Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fieldcopter: unmanned aerial systems for crop monitoring services

Satellite remote sensing is considered to be a good source of crop monitoring information. However, regions that experience significant cloud cover are often unable to acquire timely satellite imagery. FieldCopter addresses this problem and explores how unmanned aerial systems (UAS), suitably equipped with multispectral sensors, can provide an alternative, reliable and flexible information source on crop and soil status. Calculations from hourly meteorological data show that satellite-based remote sensing has a 20% probability of producing an adequate image. However, the probability of a usable image from a light-weight, weather sensitive UAS is 45% and over 70% for an all-weather UAS. FieldCopter demonstrates that, despite cloud cover and other adverse weather conditions, the UAS will complement and enhance the performance of any satellite remote sensing service to provide imagery essential for farmers engaged in precision agriculture.
IPSE, a Urogenital Parasite-Derived Immunomodulatory Molecule, Suppresses Bladder Pathogenesis and Anti-Microbial Peptide Gene Expression in Bacterial Urinary Tract Co-Infection

Background: Parasitic infections can increase susceptibility to bacterial co-infections. This may be true for urogenital schistosomiasis and bacterial urinary tract co-infections (UTI). We previously reported that this co-infection is facilitated by S. haematobium eggs triggering interleukin-4 (IL-4) production and sought to dissect the underlying mechanisms. The interleukin-4 inducing principle from Schistosoma mansoni eggs (IPSE) is one of the most abundant schistosome egg-secreted proteins and binds to IgE on the surface of basophils and mast cells to trigger IL-4 release. IPSE can also translocate into host nuclei using a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) to modulate host transcription. We hypothesized that IPSE is the factor responsible for the ability of S. haematobium eggs to worsen UTI pathogenesis. Methods: Mice were intravenously administered a single 25 μg dose of recombinant S. haematobium-derived IPSE, an NLS mutant of IPSE or PBS. Following IPSE exposure, mice were serially weighed, and organs analyzed by histology to assess for toxicity. Twenty-four hours after IPSE administration, mice were challenged with the uropathogenic E. coli strain UTI89 by urethral catheterization. Bacterial cfu were measured using urine. Bladders were examined histologically for UTI-triggered pathogenesis and by PCR for antimicrobial peptide expression.Results: Unexpectedly, IPSE administration did not result in significant differences in urine bacterial CFU. However, IPSE administration did lead to a significant reduction in UTI-induced bladder pathogenesis and the expression of anti-microbial peptides in the bladder. Despite the profound effect of IPSE on UTI-triggered bladder pathogenesis and anti-microbial peptide production, mice did not demonstrate systemic ill effects from IPSE exposure.Conclusions: Our data show that IPSE may play a major role in S. haematobium-associated urinary tract co-infection, albeit in an unexpected fashion. These findings also indicate that IPSE either works in concert with other IL-4-inducing factors to increase susceptibility of S. haematobium-infected hosts to bacterial co-infection, or does not contribute to enhancing vulnerability to this co-infection.
Whole Tilapia Fish Balls: Texture, Calcium, and Phosphorus

