Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of shell as natural testosterone boosters in Sprague Dawley rats

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of shell supplementation on the regulation of male reproduction in rats Materials and Methods: The zinc (Zn) level of shell from blood clam (Anadara granosa), green mussel (Perna viridis), and conch shell (Telescopium telescopium) was analyzed. The highest Zn content shell was fed to male Sprague Dawley rats for 0, 9, 30, and 50 days at the dose of either 0.09 mg/200 g BW or 0.18 mg/200 g BW. To determine the testosterone levels, blood was collected through the infraorbitalis sinus just before the rat was sacrificed. Testicular and brain were also collected for Cyp19 aromatase receptor analysis. Results: The Zn level in the shell of blood clam, green mussel, and conch shell 61.55 mg/kg, 2.78 mg/kg, and 3.93 mg/kg, respectively. The testosterone level of T1 group receiving 0.18 mg/200 g BW for 0, 9, 30, and 50 days was 1.42±0.59, 2.15±1.58, 2.98±2.53, and 8.11±2.03 ng/mL, respectively. The testosterone level of T2 group receiving 0.09 mg/200 g BW for 0, 9, 30, and 50 days was 2.50±0.32, 1.25±0.60, 3.87±3.27, and 3.54±0.23 ng/mL, respectively. The T3 group receiving Na-CMC showed the level of testosterone at days 0, 9, 30, and 50 days was 0.77±0.22, 1.99±1.65, 4.12±0.07, and 2.19±1.30 ng/mL, respectively. Finally, the T4 group receiving Zn showed testosterone levels at days 0, 9, 30, and 50 days was 0.51±0.58, 2.24±3.16, 4.58±1.97, and 2.89±0.20 ng/mL, respectively. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the T1 group compared to the other groups. However, the absence of expression of Cyp19 aromatase both in Leydig cells and the brain indicated no conversion of testosterone to estradiol. To add, this finding showed the potential use of the shell to boost the testosterone level in male rats. Conclusion: Shell acted as an aromatase blocker to boost the testosterone level in male rats. This also indicates its promising application in birds to manipulate the quality of song and feather.
Private forest owners harvesting behaviour and technical efficiency: effects of other income sources.

In Norway, as in many other European countries, income from forestry has become marginal to owners’ household economies and most employment is now undertaken off the property. Also, many forest owners have focused increasingly on other productions on the propery, such as providing recreational services and cottage building. Income from these new activities has become an important part of the total household income. It is a challenge in all kinds of production to find the optimal way converting inputs into outputs, i.e. to be technically efficient. The financial dependency of income from forestry differs between partand full-time forest owners. Since the two groups have different livelihood strategies, it is plausible that full-time forest owners have more professional forest management policies. We base our study of forest management efficiency on a cross-section of 3,249 active (i.e. harvesting) forest owners extracted from the 2004 Sample Survey of Agriculture and Forestry. Employing a stochastic production frontier analysis we evaluate efficiency impacts of important factors like property and owner characteristics, outfield-related and agricultural activities, off-property incomes and geographical location. The results show that many forest owners are technically inefficient. Therefore, there are significant opportunities for improving their performances. The study indicates that off-property income has negative impact on technical efficiency, the inefficiency arising with increasing share of household incomes from outfield activities, and properties in central areas are less efficient than those in remote areas. One policy implication of these results is that there is probably a significant potential efficiency gain from allowing small inefficient woodlots to merge into larger units of forestry production. Also, supporting means to forest management plans may improve efficiency.
Local Government Administration in Nigeria: The Search for Relevance.

