Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leydig Stem Cell Differentiation in the Prepubertal Hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus )

Leydig cells in the testis are the primary source of androgens in the adult male mammal. Therefore, the process of Leydig cell differentiation during the prepubertal period is essential to establish the Leydig cell population in the adult. Little has been published regarding the factors that regulate the postnatal Leydig cell differentiation in hamsters. However, it has been observed in adult male hamsters that Leydig cells regress under reduced photoperiods, but recrudesce with re-exposure to normal photoperiods. In the present investigation, the effects of light, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and melatonin treatment on Leydig cell differentiation in the neonatal-prepubertal hamster are investigated. Six treatment groups of male Syrian Golden hamsters were used. Group I male hamsters were raised under regular light conditions (12hr: 12hr Light:Dark) and group II hamsters were raised under reduced light (23hr: 1hr Dark: Light). Hamsters in Groups III received triidothyronine (T3; 50 μg/ kg. bwt); lactating mothers were injected every four days from birth of pups to day 28, and were maintained under regular light conditions. Hamsters in Group IV were maintained under regular light regimes (12hr: 12hr) and were made hypothyroid by adding 0.1% propylthiouracil to drinking water of lactating mothers from birth to day 28. Hamsters in Group V were raised in dark (similar to Group II), but their mothers received T3 injections similar to those in Group III. Lactating mothers in Group VI received melatonin injections (15 milligrams/ kg. bwt) every other afternoon from birth to day 28. Following euthanasia at postnatal day 28, blood was collected from the heart, serum prepared and stored until assay for hormones: thyroxin (T4), and melatonin.
The Investigation of the English Grammar Learning Strategy of High School Students in China

The article conducts a questionnaire survey and interview on the students in a high school in Hubei Province of China. The result indicates that the level of high school students’ grammar learning strategy is low. Among the three factors of grammar learning strategy, the cognitive strategy ranks first, then the meta-cognitive strategy and social-affective strategy. And the grammar learning strategy is not correlated with English grammar achievement. The research result demonstrates that there is great difference between female students and male students in English grammar strategy using and grammar score. This outcome is conducive to knowing better about high school students’ condition of grammar learning strategy using, and supplying some reference for enhancing the high school English teaching efficiency.
What Makes Service Research Centers Effective?

Academic service research centers have been positioned as a research partner for service companies. In this article, the authors present a framework for assessing their effectiveness. The results of an empirical study conducted during 2 years suggest that user satisfaction is central to establishing decision maker trust, as well as promoting the use of the information. In both years, quality of content and researcher characteristics were identified as key drivers of satisfaction. In the initial stage of the relationship between the service research center and the client firm, information use is also driven by the political acceptability of the information. It was found that trust had no effect on information use. However, the results of the second year suggest that particularly trust in the researcher becomes a crucial factor as the relationship develops, because it directly affects the use of information by academic service research centers.
ANALYSIS OF THE MOTION PLANES OF THE ‘FUNCTIONAL DOUBLE-PENDULUM’ POINTS IN GOLF

The purpose of this study was to investigate the swing characteristics of the skilled and less skilled golfers by comparing the properties of the functional swing plane (FSP) and motion planes (MPs) formed by the clubhead and key functional double-pendulum points. Twenty-seven male golfers were recruited: skilled (n = 15; handicap  3) and less skilled (n = 12; 12-18 handicap). The slopes and direction angles of the FSP and MPs were quantified. The skilled group was characterized by steeper MPs than the less skilled (p < 0.05). The skilled group also revealed more closed (or less open) FSP and MPs than the less skilled with an exception: the left shoulder plane. The skilled group aligned the left hand plane with the FSP closely, whereas the less skilled group aligned the left shoulder plane with the FSP.
The use of X-ray computer tomography for measuring the muscularity of live sheep

Jones, H. E. , Lewis, R. M. , Young, M. J., Wolf, B. T. (2002). The use of X-ray computer tomography for measuring the muscularity of live sheep. Animal Science, 75, (3), 387-399 Sponsorship: DEFRA; SEERAD; BBSRC
Kinematics of solar neighborhood stars and its dependence on age and metallicity

We have constructed a catalog containing the best available astrometric, photometric, radial velocity and astrophysical data for mainly F-type and G-type stars (called the Astrometric Catalog associated with Astrophysical Data, ACAD). This contains 27 553 records and is used for the purpose of analyzing stellar kinematics in the solar neighborhood. Using the Lindblad-Oort model and compiled ACAD, we calculated the solar motion and Oort constants in different age-metallicity bins. The evolution of kinematical parameters with stellar age and metallicity was investigated directly. The results show that the component of the solar motion in the direction of Galactic rotation (denoted S2) linearly increases with age, which may be a consequence of the scattering processes, and its value for a dynamical cold disk was found to be 8.0 ± 1.2 km s−1. S2 also linearly increases with metallicity, which indicates that radial migration is correlated to the metallicity gradient. On the other hand, the rotational velocity of the Sun around the Galactic center has no clear correlation with ages or metallicities of stars used in the estimation.
Assessment of in vitro antitumoral and antimicrobial activities of marine algae harvested from the eastern Mediterranean sea

