Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isolation and Identification of Potential Zoonotic Dermatophytes from Domestic Camels in Dhamar Area, Yemen

Dermatophytosis is a prevalent skin disease in Yemen. Because it's zoonotic transmission to humans, animal dermatophytosis has a major concern. The present study was thus aimed to isolate and identify dermatophytes from domestic camels. A purposive study was conducted among 165 suspected camels in Dhamar area, Yemen. Skin scrapings were collected from ringworm lesions of the study animals. They were microscopically examined using Potassium Hydroxide (KOH) preparation. Specimens that showed a positive result were then cultured on Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (SDA) for identification. A total of 159 (96.4%) of the suspected camels were found to be infected with fungal infection during the direct KOH examination. The infection was significantly higher among young animals of ≤ 12 months (94.3%, χ 2 = 73, P 2 = 118, P Trichophyton and Microsporum genera were 89.4% and 10.6% of the isolated genera, respectively. The identified species were T. schoenlenii T. verrucosum, T. mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans, M. audouinii and M. canis . Almost half of the study animals were infected with T. schoenlenii (49.6%,χ 2 = 102, P < 0.05). Findings of the present study are important in order to provide the health authorities with an epidemiological and microbiological database that are vital for supporting well-organized control programs. Introduction of proper health education is important to improve prevention measures and introduce a better knowledge of dermatophytosis transmission.
Modelling experiments on air-snow-ice interactions over Kilpisjárvi, a lake in northern Finland

The evolution of snow and ice thicknesses and temperature in an Arctic lake was investigated using two models: a high-resolution, time-dependent model (HIGHTSI) and a quasi-steady two-layer model on top of a lake model (FLake). In situ observations and a Numerical Weather Prediction model (HIRLAM) were used for the forcing data. HIRLAM forecasts, after orography correction, were comparable with the in situ data. Both lake-ice models predicted the ice thickness (accuracy 5 cm), surface temperature (accuracy 2–3 °C in winter, better in spring), and ice-breakup date (accuracy better than five days) well. HIGHTSI was better for ice thickness and ice-breakup date, while FLake gave better freezing date. Snow thickness outcome was worse, in particular for the melting season. Surface temperature was highly sensitive to air temperature, stratification and albedo, and the largest errors (positively biased) resulted in strongly stable conditions.
Electron velocity distribution and lion roars in the magnetosheath

Whistler waves which are termed "lion roars" in the magnetosheath are studied using data obtained by the Spectrum Analyser (SA) of the Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Field Fluctuations (STAFF) experiment aboard Cluster. Kinetic theory is then employed to obtain the theoretical expression for the whistler wave with electron temperature anisotropy which is believed to trigger lion roars in the magnetosheath. This allows us to compare theory and data. This paper for the first time studies the details of the electron velocity distribution function as measured by the Plasma Electron And Current Experiment (PEACE) in order to investigate the underlying causes for the different types of lion roars found in the data. Our results show that while some instances of lion roars could be locally generated, the source of others must be more remote regions of the magnetosheath.
THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE

Giant Pangóla (Digitaria valida, Stent) and Signal grass (Brachiaria brizantha, Stapf.) were introduced by this Agricultural Experiment Station a few years ago. The first came from Cuba (10) and the second from Ceylon (9). Anker-Langefoged, cited by Sotomayor et al. (9), reported outstanding success of Signal grass, in Ceylon. He said that its introduction revolutionized grassland farming there. One of the outstanding characteristics mentioned was that it grew well under shade, and it was proposed that it be planted under coconut trees. Both of these, as well as other grasses, were submitted to a series of field tests by the Plant Breeding Department (<? ), having in mind the possibility or necessity of finding substitutes for the present most important grazing species, Common Pangóla and Guinea grass, provided superior plants could be discovered, or in case a devastating pest or disease like the common Pangóla virus occurs in Puerto Rico. Palatability (8) and digestibility {2) tests were made by the Animal Husbandry Department and both grasses proved to be as palatable and as nutritious as Napier grass, and superior to it in dry-matter content. Afterwards it was decided to subject them to the animal stress in the mountainous regions where cattle-raising on pasture is most likely to develop in the future.
Paying for pensions: how important is economic growth?