In the general discourse on the local government system in Nigeria, two major influences are notable: the intervention of the military in politics, and the 1976 reform of local government. However, the 1979 constitution, which provided the legal framework for the 1976 reforms, plunged the local government system into a crisis of identity, and ever since local government in Nigeria has remained an idea in search of relevance. This paper examines both the inherent weakness of the constitutional foundation and the contradictions created by the 1976 reforms. Using a theoretical analysis, the paper finds that the combined effects of constitutional gaps and reform contradictions have rendered Nigeria’s system of local government an unfortunate ‘orphan’, and that, lacking a strong constitutional foundation, local government in Nigeria has been subject to the whims of both state and federal governments. The paper argues that, despite numerous constitutional developments, current constitutional provisions for local government in Nigeria leave much to be desired. The recommendations to improve the system include that: local government should be given the status of a federating unit in the constitution, with its powers and functions clearly spelt out; the constitutionally mandated State Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA) should be abolished; and the constitution should be amended to create a chapter which guarantees the identity and autonomy of local government as a third tier of government.
Visual cortex mapping by conjugate gradients

In the absence of ocular dominance, conjugate gradient iteration applied to a certain objective function formulation reproduces the characteristic orientation preference map structure previously derived from a related dynamical system approach on a coarser cortex mesh. Numerical experiments indicate a strong sensitivity to the line search parameters and direction update, demanding careful consideration. References G. Blasdel, Orientation Selectivity, Preference, and Continuity in Monkey Striate Cortex, The J. Neuroscience 12 , 8 p3139--3161 (1992). http://www.jneurosci. org/cgi/content/abstract/12/8/3139 W. H. Bosking et al., Orientation Selectivity and the Arrangement of Horizontal Connections in Tree Shrew Striate Cortex, The Journal of Neuroscience 17 , 6 p2112--2127 (1997). http://www.jneurosci. org/cgi/content/abstract/17/6/2112 M.A. Carreira--Perpinan, R. J. Lister and G. J. Goodhill, A Computational Model for the Development of Multiple Maps in Primary Visual Cortex, Cerebral Cortex 15 , 8 p1222--1233 (2005). doi:10.1093/cercor/bhi004 R. Durbin and G. Mitchison, A dimension reduction framework for understanding cortical maps, Nature 343 , p644--647 (1990). doi:10.1038/343644a0 R. Fletcher, Practical Methods of Optimization , Wiley (1987). J. Gilbert and J. Nocedal, Global Convergence Properties of Conjugate Gradient Methods for Optimization, SIAM J. Opt. 2 , 1 p 21--42 (1992). doi:10.1137/0802003 P. E. Gill and M. W. Leonard, Limited-Memory Reduced-Hessian Methods for Large-Scale Unconstrained Optimization, SIAM J. Optimization 14 , 2 p 380--401 (2003). doi:10.1137/S1052623497319973 J. Nocedal et al., On the Behavior of the Gradient Norm in the Steepest Descent Method, Comp. Optimization and Appl. 22 , 1 p5--35 (2002). doi:10.1023/A:1014897230089 F. Wolf and T. Geisel, Spontaneous pinwheel annihilation during visual development, Nature 395 , 3 p73--78 (1998). doi:10.1038/25736 N. V. Swindale and H. Bauer, Application of Kohonen's self-organizing feature map algorithm to cortical maps of orientation and direction preference, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 265 , p827--838 (1998). doi:10.1098/rspb.1998. 0367 Numerical Recipes Online , http://www.nr. com .
The output effects of commodity price volatility: Evidence from exporting countries

Empirical evidence indicates that high oil price volatility has a dampening effect on output in countries that import commodities. Many countries, however, gain important revenues from commodity exports. This paper investigates the output effects of commodity price volatility in commodity exporting countries accounting for both oil and non-oil commodities. To that aim, we construct country specific commodity price indices for a sample of oil and non-oil commodity exporters. We find a significant negative impact of price volatility on real output for oil exporters. Our results for exporters of other commodities, however, suggest that the volatility effect is a peculiar feature of oil and not generalizable to a broad basket of commodities.
ABC Proteins In Leishmania Mexicana: Modulation of Parasite-Host Cell Interaction