Antitumoral activities of five algal extracts obtained from the marine algae Scytosiphon lomentaria, Padina pavonica, Cystoseira mediterranea (Phaeophyceae), Hypnea musciformis and Spyridia filamentosa (Rhodophyta) were assessed against the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF‐7 and the human prostate carcinoma epithelium like cell lines DU 145, LNCaP, PC3 using the cytotoxic assay, in vitro. The crude extract of S. filamentosa showed strong cytotoxic activity against the DU-145 cell line, and it showed less than 10% cell viability after treatment. Antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts of algae (with the exception of H. musciformis) were also tested by disc diffusion assay against three Gram positive and five Gram negative bacterial strains and against the yeast pathogen Candida albicans. Among the extraxts, S. lomentaria extract (prepared with methanol) inhibited highly Gram negative bacterium Salmonella typhimurium growth while C. albicans growth was only inhibited by C. mediterrranea extract.
The relation of the management styles with the managerial efficiency and the ranking in the executive agencies: the case of Mazandaran

The first goal of the current research is to investigate the relation between the management styles and the managerial efficiency. The second goal of the research is to rank managers according to their managerial styles in the Executive Agencies in Mazandaran. Consequently, the data were gathered using questionnaires. The sample size was 150. The collected data were further analyzed by SPSS and Analysis Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique. The findings indicated that there was a significant relationship between management styles and managerial efficiency.
Diet of the Invasive Frog, Eleutherodactylus Coqui, in Hawaii

Abstract Because of their high densities and generalist feeding behaviors, the introduced frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui, has been hypothesized to consume and potentially reduce endemic invertebrates in Hawaii. To address this hypothesis, I compared E. coqui diets to invertebrate abundances in 11 sites on the Islands of Hawaii and Maui in the summer of 2004. At each site, I collected between 22 and 119 frogs from 20 × 20-m plots, and invertebrates from light traps, beating trays, and leaf litter samples. Prey items in frog stomachs were identified to order, and invertebrates collected in environmental samples were identified to the lowest taxonomic category possible. Multivariate analyses of diet content and invertebrates collected at each site suggest that most prey was from the leaf litter. Non-native ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and amphipods (Amphipoda: Talitridae) comprised 30% and 22%, respectively, of the total prey items consumed. These non-native invertebrates were more abundant in stomachs of E. coqui than in the environment indicating a preference for these species. There was little evidence that E. coqui were reducing important invertebrate pests. No mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) were found in stomachs, and termites (Isoptera) comprised <1% of the total prey items. Arthropod orders containing endemic species that appear most vulnerable to E. coqui predation include Acarina (mites), Coleoptera (beetles), Collembola (springtails), and Diptera (flies), which each made up >2% of the diet of E. coqui. Dominant prey items in frog stomachs differed among study sites suggesting that frogs are opportunistic feeders and forage on abundant prey items. Eleutherodactylus coqui management should focus on areas with endemic invertebrates of concern because it is these locations where E. coqui may have the greatest impact.
From the past to the future: self-concepts of English language teachers from Finland and Korea

This article explores 1) how two English language teachers from Finland and Korea develop their self-concept as English learners throughout their English learning trajectory, and 2) the positive motivational effects of self-reflective experiences upon the research participants. To obtain more holistic research findings, a combination of verbal in-depth interviews with visual artworks depicting English learning timeline and self-portraits were used. The data were subjected to a thematic analysis, the results of which appear to indicate that the interviewees’ self-concept as an English learner is dynamically influenced by fluctuations in their learning trajectory, and that it will continue to develop as the teachers grow in their life journey. The interviewees’ self-concepts as an English learner and teacher are interrelated: self-reflective experiences appear to generate positive motivational effects by fostering a belief that the interviewees’ ideal English learner self- concept can influence their ideal English teacher self-concept.
Peningkatan Kemampuan Berhitung Pada Anak Kelompok B Melalui Permainan Kartu Angka di TK Dharma Indria I Kecamatan Patrang Kabupaten Jember Tahun Pelajaran 2015/2016