This paper focuses on the scope for a higher level of output and faster productivitygrowth to ease future fiscal pressures stemming from demographic developments in OECD countries over the next fifty years. After concluding that, without substantial reforms, pressure on government spending linked to ageing populations (both onpensions and health expenditures), will in general result in significant increases in expenditures to GDP ratios, the paper examines how these pressures might be redressed. Responses which focus on achieving an increase in the average number of years individuals spend active in the labour force and raising the level as well as widening the sources of individual provision of retirement income are recommended. Increasing output (through lower structural unemployment and higher female and elderly workers' participation rates) and its rate of growth (through gains in productivity) are seen as offering a complementary, though limited, response.
Speak Clearly and Carry a Big Stock of Dollar Reserves

Partisan theories of political economy expect that bondholders will panic with the election of a left-wing presidential candidate. The latter seems to be what happened in Brazil in the 2002 presidential elections. However, quantitative analysis of perceptions of sovereign credit risk in Argentine, Brazilian, Mexican, and Venezuelan presidential elections from 1994 until 2007 shows no real evidence of a link between partisanship and perceptions of risk, even if the left-right divide is further broken down into left, center-left, center-right, right. Instead, international and domestic economic fundamentals have a stronger influence on risk evaluations. Qualitative analysis of the individual presidential elections shows the importance of policy uncertainty in explaining why certain electoral periods seemed more critical than others and how bondholders select between multiple equilibria. This research helps shift political analysis away from partisanship and more in the direction of policies and articulation.
Anchor Borrower Programme on Agricultural Commodity Price and Employment Generation in Kebbi State, Nigeria

Low investment in the agricultural sector, as well as problem of financing are among the major challenges hindering farmers in the rural areas engaging in mechanized farming that might increase food supply, and thereby checking the agricultural commodity prices, and possibly creating more job opportunity in the agricultural sector. In an effort to meet the food supply for the growing population of the country, the government introduced various policies aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in basic food supply, among these policies is the Anchor Borrower Programme. This study examines the impact of Anchor Borrower Program on agricultural commodity price and employment generation in Kebbi state, Nigeria. Data were collected through interview and structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 400 farmers in Argungu L.G. A, of which 360 questionnaire were correctly filled and returned. A multiple regression analysis was used to analyse the data. The results reveal that Anchor Borrower Programmes (ABP) supports for farmer have a positive and statistically significant impact on agricultural commodity price (ACP) and employment generation (EMPG) in agricultural sector in Kebbi state, particularly in Argungu LGA. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that anchor borrower programme policy in Nigeria should be encouraged and subjected to periodic review so as to provide more platforms for employment generation and stabilize agricultural commodity price in Kebbi state, particularly in Argungu LGA.
Monitoring and evaluation of sports as a tool in HIV/AIDS awareness programmes: Experiences of five selected Non- Governmental Organisations in South Africa

Sport has increasingly been used as a vehicle for Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) awareness programmes, and the use of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) has become evident in the performance assessment of sport and development as well as HIV/AIDS programmes. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of selected Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in monitoring and evaluation of their sport-based HIV/AIDS awareness programmes in South Africa. A qualitative study was carried out among employees of 5 selected NGOs that integrate sport with delivering HIV/AIDS awareness programmes in South Africa. Data were collected through a review of documents, key informant interviews (N=7) and a focus group discussion (N=7). Thematic approach following a descriptive framework was used to analyse data. The findings revealed that the selected NGOs in this study focus on similar HIV prevention messages linked to the key priorities highlighted in the current National Strategic Plan for HIV, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis of South Africa. However, monitoring and evaluation of outcomes of the NGOs’ HIV/AIDS awareness programmes remain a challenge. Of the five selected NGOs, only one has proven to have substantial documents and reports on monitoring and evaluation outcomes. Lack of M&E functions, as well as outcomes indicators, are critical elements limiting NGOs in demonstrating the outcomes of these HIV/AIDS awareness programmes. Capacity building on M&E is required to support the NGOs in being able to reflect accurate information on their sport-based HIV/AIDS activities and improve the M&E of their programmes. Keywords : evaluation, monitoring, NGOs, outcomes, sport-based HIV/AIDS programmes
What Determines User Attitudes in IS Research? A Meta-analytic Structural Equation Modeling Approach

While research in general has extensively studied the coherence between attitude and behavior, Information Systems (IS) research has paid little attention to the antecedents of attitude. Using the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) as theoretical basis, we focus on the factors that determine attitudes in IS research. We apply a meta-analytic structural equation model based on major IS-adoption models that focuses on classifying the antecedents of attitude in the studies of our meta-analysis according to the central and peripheral route of information processing proposed by the ELM. The results indicate that affect and cognition as representatives for the central route are less important as attitudinal antecedents in the IS context compared to external factors that represent the peripheral route of information processing.
LIQUIDITY AND THE CHOICE TO ABANDON PRODUCTION IN DECLINING INDUSTRIES

