Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mass culture of Rotifera (Brachionus quadridentatus Hermann 1783) using three different algal species.

Outdoor cultures of Brachionus quadridentatus raised in 10 m3 concrete tanks fed on co-cultured three algal species (Chlorella vulgaris, Eudorina elegans andScenedesmus quadricauda) feed showed statistically significant differences in population biomass growth. Growth of B. quadridentatus feeding on S. quadricauda was significantly greater than when fed on C. vulgaris. No significant differences in growth were observed between Brachionus cultures fed on S. quadricauda and E. elegans and between those fed on C. vulgaris and E. elegans.Daily B. quadridentatus population biomass increase was highest with S. quadricauda, followed by E. elegans and lastly C. vulgaris. B. quadridentatusneeded approximately 20, 48 and 63 h, respectively, with C. vulgaris, S. quadricauda and E. elegans, to double its population. Key words: Zooplankton, algae, culture, nutrient.
Impact of Government Support and Cultural Organization and Performance Strategies against Women's Cooperative in East Java

This study is aimed to examine and analyze affects of the government support, and organizational culture on strategy and performance of women cooperatives in East Java Province. The hypotheses of the study are: government support affects significantly strategy, organizational culture affects significantly strategy, affects significantly strategy, government support affects significantly performance, organizational culture affects significantly performance affects significantly performance, and strategy affects significantly performance of women cooperatives. This study is included in a survey research category where the unit of analysis is women cooperative organization. The population of the study are 78 women cooperative organizations spreading at 14 regencies/ cities in East Java Province. The data were collected using questionnaire and were analyzed using PLS (Partial Least Square) technique. The results show that the government support affects directly and significantly performance affects directly and significantly performance, and organization culture affects indirectly performance through strategy as a mediating variable. Keywords : Government support, organizational culture, strategy, performance.
Influence of bed roughness on dune and megaripple generation

Richards [1980] conjectured that megaripples of the continental shelf are due to a seabed instability in the presence of seabed ripples. Towards a better understanding of this megaripple formation process, we use a morphodynamical numerical model to investigate the bed roughness influence on the bed load–induced linear stability of a sandy bed. We find that the linearly most amplified mode shifts from a dune mode (grain roughness) towards a megaripple mode (large bed roughness). Then, we discuss how megaripples could be generated over a flat bed and over dunes.
The possible different roles of denosumab in prevention and cure breast cancer bone metastases: A ‘hypothesis-generator’ study from clinical practice

The most frequent site of recurrence in breast cancer (BC) is the bone, particularly in patients with ‘luminal-like’ disease. Denosumab has been shown to prevent aromatase inhibitors (AIs) induced bone resorption in postmenopausal early BC patients and reduce skeletal-related events (SREs) in bone metastatic breast cancer (BMBC). A ‘real life’ analysis of 90 BMBC patients treated with denosumab was performed. Eighty-six patients (95.6%) had ‘luminal-like’ disease, 72 (80%) had bone metastases at the time of first recurrence of disease. Among 50 patients with metachronous ‘luminal-like’ disease, 40 (80%) had first recurrence to the bone. Among these patients median time to skeletal recurrence (TSkR) was shorter for patients who were previously exposed to AIs compared to those who were not (53.0 vs. 102.0 months, respectively; P=0.0300) and longer for patients previously treated with tamoxifen compared to those who were not (102.0 vs. 59.0 months, respectively; P=0.0466). Both of them were not confirmed at multivariate analysis. In the overall population, 17 first SREs were observed (16 radiation therapy) and median time to first SRE was not reached. A statistically significant difference in the incidence of SREs was detected only between patients with exclusively osteolytic bone metastases vs. those without (P=0.013). The presence of exclusively-osteolytic bone metastases was the only factor significantly associated with a shorter time to first SRE (P=0.011). The only G3 toxicity reported was hypocalcemia in one patient. No osteonecrosis of the jaw events (ONJ) occurred. This study demonstrated that a pro-active attitude enables the treatment of the majority of patients with denosumab without significant class-related toxicities. The majority of SREs were from radiation therapy, so pain still remains the clinical hallmark of bone metastases, particularly for osteolytic ones. The suggestion that estrogen deprivation with AIs can favor a ‘bone-related’ risk conditions for developing bone metastases must be considered with caution and surely needs further validations.
Drought Tolerance in Two Mosses: Correlated with Enzymatic Defence Against Lipid Peroxidation

