Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Stocking Density on Production of Clarias Gariepinus (Tuegels) in Floating Bamboo Cages at Kubanni Reservior, Zaria, Nigeria

The African Catfish ( Clarias gariepinus , Teugels) were reared at three different stocking densities in bamboo-net cages to evaluate the effects of stocking density on growth, survival rate and food conversion ratio. Three hundred (300) fish with a total weight of 1.8Kg were stocked at 25, 50 and 75 fish/ m 3 cage with a mean weight of 5.6±0.23g, 5.9±0.23g and 6.3±0.23 g/m 3 respectively. The growth trial lasted for 150 days (May 2009 to October 2009). Twenty percent (20%) of the total biomass of the fish in each cage was weighed monthly and the bulk weights were calculated. Mortalities were recorded monthly. The final mean weights (±S.E) of the fish stocked at densities of 25, 50 and 75 fish/m 3 cage were 828.0±1.83g, 774.0±20.18g and 693.0±34.20g. The corresponding mean values of Specific Growth Rate were 3.33, 3.25 and 3.43. Temperatures ranged between 24.5 0 C - 32.6 0 C while salinity ranged between 24 - 95ppm. The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) was 4.99, 4.73, and 3.43, and cumulative survival rates were calculated as 99.84, 99.66 and 99.50% respectively. The results revealed that stocking density had a significant (P>0.05) effect on growth and survival rates of Clarias gariepinus . Fish held at the highest stocking density exhibited the lowest growth and survival rate. Cages with 50fish/m 3 stocking density had the best production with total final weight (38.67Kg) and profit index (3.27) compared to other treatments (P>0.05). Keywords : Stocking density, bamboo-net cages, profit index, survival, growth, Clarias gariepinus
A knowledge based decision support architecture for designing brushless DC motors

This paper presents a knowledge based decision support system that can be used to design brushless DC motors. A hybrid approach, that includes an object oriented paradigm using frames and procedural attachments together with a rule based mechanism, is used to build the proposed architecture. The design strategy is implemented using a rule-based successive iterative method, through which the expert designer approach is emulated and embedded in a knowledge-based system. The performance of the proposed system is compared with results from the literature.
From Appearance to Essence

Truth discovery has been widely studied in recent years as a fundamental means for resolving the conflicts in multi-source data. Although many truth discovery methods have been proposed based on different considerations and intuitions, investigations show that no single method consistently outperforms the others. To select the right truth discovery method for a specific application scenario, it becomes essential to evaluate and compare the performance of different methods. A drawback of current research efforts is that they commonly assume the availability of certain ground truth for the evaluation of methods. However, the ground truth may be very limited or even impossible to obtain, rendering the evaluation biased. In this article, we present CompTruthHyp, a generic approach for comparing the performance of truth discovery methods without using ground truth. In particular, our approach calculates the probability of observations in a dataset based on the output of different methods. The probability is then ranked to reflect the performance of these methods. We review and compare 12 representative truth discovery methods and consider both single-valued and multi-valued objects. The empirical studies on both real-world and synthetic datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach for comparing truth discovery methods.
Frictional response induced by time-dependent fluctuations of the normal loading

We study the effect of time-variable normal stress perturbations on a creeping fault which satisfies a velocity-weakening rate- and state-dependent friction law and is slipping at constant speed. We use the spring-block model and include the effect of inertia. To account for the variable normal stress, we use the description introduced by Linker and Dieterich [1992], which links normal stress fluctuations to changes of the state variable. We consider periodic perturbations of the normal stress in time (as caused, for instance, by tides) and compare the behavior for two commonly used friction laws (the “slip” and the “ageing” laws). Their mechanical response is shown to be significantly different for normal stress fluctuations. It could be used to probe these two laws during laboratory friction experiments. We show that there is a resonance phenomenon, involving strong amplification of the shear and velocity response of the interface, when the spring stiffness is modestly above its critical value (or when, at a given stiffness, the normal stress is modestly below its critical value). We show that such an amplification is also observed when periodic fluctuations of the shear loading are considered, making the resonance phenomenon a general feature of the response of a near-critical creeping surface to periodic fluctuations of the external loading. Analytical solutions are based on a linear expansion for low amplitude of normal or shear stress variations and are in very good agreement with numerical solutions. A method to find the evolution of friction in the case of an arbitrary perturbation of the normal stress is also presented. The results show that a creeping fault may be destabilized and enter a stick-slip regime owing to small normal stress oscillations. This may also account for a mechanism for the generation of “creep bursts. ” However, these phenomena require very specific parameter ranges to excite the resonance, which may not be met very generally in nature. This study illustrates the importance of the normal stress fluctuations on stable sliding and suggests further friction laboratory experiments.
Growth, yield and grain protein content of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in response to nitrogen fertiliser rates, crop rotation and soil tillage