Indonesian love beef meatballs. However, beef meatballs have a high saturated fat content and are expensive. Tilapia fish can replace meatballs’ primary protein source. However, tilapia has a low fillet yield of 20-30%, producing 65-89% waste. The use of whole tilapia in the production of fish balls can increase the benefits of calcium- and phosphorus-rich fish by-products. Osteoporosis-prone individuals need calcium and phosphorus-rich foods. Notwithstanding, our preliminary research showed whole tilapia fish balls have a low texture; thus, adding a gelling agent (carrageenan) is necessary. Carrageenan has not been examined in whole tilapia fish balls. This study aimed to analyse whole tilapia fish balls’ sensory and nutritional qualities with 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% carrageenan. The study used Complete Randomized Designs (CRD) with three repetitions. ANOVA and Duncan’s test were used to analyse sensory data. The results showed that more carrageenan improved the texture of the whole fish balls. Therefore, it is recommended to use 5% carrageenan to make whole tilapia fish balls chewy and dense. The ash, fat, protein, calcium, and phosphorus content of whole tilapia fish balls were higher than that of tilapia fillet fish balls, but the water content and carbohydrates were lower. Adding 5% carrageenan enhanced the water content, ash, protein, calcium, and phosphorus, reducing the carbohydrate for both whole and fillet tilapia balls. Whole tilapia fish balls had ± 9 times more calcium than fillet balls (417.23 mg/100 gr) and ± 32 times more phosphorus (231.22 mg/100 gr). The calcium and phosphorus content of whole tilapia fish balls is roughly equal to the daily recommended value of 2:1. This study suggests that by eating 250-350 grams daily, people prone to osteoporosis can meet their calcium and phosphorus levels needs.
Participation questionnaire for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder: content validation and item development

Occupational therapists need to comprehensively assess the participation of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. The Participation Questionnaire for Preschoolers measures disability-specific participation in children with ASD. This tool targets a narrow age range of 48-72 months and needs to be adequately assessed for content validity. Therefore, this study aims to expand the target age range of the Participation Questionnaire for Preschoolers to 36-83 months, validate its content, and develop its items A qualitative research-based item development study was conducted. Using the prototype items, interviews were conducted with 8 experts in ASD child support and participation research and 11 caregivers of children with ASD. Interviews were transcribed and subjected to content analysis. The number of questions was reduced (51 vs. 36). Two of the eight sub-domains were removed to clarify the conceptual difference between activity and participation. Moreover, the items' order was changed to explain the subject and improve comprehensibility. The developed Participation Questionnaire for Preschoolers comprised disability-specific items. The application of a reflective model may be useful for intervention research. In the future, there will be a need for scale development and assessment of measurement properties such as structural validity.
Mental Tasks for Controlling Cursor Movements in a Brain-Computer Interface

Traumatic brain injury and neuro-degenerative diseases leave people dependent and with a low quality of life. Several technologies have been proposed to connect the central nervous system to silicon circuitry and thereby circumvent the damaged nervous tissue that is impairing normal function. These technologies rely upon a language of subtle movements within a patient's capability to direct computer operations, however, selecting the proper abstraction for even a task as simple as moving a computer cursor can be challenging. Involuntary movements can create noise and false positives for the brain-computer-interface (BCI) receptors, and non-intuitive abstractions can be a barrier to adoption by neurologically damaged patients. We therefore introduce Visualization of Arrow Movements (VAM) as a set of mental tasks for controlling cursor movements in a BCI system. The performance of VAM was evaluated by six untrained subjects via 10-fold cross-validation using band power and k-nearest Neighbor classification methods as well as linear discriminant analysis (LDA) after spatial filtering. The binary classification accuracy in recognizing VAM tasks from each other was between 92% and 100% for four subjects and between 66% and 72% for the other two participants, which suggests that the tasks are most intuitive for even untrained persons. Non-EEG analysis revealed that this performance does not originate from ocular or other facial movements, but from cerebral electrical activity. The high classification accuracy and intuitive abstraction suggest that VAM is a promising abstraction for BCI systems.
A predictive model of ebolavirus spillover incorporating change in forests and human populations across spatial and temporal scales

