Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Growth Rate, Carcass Weight and Percentage Weight of Carcass Parts of Laying Type Cockerels, Kampong Chicken and Arabic Chicken in Different Ages

This study was designed to determine the effect of age of laying-type cockerels, kampong chicken and arabic chicken on growth performance, carcass weight and the percentage weight of carcass parts. The experiment was designed in a Complete Randomized Design with 3 x 7 factorial arrangements. The first factor was types or lines of chicken consisted of 3 levels i.e., laying-type cockerels, kampong chicken and arabic chicken. The second factor was age of slaughtering consisted of 7 levels i.e., at the ages of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 weeks. The study used 63 day old chick (DOC) laying-type cockerels, 63 unsexed DOC kampong chickens and 63 unsexed DOC arabic chickens. Each line of chicken was divided into 9 groups consisted of 7 chicks. Every group was kept in a one meter cubic cage. Every weekend, feed intake and body weight were measured. At the end of the fourth week, from each group, one chicken was randomly selected for measurement of live weight, carcass weight and the percentage weight of carcass part. The results of the study found that laying-type cockerel, kampong chicken and arabic chicken had the same feed intake and feed efficiency, but had different body weight gains, carcass weights and the percentage weight of carcass parts (drumstick, thighs, wings, breast and back). The increase of age affected feed intake, body weight gain, feed efficiency, carcass and the percentage weight of carcass part. There was an interaction between the line of chicken and age on body weight gain, but there was no interaction on feed intake, feed efficiency, carcass weight and the percentage weight of carcass part (drumstick, thighs, wings, breast and back).
TransSearch: What are translators looking for?

Notwithstanding machine translation’s impressive progress over the last decade, many translators remain convinced that the output of even the best MT systems is not sufficient to facilitate the production of publication-quality texts. To increase their productivity they turn instead to translator support tools. We examine the use of one such tool: TransSearch, an online bilingual concordancer. From the millions of requests stored in the system’s logs over a 6-year period, we extracted and analyzed the most frequently submitted queries, in an effort to characterize the kinds of problems for which translators turn to this system for help. What we discover, somewhat surprisingly, is that our system seems particularly well-suited to help translate highly polysemous adverbials and prepositional phrases.
Cardiac-Myocyte-Specific Excision of the Vinculin Gene Disrupts Cellular Junctions, Causing Sudden Death or Dilated Cardiomyopathy

ABSTRACT Vinculin is a ubiquitously expressed multiliganded protein that links the actin cytoskeleton to the cell membrane. In myocytes, it is localized in protein complexes which anchor the contractile apparatus to the sarcolemma. Its function in the myocardium remains poorly understood. Therefore, we developed a mouse model with cardiac-myocyte-specific inactivation of the vinculin (Vcl) gene by using Cre-loxP technology. Sudden death was found in 49% of the knockout (cVclKO) mice younger than 3 months of age despite preservation of contractile function. Conscious telemetry documented ventricular tachycardia as the cause of sudden death, while defective myocardial conduction was detected by optical mapping. cVclKO mice that survived through the vulnerable period of sudden death developed dilated cardiomyopathy and died before 6 months of age. Prior to the onset of cardiac dysfunction, ultrastructural analysis of cVclKO heart tissue showed abnormal adherens junctions with dissolution of the intercalated disc structure, expression of the junctional proteins cadherin and β1D integrin were reduced, and the gap junction protein connexin 43 was mislocalized to the lateral myocyte border. This is the first report of tissue-specific inactivation of the Vcl gene and shows that it is required for preservation of normal cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesive structures.
Citizens' attitudes towards e-government presence on social networks (e-government 2.0): An empirical study

Government agencies are increasingly looking to leverage social media usage to improve governmental services quality and enable greater citizen engagement. Publicly available social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, which are widely available to governments' employees and citizens with Internet access, provide governments with attractive options for meeting such new objectives. This research explored the literature in this area and tried to develop an instrument to measure citizens' attitudes toward government 2.0 based on four main variables: perceived value of e-government, e government usage intensity, general trust in government, general Internet usage. A random moderate sample of Jordanian citizens was used to test the instrument.
Teacher Research in Language Teaching: A Critical Analysis

Series editors' preface Acknowledgements Introduction: teacher research as a paradox 1. Research and teachers 2. Investigating teacher research engagement 3. Conceptions of research in language teaching 4. Teacher engagement with research 5. Teacher engagement in research 6. Research engagement and teaching quality 7. Research cultures in language teaching 8. Facilitating teacher research projects 9. Promoting language teacher research engagement Appendices Index.
Saving, investment and the net foreign asset position

