Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empirically Derived Equation from Simple Heat Index for Calculating Wet Bulb Globe Temperature: A Case Study of Thailand

The Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index is a standard for assessing environmental heat stress, but the requirement of expensive instrument with specialized maintenance is limited its use. This study aims to develop the empirical equation to estimate the WBGT from Heat Index (HI) calculated from portable temperature and humidity recorder (THR), based on the data collected at seven sites covering all regions of Thailand. Comparative analysis shows that the HI values calculated from THR (HITHR) are consistent well with those measured from the thermal environmental monitor (HIQT36) as evidenced by a highly positive correlation between them (r=0.97; p<0.01; n=4,303). These results suggest high reliability of the portable THR and its acceptance to be used instead of the standard QT36 device. Based on a simple linear regression developed to estimate WBGT from the HITHR, it was found that the model accounts for at least 90% of the variance of the observed WBGT (dependent variable). In addition, validation of the model with the statistical methods shows relatively small errors of the estimated WBGT values in comparison to the observed values. With this evidence, the developed empirical regression equation can be used to estimate WBGT with high accuracy and confidence. Simple and easier to use for the practitioners who are involved in public health works at community level, a heat monitoring tool kit consisting of a THR, WBGT chart and recommended actions were further developed based on the results obtained. This tool kit is a low-cost and simple device which can be used by various community-level stakeholders to prevent and reduce heat injuries and deaths of risk groups, especially the elderly. This tool is necessary in light of anthropogenic-induced warming and Thailand’s aging society.
The alkali degradation of LDPE-based radiation-grafted anion-exchange membranes studied using different ex situ methods

Radiation-grafted anion-exchange membranes (RG-AEM) in alkaline membrane fuel cells (AEMFC) exhibit promising performances (low in situ resistances, high power outputs and reasonably high alkali stabilities). Much research is focused on developing AEMs with enhanced chemical stabilities in the OH−-forms at temperatures >60 °C. This study contributes towards this effort by providing a comparison of three different ex situ methods of screening alkali stabilities (where different laboratories conducted experiments on exactly the same batches of RG-AEM). Vinylbenzyl chloride monomer was radiation-grafted onto 25 μm thick low-density polyethylene (LDPE) precursor film in a single batch. This batch of grafted membrane was then split into three sub-batches, which were converted into RG-AEMs via amination with either: trimethylamine (TMA), N-methylpyrrolidine (MPY), or N-methylpiperidine (MPIP). Samples of each RG-AEM (l-AEM-TMA, l-AEM-MPY, and l-AEM-MPIP) were then distributed between the three collaborating institutes for evaluation using each institutes' test protocols. Out of the three head-group chemistries, the l-AEM-TMA generally exhibits the best balance of conductivity and ex situ alkali degradation, especially in lower humidity environments. The l-AEM-TMA also exhibited interestingly high Cl− ion conductivities (ca. 100 mS cm−1) when heated to 80 °C in a relative humidity RH = 95% atmosphere, a measurement frequently overlooked in favour of determining conductivities of RG-AEMs submerged in water (conductivities of submerged RG-AEMs can be suppressed due to excessive water contents and swelling).
Reconfigurable Fabry-Pérot Cavity Antenna Basing on Phase Controllable Metasurfaces

Fabry-Pérot cavity (FPC) antenna is a kind of high-gain antenna. Compared with other high-gain antennas, such as array antenna and reflector antenna, the FPC antenna enjoys the advantages of simple structure and high efficiency. So it has attracts many attention since proposed. However, it also suffers the disadvantages of narrow band and fixed radiation patterns, due to its resonance structure. In order to overcome these disadvantages, we proposed novel strategies to realize reconfigurable FPC antennas using the phase controllable metasurfaces (MSs). Through adding PIN diodes into every unit cell of the MS, the reflection phase of the MS can be controlled by tuning the states of the diodes. Then the designed phase controllable MSs are used as the partially reflection surfaces (PRS) to realize frequency or radiation pattern reconfigurable FPC antennas. In this chapter, we analyze the basic theory of the FPC antenna and describe its radiation principle firstly. Then, reflection phase controllable MSs are designed and applied to the FPC antennas. Thus frequency and radiation pattern reconfigurable FPC antennas are formed. The design processes are described in details, and the proposed antennas are fabricated and measured. The measured results verify the correctness of the designs. Through this chapter, the readers can form a comprehensive understanding of reconfigurable FPC antenna design.
Convergent and Predictive Validity of the Big Five Factors Assessed with SingleStimulus and Quasi-Ipsative Questionnaires