Penelitian ini dilaksanakan karena kegiatan pembelajaran di kelas yang masih belum efektif, akibatnya kemampuan berhitung pada anak kelompok B relatif belum baik. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berhitung pada anak melalui permainan kartu angka. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian tindakan kelas (PTK) yang dilaksanakan dalam dua siklus. Subjek penelitiannya adalah anak kelompok B berjumlah 30 anak yang terdiri atas 15 anak laki-laki dan 15 anak perempuan. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah observasi, wawancara, tes dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kemampuan berhitung pada anak kelompok B mengalami peningkatan dengan kualifikasi sangat baik. Nilai rata-rata kelas pada pra siklus 58,3, pada siklus I 69,9, dan pada siklus II meningkat menjadi 82,7. Kata Kunci: Kemampuan Berhitung, Permainan Kartu Angka.
Framework for New Structural Damping Predictor Models Based on Stick-Slip Mechanism for Use in the Wind Resistant Design of Buildings Ronwaldo

A framework for structural damping predictor models for use in the wind resistant design of buildings has been developed, discussed and proposed. It is based on a study of the characterization of damping due to stick-slip mechanism occurring at friction surfaces at different parts of the building, including between primary frame elements and secondary structural as well as non-structural elements. The framework can be pursued a number of ways, including by modification of existing structural damping predictor models or by curve fitting on measured damping in existing buildings. It is proposed as an alternative to existing proposals.
Sexual stimuli in advertising: The opposite sex effect

Sexual stimuli in advertising often evoke an emotional state able to shape both attitude towards the advertisement and towards the brands that interact in fostering consumers’ purchase intention. These relationships can be influenced by the interaction between the gender of the respondent and the gender of the model (opposite sex effect). The present study focuses on the interaction between brand and advertising attitude and their conjoint effect on purchase intention in the light of the opposite sex effect. Results show that such effect influences the attitude towards the advertisement while it does not emerges whit reference to attitude towards the brand and purchase intention. Implications for advertising and brand management are discussed.
Avian higher-level phylogeny: well-supported clades and what we can learn from a phylogenetic analysis of 2954 morphological characters

It has been shown that increased character sampling betters the accuracy of phylogenetic reconstructions in the case of molecular data. A recently published analysis of avian higher-level phylogenetics based on 2954 morphological characters now provides an empirical example to test whether this is also true in the case of morphological characters. Several clades are discussed which are supported by multiple analyses of mutually independent molecular data (sequences of nuclear genes on different chromosomes and mitochondrial genes) as well as morphological apomorphies, but did not result from parsimony analysis of the large morphological data set. Incorrect character scorings in that analysis notwithstanding, it is concluded that in the case of morphological data, increased character sampling does not necessarily better the accuracy of a phylogenetic reconstruction. Because morphological characters usually have a strongly varying complexity, many simple and homoplastic characters may overrule fewer ones of greater phylogenetic significance in large data sets, thus producing a low ratio of phylogenetic signal to noise in the data.
Institut für Regional- und Umweltwirtschaft Institute for the Environment and Regional Development

Traditionally, regional endowments are viewed as external variables when it comes to location choices of companies. In most concepts on location choices and regional economics companies are thought to view the local labour market, the local innovation system or the general quality of life in a region as given and chose the location that best suits the company’s needs. Increasingly however, scholars from different research fields are providing arguments to reverse that view and show that there can be good reasons for a company to engage in improving its location despite implicit externalities. In this paper we try to systematically analyse issue of corporate engagement in regions. We will show how strong and in which fields companies engage in their respective region, how this engagement can be related to their existing regional integration and what differences appear between industries and types of companies in this respect. In this study we draw upon extensive interviews with over thirty companies from three industrial sectors in the Austrian region of Styria: the metals industry, which dates back to medieval times and has gone through a deep process of economic restructuring, the automotive industry, the first industry in which a comprehensive cluster policy approach was applied in Austria and the software industry, a rather young industry that experienced high growth rates in the past years. We will conclude that even though there are differences between the industries and types of companies in terms of scope and scale of regional integration and regional engagement, there is a strong correlation between the two: the higher the regional integration, the higher corporate regional engagement and vice versa.
Relationship Between Energy Cost and the Index Of Coordination in Front Crawl-A Pilot Study

Relationship Between Energy Cost and the Index Of Coordination in Front Crawl A Pilot Study P Morais, J P Vilas-Boas, L Seifert, D Chollet, K L Keskinen, R Fernandes 1,2 1. University of Porto, Faculty of Sport, Portugal 2. Portuguese Swimming Federation 3. University of Rouen, Faculty of Sport Sciences France 4. Finnish Society of Sport Sciences, Finland
MODELING OF MAJOR AND TRACE ELEMENT VARIATIONS OF HOLE 504 B DIABASE AND BASALT 1

