IN PRIVATE BANKS, TIRUCHIRAPPALLI

Customer Relationship Management is a philosophy that places the customer at the center of an organization's processes, activities and culture to improve his satisfaction levels and, in turn, maximize profits for the organization. Customer Relationship Management stands for customer relationship management and helps the management to deal with customer concerns and issues. Different Banking Services and products like "Anywhere Banking" "Phone-Banking" "Electronic banking" etc. are most commonly used by the customers now a days and the banks are trying to offer innovative and convenient technology-based services to their customers. Simultaneously, Customer Relationship Management helps in maintaining customer database and providing better services. The use of Customer Relationship Management in banking has gained importance with the aggressive approaches used for customer acquisition and retention by the bank in today’s competitive era. The study mainly considered private Bank in the Study area. The Core dimensions of CRM are Organizational commitment, Customer experience, Process-Driven Approach, Reliability, and Technology Orientation. Theses dimensions were considered to identify its impacts towards the result of CRM Dimensions like Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty And Cross-Buying INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT (IJM) ISSN 0976-6502 (Print) ISSN 0976-6510 (Online) Volume 5, Issue 12, December (2014), pp. 12-23 © IAEME: http://www.iaeme. com/IJM.asp Journal Impact Factor (2014): 7.2230 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor. com IJM
Starburst Dendrimers: Molecular‐Level Control of Size, Shape, Surface Chemistry, Topology, and Flexibility from Atoms to Macroscopic Matter

Starburst dendrimers are three-dimensional, highly ordered oligomeric and polymeric compounds formed by reiterative reaction sequences starting from smaller molecules—“initiator cores” such as ammonia or pentaerythritol. Protecting group strategies are crucial in these syntheses, which proceed via discrete “Aufbau” stages referred to as generations. Critical molecular design parameters (CMDPs) such as size, shape, and surface chemistry may be controlled by the reactions and synthetic building blocks used. Starburst dendrimers can mimic certain properties of micelles and liposomes and even those of biomolecules and the still more complicated, but highly organized, building blocks of biological systems. Numerous applications of these compounds are conceivable, particularly in mimicking the functions of large biomolecules as drug carriers and immunogens. This new branch of “supramolecular chemistry” should spark new developments in both organic and macromolecular chemistry.
Identification of Volatile Components and Biological Properties of the extracts of aerial parts of Pterocarya fraxinifolia L.

The volatile components of hexane extract of the leaf and stem of the Pterocarya fraxinifolia L. , a native plant of the northern Iran Caspian coastal, obtained by cold percolation method and analyzed using GC/FID and GC/MS and their antioxidant and anti-bacterial activity were assessed. Palmitic acid (53.66 %) and 9, 17-Octadecadienal (22.36%) were the main components of the stem hexane extract and Aromadendrene and 9, 17-Octadecadienal in the leaves hexane extract of the plants with 27.86 % and 1 8.49 % were the major components respectively. The number of identified compounds in the volatile components of hexane leaves extract was 11 while the number in hexane stem extract was 9. In this research antioxidant activity of hexane and acetone extracts of leaves and stems of the P. fraxinifolia were evaluated via DPPH radical scavenging and beta-carotene bleaching assays and also the antibacterial properties of these extracts against five strains of bacteria were assessed.
Preparative Chromatographic Isolation of Caulophine from Radix caulophylli and its Metabolism In Vivo and In Vitro

Caulophine, as a novel alkaloid, was found in Radix caulophylli and has anti-myocardial ischemia activities. To conduct product development research on Radix caulophylli and caulophine, a preparative high-performance liquid chromatography method for the preparation of caulophine was investigated. Preparative HPLC was optimized to allow fraction I to be separated first and the caulophine was isolated following the second round of preparative HPLC. The purity of caulophine was >98%, which was assessed using analytical HPLC. Then, a highly sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric method for the excretion and metabolism of caulophine in vivo was investigated. The metabolism to caulophine glucuronide conjugate was studied in rat liver microsomes or dog liver microsomes in vitro systems. Biosamples were pretreated by solid phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by LC-MS with electrospray ionization (ESI) interface. Method validation results showed within-day and between-day precision was 1.14–6.21% and 5.45–9.78%, respectively, and average recoveries for all matrices were greater than 80%. The limits of detection for this method were determined to be up to 1 ng · mL−1 of caulophine. Excretion of caulophine in rat results indicated that the total cumulative excretion of caulophine was high, with greater than 50% of the treatment dose being excreted. Two metabolites including glucuronide conjugate and N-oxide of caulophine were found in rat urine and feces by LC-MS. Moreover, the same caulophine glucuronide conjugate was observed in rat liver microsomes system.
Temperature dependence of the Raman spectra of Bi2Te3 and Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 thermoelectric films

The temperature dependence of the Raman spectra of Bi2Te3 and Bi0.5Sb1. 5Te3 thermoelectric films was investigated. The temperature coefficients of the Eg(2) peak positions were determined as –0.0137 cm–1/°C and –0.0156 cm–1/°C, respectively. The thermal expansion of the crystal caused a linear shift of the Raman peak induced by the temperature change. Based on the linear relation, a reliable and noninvasive micro‐Raman scattering method was shown to measure the thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric films. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)