Past research has found associations between ebolavirus spillover and forest loss and fragmentation, although most predictions of the spatial distribution of ebolaviruses have not utilized these data. Spatial and temporal scales of covariate data measurement have also not previously been accounted for in predictive models of ebolavirus spillover, making it difficult to account for variables that influence ebolavirus transmission dynamics, such as movement and interaction of human and animal populations, trade, and animal behavioral responses to human presence and a changing environment. Using annual data on forest cover, forest loss and fragmentation, human population distribution, and meteorological variables, we developed models of ebolavirus spillover events from 2001-2021 to estimate the annual relative odds of ebolavirus spillover in equatorial Africa in 2021 and 2022. Analyses were done separately for all ebolavirus species (All-species analysis) and Zaire ebolavirus alone (Zaire-only analysis). Locations with the highest estimated relative odds of spillover occurred in patches throughout Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, and coastal west Africa in a spatial trend that resembled that of maps of forest fragmentation and forest loss. Reduced analyses that ignored forest loss and fragmentation data produced estimates that were distinct from the full analyses, highlighting locations where forest loss and fragmentation drove model predictions, which included coastal west Africa, southern Cameroon, and parts of DRC. Estimated spillover odds and increase in spillover odds at 2022 spillover sites ranked among the highest in equatorial Africa, suggesting the potential of predictive analyses to prioritize locations for surveillance and research efforts.
Hyaluronidase: correlation between biological assay and other methods of assay.

Different workers have at various times sought to correlate the in vivo and in vitro activities of hyaluronidase preparations. Chain & Duthie (1940), drawing attention to the association between diffusion in the tissues and the mucolytic activity of testicular extracts, pointed out that the viscosityreducing and diffusing activities of various enzyme preparations were in good agreement. McClean (1943) compared enzymes from different sources by their diffusing activity with Humphrey's (1943) technique, by their viscosity-reducing activity at pH 7*0 and by the mucin-clot prevention test; he found that the results of the viscosimetric assay could be very closely correlated to those of the skindiffusing activity. Madinaveitia, Todd, Bacharach & Chance (1940), on the other hand, were unable to correlate satisfactorily the viscosity-reducing activity of hyaluronidase preparation with their skin-diffusing activity and stated that diffusing factors ought not to be assayed in terms of their activity in the physicochemical test. In his review on the biological role of hyaluronic acid and hyaluronidase, Meyer (1947) pointed out that the spreading reaction could not be considered as an accurate assay of hyaluronidase and that the correlation between spreading reaction and physicochemical methods of hyaluronidase assay was poor. In certain instances the comparison was vitiated by the use of different conditions of pH and salt concentration in the different tests, but. even when this was avoided the error ofthe biological assays was too great to permit any conclusion that in vitro tests are a true measure of in vivo activity. The question is of some importance because of the need to standardize hyaluronidase in view of its increasing use in clinical medicine. Having devised a biological method of hyaluronidase assay which gives reproducible results (Jaques, 1953) we undertook to assay seven different enzyme preparations by the more convenient viscosimetric and turbidimetric methods and to correlate the results with those of the bioassay. All tests were performed under approximately physiological conditions of pH and salt concentration in order to imitate more closely the conditions ofthe skin test (McClean, 1941, 1943).
Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the ribonucleoprotein complex genes of H9N2 avian influenza viruses isolated from commercial poultry in Iran

BACKGROUND: The H9N2 subtype of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) has been isolated in multiple avian species in many European, Asian, African and American countries. Since the first outbreak of H9N2 virus in Iran in 1998, this virus has widely circulated throughout the country, resulting in major economic losses in chicken flocks. Several amino acids in the virus ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex including the nucleo- protein (NP) and polymerase (PB2, PB1 and PA) proteins are associated with host range and virulence. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to understand the molecular characterization of RNP complex proteins of Iranian H9N2 subtype isolates. METHODS: The full length nucleotide sequences of RNP complex genes of two strains designated as Ck/IR/ZMT-101/98 and Ck/IR/EBGV- 88/10 were amplified and sequenced. RESULTS: The phylo- genetic analysis revealed that both strains were located in different sub-lineages. However, based on the genetic similari- ties, PB1, PA and NP genes of Ck/IR/EBGV-88/10 strain had a close relationship with a H7N3 subtype strain, isolated from Pakistan. Most positions of RNP proteins contained amino acids typical of avian determinants of host range. The results showed that the Iranian RNP complex genes have undergone genetic reassortment. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous AIV monitoring in poultry industry would help to obtain more information about genetic variation of H9N2 viruses and possible emergence of virulent and/or pandemic viruses.
The Collaborative Learning Development Exercise (CLeD-EX): an educational instrument promoting key collaborative learning behaviours in medical students