The study presents tests of several theoretical hypotheses that are potential determinants of the choice to abandon production in declining industries. A binary qualitative choice model of the abandonment decision is estimated. The probability of choosing abandonment is found to be positively related to the firm's debt ratio, and negatively related to liquidity at the firm level, the level of efficiency of the operating unit, and uncertainty about liquidity at the operating unit level as measured by output and input price variability. Results are also presented for a multinomial choice model accounting for the full menu of capacity decisions open to the firm over time. The results are robust across all specifications as well as to alternative statistical assumptions.
Using maximum entropy to predict the potential distribution of an invasive freshwater snail

SUMMARY 1. Ecological niche modelling is a technique used to estimate potential distributions of invasive species based on available occurrence data and associated environmental conditions. Maximum entropy (Maxent) is a powerful method for ecological niche modelling and yet has only rarely been applied to aquatic species. 2. Here we applied Maxent to estimate the potential distribution of the invasive Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinesis) in Wisconsin and analysed several methodological issues associated with using Maxent for lentic species. 3. To generate Maxent estimates of the potential distribution of C. chinesis, we used presence records from 292 lakes, five spatially explicit climatic variables, and two lake-specific environmental data sets (area, conductivity) from 7995 lakes. Our investigations included three aspects that could affect model prediction accuracy and transferability: (i) combining climate and lake variables into a single data set in two different ways, using each lake as a single observation and as a grid of 1 ha cells; (ii) varying the size of the background data set (locations without presences); and (iii) contrasting environmental conditions between locations with and without C. chinesis. 4. The lake-based model had higher accuracy than the grid-based model, although both models had accuracy values indicative of good performance. Conductivity and lake area were important predictor variables for both models, but had higher contribution to the lake-based model accuracy. Decreasing the background sample size minimally affected model accuracy and thus Maxent can be used even when background sampling does not meet the algorithm’s default settings. Lastly, lakes that were environmentally dissimilar from lakes with known C. chinesis records were more likely to be predicted unsuitable by both grid-based and lake-based models. 5. Overall, the models predicted high potential suitability across Wisconsin lakes for C. chinesis, especially in lakes ≥60 ha. Our study provides evidence that small or environmentally biased presence data sets may underestimate the number of environmentally suitable locations of invasive species.
MODELING OF BALANCING MARKET INTEGRATION IN THE NORTHERN EUROPEAN CONTINENT

In the present work we analyse the integration of the regulating power markets in the northern continen- tal Europe including the Nordic system, Germany and the Netherlands. Different levels of balance market integration are analysed, varying from the current state with no integra- tion to full integration of the regulating markets. The day- ahead dispatch and the balancing energy market are settled separately. Firstly the day-ahead market is modelled with si- multaneous reserve procurement for the northern continen- tal Europe. Available transmission capacity is taken into ac- count in the reserve procurement phase. Secondly the bal- ancing energy market is modelled as a real-time power dis- patch using the day-ahead market clearing results as the ba- sis. Detailed results show how plant dispatch and power flows change as a result of more market integration between two synchronous systems. Cost savings are obtained due to less activation of reserves caused by imbalance netting and the use of cheaper balancing resources.
Hierarchical Artificial Bee Colony Optimizer with Divide-and-Conquer and Crossover for Multilevel Threshold Image Segmentation

This paper presents a novel optimization algorithm, namely, hierarchical artificial bee colony optimization (HABC), for multilevel threshold image segmentation, which employs a pool of optimal foraging strategies to extend the classical artificial bee colony framework to a cooperative and hierarchical fashion. In the proposed hierarchical model, the higher-level species incorporates the enhanced information exchange mechanism based on crossover operator to enhance the global search ability between species. In the bottom level, with the divide-and-conquer approach, each subpopulation runs the original ABC method in parallel to part-dimensional optimum, which can be aggregated into a complete solution for the upper level. The experimental results for comparing HABC with several successful EA and SI algorithms on a set of benchmarks demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Furthermore, we applied the HABC to the multilevel image segmentation problem. Experimental results of the new algorithm on a variety of images demonstrated the performance superiority of the proposed algorithm.
Infestation intensity and prevalence of an ectosymbiotic midge under variable environmental and host conditions