Soil tillage affects both the profitability and sustainability of cropping systems. Minimum- and no-tillage systems are promoted because research has shown that these systems may reduce production costs and improve biological sustainability when compared to conventional systems, in which mouldboard and disc ploughs are used. However, responses to different tillage systems may differ for different crops as well as different soil and climatic conditions. This long-term study, conducted under a Mediterranean-type climate, showed that no-tillage systems can be used successfully to produce spring-type wheat crops in sustainable crop rotation systems under rain-fed conditions in the Swartland wheat-producing area of the Western Cape province of South Africa. Higher wheat yields when wheat is grown in a crop rotation system compared to a monoculture system can be ascribed to improved soil organic carbon and nitrogen (N) contents, which result in more plant-available mineral N and hence more vigorous crop growth. Grain yields of wheat responded positively to increased N application rates and the results suggest that application rates of more than 100 kg ha−1 should be considered where minimum and no-tillage are practised. Higher N application rates resulted in higher grain protein and hence improved bread-making quality of the wheat.
Both exogenous 5-HT and endogenous 5-HT, released by fluoxetine, enhance distension evoked propulsion in guinea-pig ileum in vitro

The roles of 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 receptors in the modulation of intestinal propulsion by luminal application of 5-HT and augmentation of endogenous 5-HT effects were studied in segments of guinea-pig ileum in vitro. Persistent propulsive contractions evoked by saline distension were examined using a modified Trendelenburg method. When 5-HT (30 nM), fluoxetine (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; 1 nM), 2-methyl-5-HT (5-HT3 receptor agonist; 1 mM), or RS 67506 (5-HT4 receptor agonist, 1 μM) was infused into the lumen, the pressure needed to initiate persistent propulsive activity fell significantly. A specific 5-HT4 receptor antagonist, SB 207266 (10 nM in lumen), abolished the effects of 5-HT, fluoxetine, and RS 67506, but not those of 2-methyl-5-HT. Granisetron (5-HT3 receptor antagonist; 1 μM in lumen) abolished the effect of 5-HT, fluoxetine, RS 67506, and 2-methyl-5-HT. The NK3 receptor antagonist SR 142801 (100 nM in lumen) blocked the effects of 5-HT, fluoxetine, and 2-methyl-5-HT. SB 207266, granisetron, and SR 142801 had no effect by themselves. Higher concentrations of fluoxetine (100 and 300 nM) and RS 67506 (3 and 10 μM) had no effect on the distension threshold for propulsive contractions. These results indicate that luminal application of exogenous 5-HT, or increased release of endogenous mucosal 5-HT above basal levels, acts to lower the threshold for propulsive contractions in the guinea-pig ileum via activation of 5-HT3 and 5-HT4 receptors and the release of tachykinins. The results further indicate that basal release of 5-HT is insufficient to alter the threshold for propulsive motor activity.
Atmospheric warming at a high‐elevation tropical site revealed by englacial temperatures at Illimani, Bolivia (6340 m above sea level, 16°S, 67°W)

In June 1999, a deep (138.7 m) ice core was extracted from the summit glacier of Illimani, Bolivia (6340 m above sea level, 16°39′S, 67°47′W), and an englacial temperature profile was measured in the borehole. Using on-site and regional meteorological data as well as ice core stratigraphy, past surface temperatures were reconstructed with a heat flow model. The englacial temperature measurements exhibit a profile that is far from a steady state, reflecting an increasing atmospheric temperature over several years and nonstationary climatic conditions. Englacial temperature interpretation, using air temperature data, borehole temperature inversion, and melting rate quantification based on ice core density, shows two warming phases from 1900 to 1960 (+0.5 ± 0.3 K starting approximately in 1920-1930) and from 1985 to 1999 (+0.6 ± 0.2 K), corresponding to a mean atmospheric temperature rise of 1.1 ± 0.2 K over the 20th century. According to various climate change scenarios, the future evolution of englacial temperatures was simulated to estimate when and under what conditions this high-elevation site on the Illimani summit glacier could become temperate in the future. Results show that this glacier might remain cold for more than 90 years in the case of a +2 K rise over the 21st century but could become temperate in the first 20 m depth between 2050 and 2060 if warming reaches +5 K.
Silencing of Neuroligin Function by Postsynaptic Neurexins