This research examines the convergent-discriminant and predictive validity of the Big Five personality dimensions assessed with two different formats of personality inventories: a single-stimulus (SS) and a quasi-ipsative forced-choice (FC). The relationship between both types of measures and intelligence (GMA) was also analyzed. The results showed that: (1) the SS and the quasi-ipsative FC measures present a high convergent-discriminant validity; (2) the Big Five personality dimensions, assessed with both questionnaires, and GMA are independent constructs; and (3) both types of personality measures have similar predictive validity for the three criteria examined (academic performance, training success, and interpersonal competence). As expected, conscientiousness was the best predictor of academic performance and training success. Extraversion was the best predictor of interpersonal competence. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Pochwała bursy Fabrycjusza, czyli co współczesna immunologia zawdzięcza ptakom?

Attribution by Bruce Glick in the fifties/sixties of twenty century an essential role of the bursa of Fabricius in the differentiation of a particular lymphocyte population in the chicken was a milestone in the modern immunology development. Incoming studies on both avian and mammalian experimental models were able to prove a functional dissociation of the humoral and cell-mediated immune response and to demonstrate that the bursa of Fabricius plays an important role in antibody production. Subsequently, the research was oriented towards the identification of the mammalian "bursa-equivalent" where the antibody-producing lymphocytes, named B-cells in the honor to the bursa of Fabricius, should be generated. Finally, this role in mammals has been proven for the embryonic liver and for the bone marrow lymphopoiesis in the postnatal life. Apart from that, bursa of Fabricius is an endocrine organ producing several peptides exhibiting immunoregulatory activity, not only towards the avian immune functions but also influencing mammalian immunity, both in vivo and in vitro. The most important among them seem to be: bursin (tripeptide discovered as the first bursal peptide), BASP (bursal anti-steroidogenic peptide, exerting and inhibitory effect on the steroid hormone synthesis in the ovarian follicles and adrenal cortex) and bursopentin (BP5, a peptide with an antioxidative properties). The anatomical features of the domestic chicken immune system, such as lack of lymph nodes, eosinophils or resident lymphocytes, may indicate the simplicity of its organization. In addition, the sequencing of the domestic chicken genome has shown that many immune processes in birds may occur with a more scant repertoire of cytokines, chemokines, receptors and costimulatory molecules than those found in mammals. However, this simplification is only apparent because the avian immune system fulfills all the functions as those of the mammalian one.
ANTARCTIC CHLAMYDOMONAS STRAINS C. SP. UWO241 AND ICE-MDV EXHIBIT DIFFERENTIAL RESTRUCTURING OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC APPARATUS IN RESPONSE TO IRON