Previamente hemos demostrado la sensibilidad de cultivos de Leishmania a substratos de transportadores ABC y hemos desarrollado una linea de parasitos resistente a este tipo de compuestos, [NR(Gr)]. En el presente trabajo estudiamos la influencia del desarrollo de resistencia a substratos de transportadores ABC en la interaccion entre el parasito y su celula hospedera, el macrofago. Los resultados demuestran que la incorporacion de [NR(Gr)] esta incrementada en macrofagos tratados con glibenclamida (GLIB) y que su sensibilidad intracelular esta significativamente aumentada. La reversion en la sensibilidad de los parasitos resistentes a la GLIB puede ser el resultado de una inestabilidad de la resistencia en el ambito intracelular o de la modificacion de la expresion de proteinas de superficie indispensables para la supervivencia del parasito en el medio intracelular. En su conjunto los resultados enfatizan la importancia de la comprension de la modulacion de la quimio-resistencia a lo largo del ciclo de vida del parasito. Abstract Drug-resistant cell lines are useful for the study of the molecular basis of chemo-resistance. Due to changes in the adenosine 5´triphosphate binding cassette (ABC) transporters expression, these cells express dramatical increases in drug efflux through their surface membrane. We have selected aLeishmania strain [NR(Gr)] resistant to glibenclamide (GLIB), a drug which interacts with ABC transporters and analyzed whether the interaction of the parasite with its host cell changes for the resistant parasite. The data show that NR(Gr) incorporation is significantly increased in GLIB treated macrophages and that the intracellular parasite sensitivity against GLIB is regained. This reversion in drug sensitivity may be the result of an instability of the resistance during the infection and propagation of the intracellular stage of the parasite and could be related to an alteration in the expression of surface molecules in the parasite which may challenge its intracellular survival. These results emphasize the fact that understanding of the modulation of chemo-resistance could be relevant for the comprehension of the transmission of drug-resistant strains during the life cycle of Leishmania.
Liquidity Spillovers and Cross-Autocorrelations

Liquidity Spillovers and Cross-Autocorrelations We investigate the persistence of liquidity spillovers and their interaction with return and volatility spillovers across market-capitalization-based stock portfolios. Liquidity innovations in either the largeor small-cap sector are informative in predicting liquidity shifts in the other. Moreover, the liquidity spillovers persist for at least 10 days. Grangercausality results indicate that return and volatility spillovers exist even after accounting for cross-sector liquidity shifts. Small cap volatility predicts large cap volatility more strongly when small cap stocks are more liquid, suggesting that retail investors create both volatility and liquidity in small caps, and their activity then spills over to large caps. Order flows in large-cap stocks significantly predict returns of small-cap stocks when large-cap spreads are high. This is consistent with the notion that trading on common information in large-cap stocks is transmitted to other stocks with a lag.
Supernovae as probes of cosmic parameters: estimating the bias from under-dense lines of sight

Correctly interpreting observations of sources such as type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) require knowledge of the power spectrum of matter on AU scales — which is very hard to model accurately. Because under-dense regions account for much of the volume of the universe, light from a typical source probes a mean density significantly below the cosmic mean. The relative sparsity of sources implies that there could be a significant bias when inferring distances of SNe Ia, and consequently a bias in cosmological parameter estimation. While the weak lensing approximation should in principle give the correct prediction for this, linear perturbation theory predicts an effectively infinite variance in the convergence for ultra-narrow beams. We attempt to quantify the effect typically under-dense lines of sight might have in parameter estimation by considering three alternative methods for estimating distances, in addition to the usual weak lensing approximation. We find in each case this not only increases the errors in the inferred density parameters, but also introduces a bias in the posterior value.
Experimental verification of the Stokes-Einstein relation in liquid Fe—FeS at 5 GPa

Experiments have been performed at 5 GPa on liquid Fe-FeS in order to determine Fe and S self-diffusivity as a function of temperature. The viscosity of the sample was then obtained using the Stokes-Einstein relation. The results are in excellent agreement with previous experiments where the viscosity of a material of the same composition under similar conditions was measured directly. These results support high, near-metallic, values of diffusivity and low viscosity in liquid Fe-S up to a few hundred K above the eutectic temperature, in contrast with some previous studies. Moreover, these results fully confirm the validity of the Stokes-Einstein relation between viscosity and diffusion coefficients for Fe0.61S0. 39.
POTENTIAL OF WATER HYACINTH (EICHHORNIA CRASSIPES (MART.) SOLMS) FOR THE REMOVAL OF CHROMIUM FROM TANNERY EFFLUENT IN CONSTRUCTED POND SYSTEM