The formation of neuronal circuits during development involves a combination of synapse stabilization and elimination events. Synaptic adhesion molecules are thought to play an important role in synaptogenesis, and several trans-synaptic adhesion systems that promote the formation and maturation of synapses have been identified. The neuroligin–neurexin complex is a heterophilic adhesion system that promotes assembly and maturation of synapses through bidirectional signaling. In this protein complex, postsynaptic neuroligins are thought to interact trans-synaptically with presynaptic neurexins. However, the subcellular localization of neurexins has not been determined. Using immunoelectron microscopy, we found that endogenous neurexins and epitope-tagged neurexin-1β are localized to axons and presynaptic terminals in vivo. Unexpectedly, neurexins are also abundant in the postsynaptic density. cis-expression of neurexin-1β with neuroligin-1 inhibits trans-binding to recombinant neurexins, blocks the synaptogenic activity of neuroligin-1, and reduces the density of presynaptic terminals in cultured hippocampal neurons. Our results demonstrate that the function of neurexin proteins is more diverse than previously anticipated and suggest that postsynaptic cis-interactions might provide a novel mechanism for silencing the activity of a synaptic adhesion complex.
Russell Lecture: Dark Star Formation and Cooling Instability

Optically thin cooling gas at most temperatures above 30 K will make condensations by pressure, pushing material into cool, dense regions. This works without gravity. Cooling condensations will flatten and become planar/similarity solutions. Most star formation may start from cooling condensations, where gravity is only important in the later stages. The idea that some of the dark matter could be pristine white dwarfs that condensed slowly onto planetary-sized seeds without firing nuclear reactions is found lacking. However, recent observations indicate 50 times more halo white dwarfs than have previously been acknowledged, enough to make the halo fraction observed as MACHOs. A cosmological census shows that only 1% of the mass of the universe is of known constitution.
Ginseng for Health Care: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials in Korean Literature

Objective This systematic review was performed to summarise randomised clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy and safety of ginseng in the Korean literature. Method The study involved systematic searches conducted in eight Korean Medical databases. The methodological quality of all of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. We included all RCTs on any type of ginseng compared to placebo, active treatment or no treatment in healthy individuals or patients regardless of conditions. Results In total, 1415 potentially relevant studies were identified, and 30 randomised clinical trials were included. Nine RCTs assessed the effects of ginseng on exercise capacity, cognitive performance, somatic symptoms, quality of life, and sleeping in healthy persons. Six RCTs tested ginseng compared with placebo for erectile dysfunction, while another four studies evaluated the effects of ginseng against no treatment for gastric and colon cancer. Two RCTs compared the effect of red ginseng on diabetes mellitus with no treatment or placebo, and the other nine RCTs assessed the effects of ginseng compared with placebo or no treatment on various conditions. The methodological caveats of the included trials make their contribution to the current clinical evidence of ginseng somewhat limited. However, the 20 newly added trials (66.7% of the 30 trials) may provide useful information for future trials. Ginseng appears to be generally safe, and no serious adverse effects have been reported. Conclusions The clinical effects of ginseng have been tested in a wide range of conditions in Korea. Although the quality of RCTs published in the Korean literature was generally poor, this review is useful for researchers to access studies that were originally published in languages that they would otherwise be unable to read and due to the paucity of evidence on this subject.
Electric field domains in p-Si/SiGe quantum cascade structures

The formation of domains in quantum cascade structures is one of the mechanisms strongly affecting the operation of quantum cascade lasers, quantum-well infrared detectors, and other devices. In this paper, we consider the problem of domain formation in p-doped Si/SiGe quantum cascades, using a carrier scattering transport framework. In effect, the hole flow along the cascade is described via scattering between quantized states belonging to neighboring periods, caused by phonons, alloy disorder, and carrier-carrier interactions. The generation of either periodic or of nonperiodic domains is studied in uniformly doped cascades, as well as the influence of modulation doping of cascades on the domain formation.
Assessing the TOPKAPI non‐linear reservoir cascade approximation by means of a characteristic lines solution

TOPKAPI is a physically based distributed rainfall–runoff model derived upon the assumption that the horizontal flow at a point in the soil, over the slopes and in the channel network can be approximated by means of a kinematic wave model. The TOPKAPI model combines this kinematic approach with a digital elevation model (DEM)‐based description of a basin. Similarly to what is done in the finite element approach, the basic model equations are derived by integrating in space the point process equations up to a finite dimension, the pixel, thus converting the original kinematic partial differential equations into a cascade of finite dimension non‐linear reservoir ordinary differential equations. These new equations are ‘structurally similar’ for all the processes (flow in the soil, over the slopes and in the channel network) and are shown to be representative of the original equations at the new finite pixel scale. With a view to assessing the quality of the approximation, the paper presents a comparison study in which a quasi‐analytical approach based upon the characteristic kinematic wave solution of the original equations is compared to the solution provided by the non‐linear reservoir finite scale approximation. The test is first applied to a simplified theoretical case in order to show the quality of the approximation at small scales. Successively it is applied to two real‐word cases: the Upper Reno catchment based on 400 × 400 m2 pixels and the Sieve River catchment using 1 × 1 km2 pixels.
Design Guidelines for Interleaved Single-Phase Boost PFC Circuits