Over the last two decades, countries have exhibited net foreign assets and liabilities. This paper develops an empirical model to examine the causes for the stock of the net foreign asset positions in 51 developing and industrialised countries. The reasons for significantly high or low net foreign asset positions can be derived from long-run trend differences in saving and investment. Using cointegration techniques, it is shown that GDP per capita, public debt and demographic factors influence long-run saving and investment and, hence, net external wealth of developing and industrialised countries.
Jump detection with wavelets for high-frequency financial time series

This paper introduces a new nonparametric test to identify jump arrival times in high frequency financial time series data. The asymptotic distribution of the test is derived. We demonstrate that the test is robust for different specifications of price processes and the presence of the microstructure noise. A Monte Carlo simulation is conducted which shows that the test has good size and power. Further, we examine the multi-scale jump dynamics in US equity markets. The main findings are as follows. First, the jump dynamics of equities are sensitive to data sampling frequency with significant underestimation of jump intensities at lower frequencies. Second, although arrival densities of positive jumps and negative jumps are symmetric across different time scales, the magnitude of jumps is distributed asymmetrically at high frequencies. Third, only 20% of jumps occur in the trading session from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, suggesting that illiquidity during after-hours trading is a strong determinant of jumps.
Pyramidal Neuron Conductance State Gates Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity

Neocortical neurons in vivo process each of their individual inputs in the context of ongoing synaptic background activity, produced by the thousands of presynaptic partners a typical neuron has. Previous work has shown that background activity affects multiple aspects of neuronal and network function. However, its effect on the induction of spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) is not clear. Here we report that injections of simulated background conductances (produced by a dynamic-clamp system) into pyramidal cells in rat brain slices selectively reduced the magnitude of timing-dependent synaptic potentiation while leaving the magnitude of timing-dependent synaptic depression unchanged. The conductance-dependent suppression also sharpened the STDP curve, with reliable synaptic potentiation induced only when EPSPs and action potentials (APs) were paired within 8 ms of each other. Dual somatic and dendritic patch recordings suggested that the deficit in synaptic potentiation arose from shunting of dendritic EPSPs and APs. Using a biophysically detailed computational model, we were not only able to replicate the conductance-dependent shunting of dendritic potentials, but show that synaptic background can truncate calcium dynamics within dendritic spines in a way that affects potentiation more strongly than depression. This conductance-dependent regulation of synaptic plasticity may constitute a novel homeostatic mechanism that can prevent the runaway synaptic potentiation to which Hebbian networks are vulnerable.
Topics in Membrane Computing : After CMC 12 , Before BWMC 10

What follows is a list of open problems and research topics compiled by the two editors of this “mega-paper”, with the authors who contributed to this list mentioned together with their problems and research topics. The idea of such a collection occurred during CMC 2011, held in Fontainebleau, Paris, France (23 26 August 2011), and the result is meant to be a working material for the Tenth Brainstorming Week on Membrane Computing, Sevilla, Spain (January 30 February 3, 2012).
Circulating financial innovation: new knowledge and securitization in Europe

Research in economic geography has provided a critical examination of securitization's role in the recent global financial crisis. Building on earlier studies which interrogated the development of US securitization, contemporary research has explored how securitization has been adopted in different political economies. Although these novel studies have begun to highlight the geographies of securitization, our knowledge of the historical spread of securitization remains underdeveloped. This paper seeks to address this issue by exploring how securitization emerged within different European financial spaces. In doing so, the paper examines the cases of France, Spain and Italy to identify how securitization circulated through space and across communities of practice, facilitating the co-creation of new knowledge. The paper provides deeper insight into how securitization became established within European financial centres throughout the 1990s, shaping contemporary financial networks and the spread of the credit crunch.
On Improving Efficiency and Accuracy of Variable-Fidelity Surrogate Modeling in Aero-data for Loads Context

Variable-fidelity surrogate modeling offers an efficient way to generate aerodynamic data for aero-loads prediction based on a set of CFD methods with varying degree of fidelity and computational expense. In this paper, new algorithms, such as a Gradient-Enhanced Kriging method (direct GEK) and a generalized hybrid bridge function, have been developed to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the existing Variable-Fidelity Modeling (VFM) approach. These new algorithms and features are demonstrated and evaluated for analytical functions and used to construct a global surrogate model for the aerodynamic coefficients and drag polar of an RAE 2822 airfoil. It is preliminarily shown in this paper that they are very promising and can be used to significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of VFM in the context of aero-loads prediction.
Protective efficacy of crude virus‐like particle vaccine against HPAI H5N1 in chickens and its application on DIVA strategy