ANTARCTIC CHLAMYDOMONAS STRAINS C. SP. UWO241 AND ICE-MDV EXHIBIT DIFFERENTIAL RESTRUCTURING OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC APPPARATUS IN RESPONSE TO IRON by Gregory P. Cook Jr. As an integral cofactor for many redox-associated processes, iron (Fe) homeostasis is crucial in order to produce sufficient energy for the organism. Fe limitation, or excess, can cause major alterations in the function and structure of the photosynthetic apparatus. Photosynthetic psychrophiles grown under permanent low temperatures exhibit novel adaptations in their photosynthetic apparatus to deal with this permanent stress. The icecovered lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys harbor many species of cold-adapted algae, including Chlamydomonas sp. UWO241 (UWO241). As a consequence of adaptation to multiple permanent extreme conditions, UWO241 exhibits a remodeled photosynthetic apparatus for maintaining redox poise. One unusual characteristic of UWO241 is the absence of a PSI-associated 77K fluorescence emission under a wide range of growth conditions. This phenotype resembles Fe deficiency in other model organisms such as C. reinhardtii. We hypothesized that adaptation to permanent iron deficiency in its native environment may contribute to this unusual phenotype. We compared the effect of Fe availability on the physiology and photobiology of UWO241 with the model C. reinhardtii as well as a second psychrophilic alga, Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-MDV (ICE). The impacts of a restructured photosynthetic apparatus on the unique Fe-associated phenotype in UWO241 will be discussed. ANTARCTIC CHLAMYDOMONAS STRAINS C. SP. UWO241 AND ICE-MDV EXHIBIT DIFFERENTIAL RESTRUCTURING OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC APPPARATUS IN RESPONSE TO IRON
Towards Capturing Security Requirements in Agile Software Development

Software use is an unavoidable reality. Increased use expands the opportunity for malicious use which threatens security and privacy. There are many factors like data loss, increase in budget cost due to security breaches, pending legislation and competitive advantage are driving software developers to integrate security into software development rather than adding security in later stages of development. The approach presented here addresses elicitation, prioritization, analysis of requirements and security requirements. This can be done by identifying candidate’s security goals, their categorization and understanding with stakeholders to develop preliminary security requirements and then prioritization and at the end security requirements are output.
Wohin steuert die Taxonomie?

In der Taxonomie können die Organismen nach unterschiedlichen Kriterien zu Arten gruppiert werden, z.B. nach phänotypischen und genetischen Merkmalen oder nach der reproduktiven Verbindung. In der Natur gibt es nicht die universelle Einheit „Art“, weil unterschiedliche biologische Mechanismen dafür verantwortlich sind, wie die Individuen zu Gruppen zusammenhalten oder gegenseitig abgegrenzt werden. Unterschiedliche Artkonzepte definieren nicht unbedingt dieselbe in der Natur existierende Einheit. Ein und dasselbe Individuum kann je nach Artkonzept unterschiedlichen Arten zugeordnet werden. In den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten hat die Barcode‐Taxonomie eine dominierende Rolle eingenommen. Ein großer Vorteil der Barcode‐Taxonomie ist die zeitsparende maschinelle Massenerfassung von Arten, ohne dass dazu taxonomisch ausgebildete Experten erforderlich sind. Vor allem bei evolutionär jungen Arten kommt es aber zu erheblichen Diskrepanzen zwischen der Arteinteilung nach dem Barcode‐Konzept und der Einteilung nach Reproduktionsgemeinschaften oder nach phänotypischen Merkmalen. Die Barcode‐Art muss daher als eine Art neben anderen Artkonzepten verstanden werden.
Pattern Recognition Letters

Image segmentation and superpixel generation have been studied for many years, and they are still active research topics in computer vision. Although many advanced computer vision algorithms have been used for image segmentation and superpixel generation, there is no end-to-end trainable algorithm that generates superpixels and segment images simultaneously. We propose an end-to-end trainable network to solve this problem. We train a differentiable clustering algorithm module to produce accurate superpixels. Based on the generated superpixels, the superpixel pooling operation is performed to obtain superpixel features, and then we calculate the similarity of two adjacent superpixels. If the similarity is greater than the preset threshold, we merge the two superpixels. Finally, we get the segmented image. We conduct our experiments in the BSDS500 dataset and get good results.
Alkaline phosphatase and cardiovascular disease

Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is a plasma membrane-anchored enzyme that is widely distributed in nature from bacteria to humans. AP has a broad specificity and catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphate monoesters from a wide range of substrates. The best known physiological function of AP is participation in the bone mineralization by increasing the availability of phosphate that is used for hydroxyapatite synthesis. Measurement of AP activity in plasma is widely used for the diagnosis of bone and liver diseases. Population-based longitudinal studies strongly suggest an association between elevated AP and increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) or all-cause mortality. Elevated AP in subjects with pre-existing coronary heart disease (CHD) is associated with the increased risk of mortality with no evidence for a stronger association between AP and mortality in these subjects compared to subjects free of CHD. AP is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors including conventional CVD risk factors, metabolic syndrome, systemic inflammation, vitamin D deficiency and various morbid conditions that may signify a poor CVD risk profile or impact unfavorably on prognosis. Experimental studies strongly suggest an involvement of AP in the vascular calcification and, through this mechanism, a direct role of the enzyme in the pathophysiology of CVD. However, criteria for a causal relationship between AP and CVD or mortality remain unfulfilled. Further explorations of the molecular mechanisms of the involvement of AP in the pathophysiology of CVD and the use of the enzyme as a therapeutic target to reduce CVD risk remain to be elucidated in future studies.
Status of White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus Richardson, 1863) throughout the species range, threats to survival, and prognosis for the future

Summary White Sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus (WS), are distributed throughout three major river basins on the West Coast of North America: the Sacramento-San Joaquin, Columbia, and Fraser River drainages. Considered the largest North American freshwater fish, some WS use estuarine habitat and make limited marine movements between river basins. Some populations are listed by the United States or Canada as threatened or endangered (upper Columbia River above Grand Coulee Dam; Kootenai River; lower, middle and, upper Fraser River and Nechako River), while others do not warrant federal listing at this time (Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers; Columbia River below Grand Coulee Dam; Snake River). Threats that impact WS throughout the species’ range include fishing effects and habitat alteration and degradation. Several populations suffer from recruitment limitations or collapse due to high early life mortality associated with these threats. Efforts to preserve WS populations include annual monitoring, harvest restrictions, habitat restoration, and conservation aquaculture. This paper provides a review of current knowledge on WS life history, ecology, physiology, behavior, and genetics and presents the status of WS in each drainage. Ongoing management and conservation efforts and additional research needs are identified to address present and future risks to the species.
Recurrent Neural Network Predictions for Water Levels at Drainage Pumping Stations in an Agricultural Lowland

Drainage management in a complicated system in an agricultural lowland must operate pumps flexibly and quickly, based on the water level at the pumping station. A data-driven model without any physical-based information was implemented in a complicated drainage management system to predict the water level of a lagoon near a main drainage pumping station. We employed a long short-term memory (LSTM) model as an advanced neural network model to utilize the field datasets obtained from water-related facilities and sensors over about eight years as model input data. We performed sensitivity tests for model accuracy with different types of data and locations of data using cross-validation with an error quantity between observed and predicted water levels at the main drainage pumping station. The results showed that the LSTM model with the input of all available datasets predicted better than the models using several parts of datasets or it was roughly equivalent to those for water levels over the entire observed period in 3-h and 6-h lead times. In addition, the LSTM with only inputs of the water level and rainfall observed by drainage pumping stations performed better for the observed subperiod, including the severest flood event.
Teste de condutividade elétrica em sementes de painço (Panicum miliaceum L.)

Among the various quality control tests of seeds, the electrical conductivity test has great potential to determine seed quality quickly and reliably. Because of paucity of information in the literature regarding the methodology of the electrical conductivity test for proso millet seeds, this study aimed to evaluate the electrical conductivity test, with periods of imbibition, water volumes and number of seeds, seeking to establish the methodology more suitable for stratification of the lots. The work involves three experiments: characterization of the lots; determining the number of seeds x volumes of water to be used (25, 50, 75 and 100 seeds and 25, 50, 75, and 100 mL of water); and conditioning period (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 hours). The characterization of lots defined the Lot 1 and Lot 4 as the strongest among the lots evaluated. The electrical conductivity test was efficient to evaluate the physiological potential of lots of proso millet seeds. The stratification of the seed lots was possible using 25 seeds, imbibed in 50 mL of deionized water for a period of 14 hours.
THE CULTIVATION OF RUMEN OLIGOTRICH PROTOZOA:II. GROWTH OF ENTODINIA IN VITRO