Background: Modern clinical practice increasingly relies on collaborative and team-based approaches to care. Regulatory bodies in medical education emphasise the need to develop collaborative and teamwork competencies and highlight the need to do so from an early stage of medical training. During undergraduate medical education the focus is usually to facilitate collaborative learning and increase feedback and reflection on this learning. This article describes a novel educational instrument, the Collaborative Learning Development Exercise (CLeD-EX), which aims to foster the development of key collaborative learning competencies in medical students. Methods: In this study, the “educational design research” framework was used to develop, implement and evaluate the CLeD-EX. This involved adopting a systematic approach towards designing a creative and innovative instrument which would help solve a real-world challenge in developing collaborative learning skills. The systematic approach involved a qualitative exploration of key collaborative learning behaviours which are influential in effective collaborative learning contexts. The identified competencies were employed in the design of the CLeD-EX. The design of the CLeD-EX included features to facilitate structured feedback by tutors to students, complemented by self-evaluation and reflection. The CLeD-EX was field-tested with volunteer junior medical students, using a controlled pre-test post-test design. Analysis of the completed CLeD-EX forms, self-perception surveys (i.e. pre-test and post-test surveys) and analyses of reflective reports were used to explore the educational impact of CLeD-EX, as well as its utility and practicality. Results: After using the CLeD-EX, students showed a significant improvement in self‑directed learning, critical thinking and group process as measured by a previously validated instrument. Both students and tutors recognised CLeD-EX as an effective instrument, especially as a structured basis for giving and receiving feedback and for completing the feedback loop. CLeD-EX was also found to be feasible, practical and focused, while promoting learning and effective interactions in small group learning. Conclusion: The findings of this study support the introduction of an educational instrument such as the CLeD-EX to facilitate the development of students’ skills in collaborative learning.
Oral health of children and adolescents with or without attention de�cit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) living in residential care in rural Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

Background: Attention de�cit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is de�ned as childhood neurobehavioural disorder. Due to short attention span, oral hygiene and dental treatment of such individuals can be challenging. Aim of this study was to evaluate the oral health of children and adolescents with and without ADHD living in residential care in rural Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Methods: Included in the study were 79 participants (male/female:58/21, age 9-15 years) living in residential care: 34 participants with ADHD and 45 participants without ADHD (control). Oral examination included the following parameters decayed, missing, �lled teeth in the primary dentition (dmft), decayed, missing, �lled surfaces/teeth in the secondary dentition (DMFS/DMFT), approximal plaque index (API), bruxism and orthodontic treatment. Additionally, oral hygiene, last dental visit and treatment performed, and dietary habits were assessed by questionnaire. Results: There were no signi�cant differences in dmft, API, bruxism and oral hygiene habits between groups. However, participants with ADHD tended to have higher DMFS/DMFT values than the control group. Ongoing orthodontic treatment was found more often in the control group. The ADHD group tended to consume acidic/sugary beverages and sweet snacks more often than the controls. Different treatments (control visit/prophylaxis, dental therapy, orthodontic treatment) were performed at the last dental visit in the two groups. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, oral health was similar in children and adolescents with or without ADHD from the same residential care setting. Parents/guardians need instructions for better supervision of oral hygiene and dietary habits to improve the poor oral health of children with or without ADHD.
A State Dependent Nonlinear Approach to Flood Forecasting

This paper presents an alternative to distributed inundation models for realtime flood forecasting that provides fast and accurate medium- to short-term forecasts. The methodology applies a State Dependent Parameter approach to derive a nonlinear dependence between the water levels measured at gauging stations along the river. The transformation of water levels depends on the relative geometry of the channel cross-sections, without the need to apply rating curve transformations to discharge. The relationship obtained is used to transform water levels as an input to an adaptive, variable time lag routing model. The paper provides an account of the uncertainties involved and describes the conditions for its application. The approach is illustrated using an 80 km reach of the River Severn, UK.
Pilot study of a novel classroom designed to prevent myopia by increasing children#_#x2019;s exposure to outdoor light