Background Currently, Asian lineage highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has become widespread across continents. These viruses are persistently circulating among poultry populations in endemic regions, causing huge economic losses, and raising concerns about an H5N1 pandemic. To control HPAI H5N1, effective vaccines for poultry are urgently needed.
Globular clusters and dwarf galaxies in Fornax. I. Kinematics in the cluster core from multi-object

Aims. We acquired radial velocities of a significant number of globular clusters (GCs) on wide fields between galaxies in the nearby Fornax cluster of galaxies, in order to derive their velocity dispersion radial profile and to probe the dynamics of the cluster. Methods. We used FLAMES on the VLT to obtain accurate velocities for 149 GCs, within a ≈ 500 $\times$ 150 kpc strip centered on NGC 1399, the Fornax central galaxy. These objects are at the very bright tail ($M_V \la -9.5$) of the GC luminosity function, overlapping the so-called “ultra-compact dwarfs” magnitude range. Eight of the brightest FLAMES-confirmed members indeed show hints of resolution in the subarcsecond pre-imaging data we used for selecting the ~500 targets for FLAMES spectroscopy. Results. Ignoring the GCs around galaxies by applying 3 d 25 diameter masks, we find 61 GCs of 20.0 $\le V \le$ 22.2 lying in the intra-cluster (IC) medium. The velocity dispersion of the population of ICGCs is 200 km s -1 at ~150 kpc from the central NGC 1399 and rises to nearly 400 km s -1 at 200 kpc, a value which compares with the velocity dispersion of the population of dwarf galaxies, thought to be infalling from the surroundings of the cluster.
Acquisition of Entrepreneurial Skills and Competences: Curriculum Development and Evaluation for Higher Education

Entrepreneurship higher education is aimed both at providing the students with knowledge bases and stimulating their entrepreneurial thinking. There is a need to rather develop the students’ general cognitions than their personal qualities. This is what forms the specialists who are ready for professional activity. In order to develop the education programs that fit actual economic requirements, the feedback needs to be obtained that includes the students’ self-evaluation of their entrepreneurial thinking level basing on the results of higher learning. The participants of the research were 513 fourth-year students in “Economy” and “Management” specialties from 5 universities of Kazan, Cheboksary, Ioshkar-Ola and Elabuga. The reasons for this choice include the following: high level of readiness for labor market; interest to practical tasks; attendance/desire to attend special courses. Through the preliminary questioning, the focus-groups were divided into two main categories: the students that already have practical experience and those ones that do not have the experience of professional activity. The participants were asked to fill in the questionnaires. The survey was carried out in a written form. The main purpose of the questionnaire was to compare the formation level of the qualities that were needed for entrepreneurial thinking among the students with/without practical experience. The working students are critical in relation to educational program and environment of their university as a formative factor of entrepreneurial thinking. More than 50% of the participants who work in their specialty believe that the new subjects need to be introduced into curriculum, 32% out of them combine learning with work and additional courses (trainings, seminars, etc.). Only 23% of the non-working students make similar decision, 54% view their knowledge and skills as sufficient, whereas 23% of the working students view their entrepreneurial thinking level as insufficient for a successful start. In the participants’ opinion, education programs that are used in universities where the research was carried out do not meet the students’ needs in the formation of entrepreneurial thinking. This point is the necessity to create and introduce a course that would serve as a coaching for the future entrepreneurs. The results of the research can be used by universities that train the specialists in “Economy” and “Management” specialties in order to develop the programs of the students’ entrepreneurial thinking formation.
Organizational Improvisation and Learning: A Field Study

An inductive study of improvisation in new product development activities in two firms uncovered a variety of improvisational forms and the factors that shaped them. Embedded in the observations were two important linkages between organizational improvisation and learning. First, site observations led us to refine prior definitions of improvisation and view it as a distinct type of real-time, short-term learning. Second, observation revealed links between improvisation and long-term organizational learning. Improvisation interfered with some learning processes; it also sometimes played a role in long-term trial-and-error learning, and the firms displayed improvisational competencies. Our findings extend prior research on organizational improvisation and learning and provide a lens for research on entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and the fusion of unplanned change and order.
A unified strategic business and IT alignment model: A study in the public universities of Nicaragua

A number of attempts have been made to define the strategic business and IT alignment, several representations on what business and IT alignment are available in academic and practitioners field. The literature suggests that firms need to achieve the strategic alignment to be competitive firms. This article provides a prioritization of the components of a defined strategic business and IT alignment model. The strategic business and IT alignment model used in this study is termed the unified strategic business and IT alignment model and it is based on four well know strategic business and IT alignment models. The components of the unified strategic business and IT alignment model were ranked with a group of IT experts and business experts of four public universities in Nicaragua. The result can be used as a basis for improving strategic business and IT alignment.
Improving Physical Layer Secrecy Using Full-Duplex Jamming Receivers