Drought-induced changes in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, level of lipid peroxidation, and membrane permeability (solute leakage) have been studied in two mosses, the drought-tolerant Tortula ruralis and the drought-sensitive Cratoneuron filicinum. In T. ruralis the activities of SOD and catalase increase during slow drying. The level of lipid peroxidation consequently declines. On subsequent rehydration the enzyme activities decline and the level of lipid peroxidation rises gradually to normal levels. The leakage of preloaded ! 6Rb on rehydration of slowly dried T. ruralis is similar to that in turgid moss, i.e. leakage of about 20% of tissue "Rb. When T. ruralis is subjected to rapid drying there is no change in the enzyme activities or in lipid peroxidation. However, when this moss is rehydrated there is a large immediate increase in lipid peroxidation. Half of the tissue 86Rb is leaked into the bathing medium during the first hour of rehydration. But within the next hour, when SOD and catalase activities have increased to high levels, lipid peroxidation quickly declines to a level lower than that in the turgid control moss, and the "Rb leaked earlier is partly reabsorbed indicating that membrane repair is well underway. On prolonged rehydration the enzyme activities decline and the level of lipid peroxidation rises gradually to reach normal levels found in control turgid moss. In the case of drought-sensitive C. filicinum the activities of SOD and catalase decline during drying as well as during subsequent rehydration. There is a rapid increase in lipid peroxidation during rehydration and most of the preloaded "Rb leaks into the bathing medium irreversibly. The changes in lipid peroxidation during drying and subsequent rehydration of both the mosses appear to coincide in time with the reported changes in O2 uptake, indicating that the drought-induced membrane damage may be due to free radical-induced lipid peroxidation which is known to require active O2 uptake. Furthermore, there appears to be a good correlation between an ability of the tissue to control lipid peroxidation and its ability to retain solutes. It is suggested that ability of plant tissues to mobilize enzymatic defence against uncontrolled lipid peroxidation may be an important facet of their drought tolerance.
Effect of setting temperatures and time on the gelation properties (suwari and modori phenomena) of surimi from mechanically deboned chicken meat

This study was carried out to investigate gel forming and degradation properties (suwari and modori phenomena) of chicken surimi from mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM) at various setting temperatures and time. Chicken surimi was manufactured by a continuous process including chopping of MDCM, washing with 5% NaCl solution or pure water, standing, straining and centrifuging etc. Total process of washing for the MDCM from chopping to centrifuging was repeated over 3 cycles. Gel from prepared surimi were formed at 90°C for 30 min after various setting treatments. The textural properties of gels were measured at the temperature ranges of low (10°C), medium (25°C and 30°C) and high (45 to 70°C). The compressive force (CF), hardness and fracturability of surimi gel at 10°C increased as setting time increased, and showed the highest value at 30 h of setting time. The CF and hardness of chicken surimi gel at 25°C and 30°C showed the highest values at 10 h of setting time. Most of gel strengths including CF, and texture profile analysis (TPA) values showed the highest levels in the range 47.5 to 52.5°C (p<0.05). The gel strength at 60°C increased slightly at 30 min, but then continued to decrease with longer setting times. There was no increase of gel strength at 70°C, but only a continuous decrease over setting time. In conclusion, suwari (gel setting) and modori (gel degradation) phenomena occur during the gel formation of surimi from MDCM. The temperature range in chicken surimi was 47.5 to 52.5°C for suwari and 60 to 70°C for modori. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 12 : 1758-1763)
Implementing performance management in local governance in South Africa : case study of West Rand District Municipality

The post-1994 era proclaimed a period of transition for municipalities in South Africa. Within the sphere of local government, performance management has been identifi ed as a tool for promoting accountability. Together with strategic planning, benchmarking and continuous improvement, performance measurement forms the nucleus for managing for results in any sphere of government. The aim of this article is to assess the degree to which performance management has been implemented at the West Rand District Municipality. The West Rand District Municipality (WRDM) is a Category C Municipality, located on the South Western edge of Gauteng Province of South Africa. WRDM comprises four local municipalities namely, Mogale City, Merafong City, Randfontein and Westonaria. The stratifi ed sampling approach was used in selecting the respondents that participated in the questionnaires. The article recommends that, performance management needs to be strengthened such that it measures the actual delivery of services and a formal performance management system needs to be designed. Also, as part of strengthening governance, local government through the councillors should report regularly to communities they serve. Though there is alignment in the process of planning, implementation and performance management, the conclusion of this article is that the systems for monitoring remain a challenge that needs to be addressed by local government.
Interactive comment on “Quantifying spatial and temporal discharge dynamics of an event in a first order stream, using Distributed Temperature Sensing” by M. C. Westhoff et al

a learning tool to understand the dynamics of a small stream flow. In particular, the Authors try to reconstruct the spatial and temporal variation of the discharge of the stream by comparing the model results with high resolution temperature measurements. The narrative description of the model calibration is interesting and allows the reader to explore the steps towards the definition of the set of parameters that best fit the observations and to test critically the assumption and rejection of different hypotheses. On the other hand, with so many parameters to be calibrated and such a large number of degrees of freedom in the search, doubts may arise about the uniqueness of the solution. The Authors partially tackle this problem in section 5, but the analysis is not always clear. Another shortcoming of the work is the lack of clarity in the description of the model. A valid question is raised about the uniqueness of the model results. However, we do not claim that this is the true solution. The model is used as a learning tool with which we were able to formulate and test hypotheses. We showed that some hypotheses can be rejected, while others are more or less likely, but cannot be rejected with the currently available information. Regarding the description of the model, we shall expand the method section to fully explain the structure of the model (see below).
Scholars Commons @ Laurier Scholars Commons @ Laurier Perceiving pervasive discrimination over time: Implications for Perceiving pervasive discrimination over time: Implications for coping coping