This paper provides a comprehensive guideline for the design of a single-phase PFC targeting for minimal volume, as it is highly relevant for ultracompact integrated systems. It is shown, how different operation modes (continuous, boundary, and discontinuous conduction mode) may influence the design and consequently the achieved power density. Furthermore, the effect of interleaving of several boost stages is analyzed as a measure for compactness increase. Finally, the selection of the appropriate switching frequency in order to achieve an overall optimized system is discussed. In this way, the design of the crucial components is carried out, namely, the boost inductor, including a volume optimization through a thermal connection to the heat sink; the output capacitor considering the rms current stress; and the input filter, which is designed for compliance with high-frequency electromagnetic compatibility standards, taking into account the quasi-peak detection measurement of the test receiver equipment.
Nanoscale physical analysis of localized breakdown events in HfO2/SiOX dielectric stacks: A correlation study of STM induced BD with C-AFM and TEM

The study of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) induced localized degradation and polarity dependent breakdown (BD) of HfO2/SiOx dielectric stacks is presented in this work, together with a correlated investigation of the BD locations by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The localized dielectric BD events are also analysed using conductive-atomic force microscopy. The analysis of the degradation and breakdown phenomenon has been performed from a macroscopic (device) level to a localized nanometer scale BD location. A new technique is adopted to induce the degradation and BD of the HfO2/SiOx dielectric stacks locally using a combined STM/scanning electron microscopy nano-probing system. The BD locations were identified on blanket wafers and gate electrode area of the dielectric, and the sample containing these regions was prepared using focused ion beam for the physical analysis using TEM. This method of analysis is very useful in studying the nature of the BD events in dielectrics with and without the gate electrode, elucidating the role of the gate electrode in dielectric BD events.
Rupture characterization and aftershock relocations for the 1994 and 2006 tsunami earthquakes in the Java subduction zone

Two tsunami earthquakes occurred in the Java subduction zone within the last 12 years, providing multiple well‐recorded tsunami events for analysis. The June 2, 1994 Mw = 7.8 and July 17, 2006 Mw = 7.7 reverse mechanism earthquakes produced tsunami with locally large (>8 m) runups, were deficient in high frequency energy relative to long period radiation, had primarily normal faulting aftershocks, and occurred near subducting seamounts. Previous models of the 1994 event and aftershocks suggested extension in the outer rise due to slip at depth at a subducted seamount. Here we relocate aftershocks for the 1994 and 2006 events and compare to slip distributions and bathymetry. Most 1994 aftershocks occurred within the slab updip of the mainshock, consistent with the extensional hypothesis, but the 2006 aftershocks have a more complex pattern. Regional subducting features as asperities and barriers may influence both events, but in different ways.
The Blimp1–Bcl6 axis is critical to regulate osteoclast differentiation and bone homeostasis

Controlling osteoclastogenesis is critical to maintain physiological bone homeostasis and prevent skeletal disorders. Although signaling activating nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1), a transcription factor essential for osteoclastogenesis, has been intensively investigated, factors antagonistic to NFATc1 in osteoclasts have not been characterized. Here, we describe a novel pathway that maintains bone homeostasis via two transcriptional repressors, B cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl6) and B lymphocyte–induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp1). We show that Bcl6 directly targets ‘osteoclastic’ molecules such as NFATc1, cathepsin K, and dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP), all of which are targets of NFATc1. Bcl6-overexpression inhibited osteoclastogenesis in vitro, whereas Bcl6-deficient mice showed accelerated osteoclast differentiation and severe osteoporosis. We report that Bcl6 is a direct target of Blimp1 and that mice lacking Blimp1 in osteoclasts exhibit osteopetrosis caused by impaired osteoclastogenesis resulting from Bcl6 up-regulation. Indeed, mice doubly mutant in Blimp1 and Bcl6 in osteoclasts exhibited decreased bone mass with increased osteoclastogenesis relative to osteoclast-specific Blimp1-deficient mice. These results reveal a Blimp1–Bcl6–osteoclastic molecule axis, which critically regulates bone homeostasis by controlling osteoclastogenesis and may provide a molecular basis for novel therapeutic strategies.