Hostsymbiont theory suggests that the abundance of an obligate symbiont will correlate positively with the density and size of its host. We examined these expectations using an obligate chironomid ectosymbiont  host fishfly (Nanocladius (Plecopteracoluthus) sp. No. 5  Nigronia serricornis) system in 13 streams of southern Maine over 2 years (19961998). In addition, we investigated field conditions and macroinvertebrate-community composition, to search for correlates with symbiont prevalence and mean infestation intensity. Prevalence and infestation intensity were high in both years of the study, but neither infestation intensity nor prevalence was correlated with host population density across sites. Within sites, prevalence increased significantly when host density declined, contrary to our expectation. Symbiont-infestation intensity was not related to host size. No symbiont-population attributes correlated with physicochemical conditions in either sample year but prevalence was positively correlated.
Idiosyncratic Risk, Investor Base and Returns

type="main"> Using four different proxies for a firm's investor base we demonstrate that idiosyncratic risk premiums are larger for neglected stocks and smaller or economically insignificant for visible stocks. Since neglected stocks have greater idiosyncratic volatility (IV), the total IV risk premium (price × quantity) for neglected stocks will be greater than that of visible stocks. Additionally, we find a positive size effect and negative beta effect after controlling for IV. Overall, our results provide strong support for Merton's theory that market segmentation induced by incomplete information is an important component of the influence of IV in the cross-section of returns.
Quantum non-equilibrium dynamics of Rydberg gases in the presence of dephasing noise of different strengths

In the presence of strong dephasing noise the dynamics of Rydberg gases becomes effectively classical, due to the rapid decay of quantum superpositions between atomic levels. Recently a great deal of attention has been devoted to the stochastic dynamics that emerges in that limit, revealing several interesting features, including kinetically constrained glassy behaviour, self-similarity and aggregation effects. However, the non-equilibrium physics of these systems, in particular in the regime where coherent and dissipative processes contribute on equal footing, is yet far from being understood. To explore this we study the dynamics of a small one-dimensional Rydberg lattice gas subject to dephasing noise by numerically integrating the quantum master equation. We interpolate between the coherent and the strongly dephased regime by defining a generalised concept of a blockade length. We find indications that the main features observed in the strongly dissipative limit persist when the dissipation is not strong enough to annihilate quantum coherences at the dynamically relevant time scales. These features include the existence of a time-dependent Rydberg blockade radius, and a growth of the density of excitations which is compatible with the power-law behaviour expected in the classical limit.
Adsorptive Removal of Congo Red Dye from Aqueous Solution using Bael Shell Carbon

Dyes and pigments are widely used as colouring agents. The total dye consumption in textile industry worldwide is more than 10,000 tonnes/year and approximately 100 tonnes/ year of dyes discharged into waste streams. Dye effluents are aesthetic pollutants that contain chemicals which exhibit toxic effect towards microbial populations and can be toxic and carcinogenic to organisms and mammals [1, 2]. Congo red (CR) is a benzidine-based anionic bisazo dye known to metabolize to benzidine, a known human carcinogen [3]. CR is toxic to animals and plants and thus its introduction to water stream is of potential health, environmental, and ecological concern. Therefore, CR containing effluents have to be adequately treated before they are discharged into the environment. Owing to structural stability, CR is difficult to biodegrade. Physicochemical or chemical treatment of such wastewater is, however, possible [4].
Responses of Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae) to Chemical and Biorational Insecticides

Abstract One of the most troublesome pests of snap beans is the American serpentine leafminer, Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) (Diptera: Agromyzidae). Growers commonly use abamectin, spinosad, and cyromazine to manage L. trifolii populations; however, the biological insecticide azadirachtin and the fungus Isaria fumosorosea Wize offer promising alternatives. We tested the effectiveness of these five insecticides for controlling L. trifolii under field conditions in southern Florida. Abamectin and spinosad were generally the most effective for reducing L. trifolii mines, larvae, and/or pupae. Cyromazine and azadirachtin were less effective than abamectin or spinosad, although better than I. fumosorosea or the untreated control. Isaria fumosorosea was the least promising treatment; however, it still performed better than the control in reducing L. trifolii mines, larvae, and/or pupae. As pesticide effectiveness increased, differences in numbers of mines, larvae, and pupae appeared to be reduced among the 5 dates that pesticides were sprayed. Overall, mines appeared to be more effectively controlled 1 to 2 d after treatment than after 7 d, whereas larvae and pupae were controlled equally throughout the period. The pesticides employed can be classified into 3 general groups based on modes of action: abamectin and spinosad (disrupters of insect neural and muscular systems), cyromazine and azadirachtin (disrupters of molting), and I. fumosorosea (invades the insect, produces a toxin, and halts feeding). Pesticides with at least two modes of action were each able to provide effective control. Alternating pesticides may therefore control L. trifolii while limiting the development of resistance in L. trifolii populations.