Rumen oligotrich protozoa, namely some species of Entodinium, were successfully cultured in vitro on a salt medium containing whole egg protein, proteose-peptone, 'rice starch, yeast extract, cellulose powder, and white clover juice. Of these constituents proteose-peptone, yeast extract, and cellulose powder could be omitted, but omission of the clover juice resulted in the death of the protozoa. Attempts to replace the clover juice by known compounds were unsuccessful. Entodinia were maintained for over 10 months on a medium of rice starch and finely ground white clover at population densities of 2-10 x 104/ml. On the two media described above populations up to 2-3 x 105/ml were obtained by using a simple apparatus. On the latter medium, the ciliates were maintained at a mean density of nearly 2 x 10, ml for more than 50 days. Entodinium caudatum, starting from a single cell, multiplied with the average division rate of approximately once per day during the initial 4 weeks. The clone was maintained for over 3 months with active multiplication. Morphological variation was observed in these clonal cultures.
Interplay between Transcription and RNA Degradation

Amount of mRNA depends on the both the rates of mRNA transcription in the nucleus and mRNA degradation in the cytoplasm. Although each of the processes was studied independently, recent studies demonstrated the interplay between transcription and mRNA degradation in various cellular processes, such as cell-cycle, cellular differentia tion, and stress responses. In this review, we discuss the benefit of the interplay in the gene expressions and the mechanisms how these two processes are coupled. We also review recent genome-wide methods to measure the rates of transcription and degradation.
Impact of Common Mental Disorders on Food Insecurity among Women in Butajira, Ethiopia: A Cohort Study

Background:There is a growing body of evidence for an association between common mental disorders and food insecurity. However, since most studies have been cross-sectional, it has not been possible to differentiate the direction of the association. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of common mental disorders on food insecurity using a prospective cohort study design. Methods: The study was carried out in Butajira, south-central Ethiopiaamong mothers who were enrolled in the CMaMiEcohort. A total of 1815 enrolled women were evaluatedfor symptoms of CMD using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) at two time points; August 2012 (time 1, T1) and in August 2014 (time 2, T2). Probable CMD was defined when mothers reportedsix or more affirmative (yes) responsesto the SRQ-20. Household food insecuritywas measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) in December 2017 (time 3, T3). Zero inflated negative binomial regression was used to determine the independent effects of CMDs at T1 and T2 on food insecurity score at T3. APoisson working model was also used to determine the risk of being severely food insecure associated with having CMD.
A comparative evaluation of microorganisms around dental implants and in subgingival plaque of patients with chronic periodontitis

Introduction: This study was done to compare microorganisms around dental implants inserted in site of missing mandibular first molars and in subgingival plaque of patients with chronic periodontitis. Materials and Method: This study comprised of 20 chronic periodontitis patients and 20 patients who received dental implants. Subgingival plaque and peri-implant biofilm were sampled in both groups which were evaluated using 454-prosequencing of bacterial V1 to V3 regions of 16S rDNA. Results: The mean probing depth in group I was 6.8 mm and in group II was 2.4 mm, clinical attachment level in group I was 7.3 mm and in group II was 0 and bone loss in group I was 6.7 mm and in group II was 0. The most predominant microorganisms in group I was Catonella, Desulfovibrio, Mogibacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythensis and Treponema denticola. The three most abundant OTUs linked with the implant were Pseudomonas, Leptotrichia hongkongensis and Granulicatella adiacens. Conclusion: Comparison of subgingival biofilms in patients with chronic periodontitis and biofilms around dental implants revealed significant diversity. It was found that dental implants may alter the composition of microbiome. Clinical significance: Knowledge about comparison of subgingival biofilms in patients with chronic periodontitis helps in taking preventive precautions for successful out cone of dental implants. Keywords: Subgingival biofilms, Microbiome, Implants.