This study suggests the effects of perceived pervasiveness may be dynamic over time. The hypothesis was that participants who perceived discrimination to be highly pervasive would initially be more likely to engage in inactive coping strategies than those who perceived low pervasiveness. However, those who continued to perceive high pervasiveness over time would ultimately show greater evidence of using active strategies than those perceiving low pervasiveness. Using a 28-day diary, women and ethnic minorities described their daily experiences of discrimination and indicated their appraisals of its pervasiveness as well as their coping strategies. Results showed that participants who initially perceived low pervasiveness reported more active coping and religion use as well as less behavioral disengagement than those initially perceiving high pervasiveness. However, this pattern was reversed by the end of the study. Implications for integrating “time” into the assessment of coping with discrimination are discussed.
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (HUMAN KINETICS) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

A number of recent studies have shown that young healthy women may be susceptible to pulmonary system limitations during exercise including expiratory flow limitation (EFL). Several sex based differences in the anatomy and function of the pulmonary system have been reported as possible mechanisms. For example, women consistently have smaller lung volumes, smaller diameter airways, and a decreased diffusion surface area relative to heightmatched men. These anatomical differences may also have implications in terms of breathing mechanics, particularly at maximal exercise. However, there have been no studies that have systematically compared the mechanics of breathing in men and women. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of breathing mechanics including the measurement of EFL, end expiratory lung volume (EELV), end inspiratory lung volume (EILV), and the work of breathing (Wb) in endurance trained men and women. It was hypothesized that women would develop EFL more frequently than men and that women would have greater relative increases in EELV and EILV at maximal exercise. It was also hypothesized that women would have a higher Wb across a range of ventilations. EFL was assessed by applying a negative expiratory pressure (NEP) at the mouth and comparing the resultant flow volume curve with that of the preceding control breath. If the NEP increased expiratory flow rate, the subject was considered non flow limited. Conversely, if application of the NEP did not illicit an increase in expiratory flow, the subject was considered flow limited. Operational lung volumes (i.e., EELV and EILV) were determined at various stages of exercise by having subjects perform inspiratory capacity manoeuvres. Flow, volume, oesophageal and airway opening pressure were continuously monitored throughout exercise. Trans-pulmonary pressure (Ptp) was taken as the difference between oesophageal and airway opening pressure which was then plotted against volume. The integral of the Ptp-volume loop was multiplied by breathing frequency to determine the Wb. A total of 18 endurance trained male (n=8) and female (n=10) athletes volunteered to participate in this study. Males had a higher absolute (mean ± SD; 5.30 ± 0.7 vs. 3.8 ± 0.4 L-min") and relative (69.5 ± 7.8 vs. 59.8 ± 4.8 mL-kg"-min") V02MAX and a higher maximal minute ventilation (161 ± 25 vs. 120 ± 18 L-min") compared to females (P<0.01). Due to an abnormal response to the NEP in one male subject, EFL data was obtained in 7 of the 8 males. EFL occurred in 9 females (90%) and 4 males (57%) during the final stage of exercise. However, 8 (6F, 2M) of these subjects were later able to overcome EFL during the final stage of exercise through an alteration in breathing pattern. Females had a higher relative EELV (42±8 vs. 35±5 %FVC) and EILV (88±5 vs. 82±7 %FVC) compared to males at maximal exercise (PO.05). Women also had a higher W b compared to men across a range
Remote Sensing of Temporal and Spatial Variations of Suspended Sediment Concentration in Bahmanshir Estuary, Iran

Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC) in surface waters affects directly on the water quality, phytoplankton's fertility, pollution distribution and redistribution. In this study, temporal and spatial variations of SSC at Bahmnshir Estuary (BE) in the southwest of Iran were investigated using five field campaigns and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor images of a nine-year time series from 2003 to 2011. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model with one hidden layer that had good simulation performance (training: R 2 = 0.84; N = 23; validation: RMSE of 59 mg L -1 , N = 6) was used against regression analysis (modeling: R 2 = 0.63; N = 23; validation: RMSE of 261 mg L -1 , N = 6). Results indicated ANN model has higher accuracy than regression analysis to model the SSC because it's higher capability in optimization of non-linear problems. R 2 and RMSE were improved, 25 and 77% respectively when using ANN model. It was found that average annual SSC for years 2008 to 2011 was 10% more than years 2003 to 2007 and the highest SSC accrued at 2008 with a noticeable decrease in the flow discharge of Karun River in this year. Minimum SSC occurs, at the point in 3.2 km before the Estuary Mouth (EM). This point was defined as the boundary of impact of upstream and downstream on the SSC in the BE. High SSCs occur at EM, at the muddy shore of the Abadan Island on right bank and at the Khoure Mousa on the left bank with 2.8 and 1.8 km distance from the EM respectively. This study demonstrated ANN model and MODIS MOD09GQ products are appropriate tools for monitoring surface SSC dynamics within coastal water environments such as BE.
Shocks, Financial Dependence, and Efficiency: Evidence from U.S. And Canadian Industries

This paper investigates how changes in industries funding costs affect total factor productivity (TFP) growth. Based on panel regressions using data for U.S. and Canadian industries and industries dependence on external funding as an identification mechanism, we show that increases in the cost of funds affect TFP growth negatively. The effect is nonmonotonic depending on a sector's external finance need. This paper presents a theoretical model that produces the observed nonmonotonic effect of financial shocks on TFP growth and suggests that financial shocks distort the allocation of factors across firms even within an industry, thus reducing TFP growth.
Disclosure frequency and earnings management: An analysis in the Tunisian context

The aim of this paper is to study the relationship between information disclosure by quoted Tunisian firms and earnings’ management. Our survey has been achieved on a sample of 19 firms listed in the Tunis stock exchange over a period spanning from 1999 to 2008. The results confirm the existence of a negative and significant relationship between disclosure by firms which constitute this study’s sample and earnings management. This study’s survey shows that information disclosure related to financial decisions and performances constitute a constraint to the proliferation of earnings’ management. Key words: Disclosure frequency, financial information, disclosure score, earnings management, transparency.
Investigation of Household Debt through Multilevel Multivariate Analysis: Case of a Developing Country

This study focuses on investigating the relationships between different socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and households’ debt decision and demand. We used six survey rounds of data from Pakistan household integrated expenditure survey (HIES) 2001 to 2014. HIES is a nationally representative data collected by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Multilevel models were used to investigate the relationship in which the data on households was nested in primary sampling units (PSUs) and PSUs were nested in provinces. The decision of taking household debt varies 22% at PSU level and 18% at provincial level due to unobserved variables. We found that households having higher financial assets, higher income and larger household sizes tend to have a higher percentage of debt. The amount of debt also increases with education and age. In the case of demand for debt, the variation is 12% at the provincial level. Literature studying household debt decision in Pakistan often ignore the geographical differences (region/province specific studies). Considering socioeconomic characteristics habituating the usage of credit is of countless importance in guiding policy design and interventions that aim to improve financial inclusion.
Study on Soil Mobility of Two Neonicotinoid Insecticides

Movement of two neonicotinoid insecticide active ingredients, clothianidin (CLO) and thiamethoxam (TMX), was investigated in different soil types (sand, clay, or loam) and in pumice. Elution profiles were determined to explore differences in binding capacity. Soil characterized by high organic matter content retained the ingredients, whereas high clay content resulted in long release of compounds. Decrease in concentration was strongly influenced by soil types: both CLO and TMX were retained in loam and clay soils and showed ready elution through sandy soil and pumice. Elution capability of the active ingredients in sandy soil correlated with their water solubility, indicating approximately 30% higher rapidity for TMX than for CLO. Soil organic carbon-water partitioning coefficients () determined were in good agreement with literature values with somewhat lower value for CLO in sandy soil and substantially higher values for TMX in clay soil. High mobility of these neonicotinoid active ingredients in given soil types urges stronger precautionary approach taken during their application.
Evidence That Self-Affirmation Reduces Relational Aggression: A Proof of Concept Trial

Objective: Acts of relational aggression cause significant social and personal costs, and interventions are needed to reduce relational aggression in community as well as clinical settings. The present study used a persuasive message coupled with a self-affirmation manipulation to reduce relational aggression among a group of adolescents recruited from the community. Method: Participants (N = 503) all received a persuasive message designed to reduce relational aggression and were randomly allocated to participate in a self-affirming or nonaffirming task. Results: Findings demonstrated a significant reduction in relational aggression over 1-month among participants who were randomized to the self-affirmation condition (d = −0.50) in contrast with a small increase in relational aggression in the control condition (d = +0.20). Contrary to expectations, these effects were not mediated by message processing or changes in interpersonal affect. Conclusion: The present study used the novel approach of asking pupils to self-affirm following a persuasive message and showed that it was possible to reduce relational aggression. Self-affirmation shows considerable promise as a means of augmenting the delivery of interventions to reduce antisocial behavior in addition to other social and health behaviors.