This paper studies secrecy rate optimization in a wireless network with a single-antenna source, a multi-antenna destination and a multi-antenna eavesdropper. This is an unfavorable scenario for secrecy performance as the system is interference-limited. In the literature, assuming that the receiver operates in half duplex (HD) mode, the aforementioned problem has been addressed via use of cooperating nodes who act as jammers to confound the eavesdropper. This paper investigates an alternative solution, which assumes the availability of a full duplex (FD) receiver. In particular, while receiving data, the receiver transmits jamming noise to degrade the eavesdropper channel. The proposed self-protection scheme eliminates the need for external helpers and provides system robustness. For the case in which global channel state information is available, we aim to design the optimal jamming covariance matrix that maximizes the secrecy rate and mitigates loop interference associated with the FD operation. We consider both fixed and optimal linear receiver design at the destination, and show that the optimal jamming covariance matrix is rank-1, and can be found via an efficient 1-D search. For the case in which only statistical information on the eavesdropper channel is available, the optimal power allocation is studied in terms of ergodic and outage secrecy rates. Simulation results verify the analysis and demonstrate substantial performance gain over conventional HD operation at the destination.
Grid Mind: Prolog-Based Simulation Environment for Future Energy Grids

Fundamental changes in the current energy grids, towards the so called smart grids, initiated a range of projects involving extensive deployment of metering and control devices into the grid infrastructure. Since in many countries, the choice of supportive information and communication technologies (ICT) for the grid devices still remains an open question, benchmarking tools aimed at predicting their behavior in the deployed solution play an essential role in the decision-making process. This paper presents a Prolog-based simulation environment, named Grid Mind, primarily intended for the very purpose. The tool was successfully used to generate simulation scenarios in several smart-grid related projects and became a self-standing simulation tool for the evaluation of information and communication technologies used to deliver lowvoltage metering and monitoring data. The tool is continuously evolving, aimed to become an integral part of the future energy grid design in the Czech Republic and beyond.
Possible association between acetazolamide administration during pregnancy and multiple congenital malformations

Congenital malformations might occur because of environmental or genetic factors, and sometimes occur because of unknown causes. Acetazolamide is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that is used to treat idiopathic intracranial hypertension, glaucoma, and epilepsy. The use of acetazolamide has not been recommended for pregnant women because of reported teratogenic risks. Congenital malformations, such as ectrodactyly, syndactyly, cleft lip/palate, and retarded incisor teeth development, have been reported in experimental animals. However, tooth agenesis due to the use of acetazolamide has not been reported yet. Oligodontia is a severe type of tooth agenesis involving six or more congenitally missing teeth. The causes of oligodontia are attributed to environmental factors, such as irradiation, drugs, trauma, tumors, infection, genetic factors, or a combination. There is no credible evidence of undesirable effects of acetazolamide use in human pregnancy. However, we report a case of a 12-year-old Saudi boy who was exposed to maternal acetazolamide (1,000 mg/day) for treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension before pregnancy, during the first trimester, and throughout the pregnancy. This treatment might have resulted in some congenital malformations, such as ectrodactyly, syndactyly, and oligodontia.
Robust Pattern Guided Estimation of Large Covariance Matrix

We study the problem of estimating large covariance matrices under two types of structural assumptions: (i) The covariance matrix is the summation of a low rank matrix and a sparse matrix, and we have some prior information on the sparsity pattern of the sparse matrix; (ii) The data follow a transelliptical distribution. The former structure regulates the parameter space and has its roots in different statistical models (e.g., approximate factor model, spike covariance model, and random effects model) and is motivated by some observations in financial data. The latter structure regulates the data distributions and has its root in copula modeling. Under these assumptions we propose a PAttern Guided Estimation (PAGE) method for estimating the (latent) covariance matrix. The PAGE method is rank based and naturally handles heavy tailed data. Theoretically, we show that: (i) PAGE enjoys the oracle property, i.e., it can recover the latent covariance matrix as if we know the exact low rank structure in advance; (ii) PAGE attains a fast rate of convergence as if the estimation is conducted under the Gaussian distributed data. We further extend PAGE to the situation in which the sparsity pattern is unknown. In this case, our method can be regarded as a robust version of POET in Fan et al. (2013), but is implemented through PAGE. Keyword: Matrix decomposition; Low rank matrix; Sparse matrix; Transelliptical distribution; Sparsity pattern; Catoni’s estimator; Kendall’s tau; Oracle property.