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential use of water hyacinth for the removal of chromium (Cr) from tannery wastewater. This experiment was performed using healthy, young and acclimatized water hyacinth collected from unpolluted Awash River. Cr concentrations of 3, 5, 7, 10 and 20 mg/L were added to five different polyethylene tanks, containing 40 litre tap water cultured with Hoagland’s solution. A sixth tank containing Cr-free water was used as a control group. Six plants of equal wet mass (each 12.5 ± 2 g), shoot length (11 ± 2 cm) and root length (6 ± 2 cm) were transferred into each tank and allowed to grow in a greenhouse for 42 days. From each tank plants were harvested randomly every week. Bioaccumulation factor, translocation factor, shoot and root length; wet biomass and dry weight of the shoot and root were measured, and relative growth rate, tolerance index of the root and tolerance index of wet mass were analyzed. The maximum accumulation of 2.52 X 10 3 µg/g of water hyacinth was achieved in the plants exposed to 20 mg/L Cr solution. The root part of the plant accumulated 2.42 to 3.82 times higher than the shoot part. An overall Cr removal efficiency of up to 91% was achieved in this study, but the efficiency decreased as the concentration of Cr in water increased. The growth of the plant was inhibited at high concentration due to Cr toxicity. Therefore, the application of water hyacinth for Cr removal will be sustainable, if the concentration of Cr in wastewater does not exceed about 10 mg/L. The relative growth rate (RGR) of the plant decreased with increasing Cr concentration and the growth was inhibited above 15.3 mg/L Cr in water. Based on the above data, it could be concluded that water hyacinth can potentially be used for the removal of Cr from tannery effluents which is a major environmental problem in Ethiopia. However, further investigation is needed to ascertain the optimum conditions for maximum removal.
The Impact of State Marketing Board Operations on Smallholder Behavior and Incomes: The Case of Kenya

Marketing boards and strategic reserves have re-emerged over the last decade as significant actors in grain markets in eastern and southern Africa, yet there is little empirical research regarding how their activities affect smallholder behavior. This paper uses panel survey data from 1997-2007 on Kenyan smallholders to investigate the effect of Kenya’s National Cereal Produce Board activities on farmgate maize price expectations, output supply, and factor demand. Results show that the NCPB pan-territorial price has a positive effect on smallholders’ maize price expectations, and that smallholders respond to higher expected maize prices by increasing maize production through increased fertilizer use.
THE INFLUENCE OF SUPERVISORY AND PEER SUPPORT ON THE TRANSFER OF TRAINING

The burgeoning literature investigating the effect of supervisory support on the transfer of training is characterized by inconsistent findings. Also, to date, research examining peer support is still lacking, despite earlier studies show support emanating from co-workers has a significant influence on the transfer of training. Hence, this study attempts to rectify the inadequacies in the literature by examining the effects of supervisory and peer support on the transfer of training. Based on a cross-sectional method, quantitative data was collected from 100 employees working in one of the Malaysian state health departments, with a response rate of 48 percent. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that supervisory support was not significantly associated with transfer of training, whereas peer support exerted a significant and positive influence on transfer of training. This study responded to the pressing calls for more studies to elucidate the relationship between social support and the transfer of training. The findings contributed to the body of literature by clarifying the nature of relationships between supervisory support, peer support and transfer of training, particularly from the Malaysian workplace perspective.
Mesovoid shallow substratum as a biodiversity hotspot for conservation priorities: analysis of oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida) fauna

The mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) is a unique habitat that shelters and serves as a microrefuge for epigean, endogean and hypogean invertebrate species. Understanding the MSS community′s spatio-temporal structure and species diversity patterns in relation to environmental parameters plays a crucial role in conservation. In this study we investigated: i) the diversity and community structure of oribatid mites from the edaphic habitat, superficial MSS (i.e., the upper layer of MSS) and deep MSS (i.e., lower layer of MSS) in an alpine region of Southern Carpathians, Romania, and ii) the relationships between the oribatid mite communities and the environmental variables, such as temperature and humidity. The composition and the structure of oribatid communities differed along the three habitats indicating possible habitat specialization. The structure of the oribatid community was influenced by temperature and humidity. The rich and mixed oribatid communities in the MSS and the oribatid communities′ response to surface and subsurface environmental variables suggest that the MSS may offer a micro-refuge for edaphic species when the conditions in the surface habitats become too harsh. Thus, we suggest that MSS should be prioritized for conservation because it may be a key component in maintaining biodiversity.
Título artículo / Títol article: Linking organizational trust with employee engagement: The role of psychological empowement Autores / Autors

The present study investigated the moderating effect of psychological empowerment on the relationship between organizational trust and employee work engagement in a Nigerian business environment. Hierarchical regression analyses were carried out on a sample of 715 employees from seven commercial banks and four pharmaceutical companies in southeastern Nigeria who participated in the survey. The results showed that organizational trust and psychological empowerment were predictors of work engagement. Besides, and as we expected, we found a moderating effect of psychological empowerment on the relationship between organizational trust and work engagement. Therefore, the positive relationship between organizational trust and engagement was stronger for those employees with low psychological empowerment. This study was one of the first attempts to empirically investigate the direct relationship among organizational trust, psychological empowerment and employee work engagement. Additionally, most previous studies on engagement have been conducted mainly in developed economies such as North America and Europe. This study was carried out in a peculiar Nigerian business environment where organizational behaviors have been scarcely investigated. Comparing findings from different cultures may help further clarify the emerging work engagement concept.
Polaron-induced phonon localization and stiffening in rutile TiO2

Small polaron formation in transition metal oxides, like the prototypical material rutile TiO2, remains a puzzle and a challenge to simple theoretical treatment. In our combined experimental and theoretical study, we examine this problem using Raman spectroscopy of photo-excited samples and real-time time-dependent density functional theory (RT-TDDFT), which employs Ehrenfest dynamics to couple the electronic and ionic subsystems. We observe experimentally the unexpected stiffening of the A1g phonon mode under UV illumination and provide a theoretical explanation for this effect. Our analysis also reveals a possible reason for the observed anomalous temperaturedependence of the Hall mobility. Small polaron formation in rutile TiO2 is a strongly non-adiabatic process and is adequately described by Ehrenfest dynamics at time scales of polaron formation. ∗ corresponding author 1 ar X iv :1 61 2. 05 67 9v 2 [ co nd -m at . m tr lsc i] 1 S ep 2 01 7
Segregation pattern and inbreeding depression in F2 generation of some hybrid okra varieties

An experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in the experimental field of Regional Horticulture Research Station (RHRS), Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Lebukhali, Patuakhali during April, 2014 to October, 2014 for assessing the inbreeding depression, genetic parameters, gene action and segregation pattern of Okra [ Abelmoschusesculentus (L.) Moench]. The experiment was comprised of five commercial hybrid Okra genotypes such as Tara sonali, Bimala, Juboraj, Suvo 1and Noor, their respective F 2 progenies along with a check variety named as BARI Dherosh 1. Results of the experiment indicated that there were considerable variability among the F 1 and their F 2 . The yield were in-between 14.81 to 7.92 Kg plot -1 in case of F 1 generation, which deteriorate to 10.32 to 5.32 Kg plot -1 in F 2 generation. Broad sense heritability computed through variance component method showed that all the quantitative traits were moderate to highly heritable. The trait yield per plot exhibited 68.83% broad sense heritability coupled with 50.96% genetic advance suggesting the existence of sufficient amount of genetic variability for improvement of this trait and also indicates that the trait is more amenable to selection and could be improved easily. In case of segregation pattern, plant height and pod pubescence content exhibit as polygenic trait. Leaf shape, fruit base shape and branching pattern showed complete dominance and fruit color displayed incomplete dominance. The present investigation thus provide information about the nature and magnitude of genetic variation, segregation pattern and inbreeding depression for yield and its components in okra so as to formulate suitable breeding strategy and isolate potential parents and promising crosses for further breeding program. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2015, 1(2): 316-335