We sought to assess light characteristics and user acceptability of a prototype Bright Classroom (BC), designed to prevent children’s myopia by exposing them to light conditions resembling the outdoors. Conditions were measured throughout the school year in the glass-constructed BC, a traditional classroom (TC) and outdoors. Teachers and children completed user questionnaires, and children rated reading comfort at different light intensities. A total of 230 children (mean age 10.2 years, 57.4% boys) and 13 teachers (36.8 years, 15.4% men) completed questionnaires. The median (Inter Quartile Range) light intensity in the BC (2,540 [1,330–4,060] lux) was greater than the TC (477 [245–738] lux, P < 0.001), though less than outdoors (19,500 [8,960–36,000] lux, P < 0.001). A prominent spectral peak at 490–560 nm was present in the BC and outdoors, but less so in the TC. Teachers and children gave higher overall ratings to the BC than TC, and light intensity in the BC in summer and on sunny days (>5,000 lux) was at the upper limit of children’s comfort for reading. In summary, light intensity in the BC exceeds TC, and is at the practical upper limit for routine use. Children and teachers prefer the BC.
Unresolved Problems Involving the Hydrogeology and Sequence Stratigraphy of the Wasatch Plateau based on Mapping of the Wattis 7.5 Minute Quadrangle, Carbon and Emery Counties, Utah: Insights Gained from a New Geologic Map

UNRESOLVED PROBLEMS INVOLVING THE HYDROGEOLOGY AND SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY OF THE WASATCH PLATEAU BASED ON MAPPING OF THE WATTIS 7.5 MINUTE QUADRANGLE, CARBON AND EMERY COUNTIES, UTAH David O. Alderks Department of Geology Master of Science The Wattis 7.5 Minute Quadrangle is located in central Utah, in the transition zone between the Basin and Range province and the Colorado plateau. Two small grabens, located in the quadrangle, are the easternmost evidence of Basin and Range faulting. Sedimentary units exposed are mainly Cretaceous in age and deposited in the Western Cretaceous Interior Seaway. This area is of economical importance due to its large coal deposits, coal bed methane, and groundwater. The Wattis Quadrangle provided an ideal opportunity to test, at a small scale, the applicability of a new groundwater model for stratified mountainous terranes. Water samples had C ages ranging from modern to 10,000 ± 500 years. Stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen showed that recharged precipitation fell when climate conditions were close to modern, or slightly colder. Three groundwater systems consist of one shallow groundwater system in the North Horn Formation, and two deeper aquifers located in the Blackhawk Formation and the Star Point Sandstone. Water in the North Horn Formation is modern, whereas the Blackhawk Formation and Star Point Sandstone waters are mixed systems, having tritium concentrations between 3 and 4 T.U. , and C ages between 7,000 and 10,000 years. Geochemical modeling shows that there are no plausible reaction paths to evolve the North Horn Formation waters into waters contained in underlying units. Thus, water entering the top of the plateau does not flow through the stratified rocks to exit at its base. Instead, the waters represent discrete perched systems at various stratigraphic levels. The Star Point Sandstone has three parasequences with a single sequence boundary. The deposits show normal marine conditions containing lower shoreface biota of Skolithos and Ophiomorpha overlain by middle shoreface sedimentary structures. The Star Point Sandstone deltaic parasequences likely prograded into the basin during pulses of thrusting from the Sevier Orogeny. The Emery Sandstone Member of the Mancos Formation contains three parasequences all located in the lower shoreface, and also exhibits the normal marine biota of Skolithos and Ophiomorpha. The Emery Sandstone reflects density currents caused by major storm events, including Bauma C and D depositional structures. Thick sandstone bodies are restricted to paleochannels.