Four computer modeling techniques were used to examine the intersample variation in Hole 504B basalt and diabase: (1) a liquid-line-of-descent calculation (the CHAOS program, Nielsen [1985,1990]); (2) Pearce element ratio analysis (Pearce, 1968); (3) a least-squares-fit parent-daughter calculation (Bryan et al., 1969); and (4) correlation coefficient pattern analysis (the DARWIN program, Cox and Clifford [1982]). The first two techniques require few input assumptions, and can be used to identify what phases are fractionating, the compositions of those phases, and the relative proportions of those phases. The other two techniques require a considerable amount of input assumptions, and are primarily useful for testing petrologic models. The liquid-line-of-descent calculation suggests that fractional crystallization of plagioclase An744, augite Wo41 7En48 6Fs9 7, and olivine Fog5 3 from an initial mid-ocean-ridge basalt parent could explain the range of compositions observed in the 504B data set. The complementary gabbro would have the cumulus mineral assemblage 57.5% plagioclase, 23.3% augite, and 19.3% olivine plus an unknown amount of intercumulus liquid. Pearce element ratio analysis suggests that fractional crystallization of plagioclase An79_86, augite Mg#g2_83, and olivine Fo78_79 could explain the range of compositions observed in the 504B data set. The complementary gabbro would have a cumulus mineral assemblage of 62% to 67% plagioclase, 23% to 27% augite, and 8% to 12% olivine plus an unknown amount of intercumulus liquid. All four computer models are consistent with a differentiation scheme for 504B magmas in which an initial high Mg# parent fractionates plagioclase, augite, and olivine to produce a series of daughter magmas with lower Mg#s. None of the models require significant amounts of assimilation or more than one parent magma composition to explain the variation observed in the 504B data. Fraction of the observed 1726 m of basalt and diabase at Site 504B would require a minimum thickness of 573 m of gabbro if we assume 0% trapped liquid, or 1042 m of gabbro if we assume 45% trapped liquid. The lower crustal section at Hole 504B is probably thicker and more primitive than that calculated.
The Determinants of Participation in Vocational Training in Albania

The Albanian labour market has changed drastically during the last two decades as a result of technological developments, labour force mobility, structural unemployment etc. New skills are required by firms and many types of skills turned to be obsolete and no longer in demand. The article tries to analyze the situation in the Albanian labour market, in order to identify the actual trend and to explain theoretical reasons and determinants that cause it. Using Labour Force Survey data it’s aimed an empirical model to evaluate the determinants of employees’ participation in vocational training in Albania. Based on the empirical literature such determinants can be person related, job related, and employer related. The findings from this paper will be compared with findings from the literature in order to see differences and similaritiesare.
Industry Dynamics in Growth Triangles: The E&E Industry in Sijori 25 Years on

Launched in 1989 and encompassing Singapore, the Malaysian state of Johor, and Batam Island in Indonesia, the SIJORI Growth Triangle sought to market these territories as a ‘single investment destination’ offering differing factor endowments in close proximity. Singapore was the ‘core’ of the region; Johor and Batam occupied the land, labour, and resource‐intensive ‘non‐core’ spaces. During the 1990s, investment flows into the three territories, particularly in the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry, mirrored this division of labour. Through scrutinising trends in E&E firm entries, nationality, and industry branch in Singapore, Johor, and Batam for the 1993–2012/14 period, this article sheds light on the recent evolution of the E&E sector in the Growth Triangle. We document an increasing disconnect between the three nodes that has substantially reduced SIJORI's significance as an integrated industrial cross‐border region.
Ethnic, Religious and Economic Diversity in Dutch Neighbourhoods: Explaining Quality of Contact with Neighbours, Trust in the Neighbourhood and Inter-Ethnic Trust

Several studies conclude that ethnic diversity tends to reduce social capital. There may, however, be other forms of diversity that also affect social capital, and their inclusion might make the negative effect of ethnic diversity spurious. Besides ethnic diversity, we identify economic and religious diversity, as well as language proficiency in the neighbourhood. This study explores data from the Netherlands showing how these four dimensions of diversity in the neighbourhood affect the quality of contact with neighbours, trust in the neighbourhood and inter-ethnic trust for immigrant and native residents. We find that ethnic diversity in the neighbourhood still lowers the quality of contact with neighbours. For natives, ethnic diversity is positively associated with inter-ethnic trust, whereas for immigrants there is no effect. Furthermore, for natives, religious diversity negatively affects the quality of contact with neighbours and inter-ethnic trust, whereas for immigrants this effect is positive. Economic diversity positively impacts on trust in the neighbourhood and inter-ethnic trust. We do not find an effect of language proficiency. We conclude that, besides ethnic diversity, other forms of diversity in the neighbourhood do also affect trust. Furthermore, diversity can undermine, but also build, various aspects of trust. Last, diversity in the neighbourhood does not mean the same for immigrant and native residents.
Relationship between Soil Management System and Cultivar in Black Currant (Ribes nigrum L.)

Summary This experiment evaluated the effect of soil management systems in a black currant planting on the generative potential (number of flowers per inflorescence, number of berries per cluster and yield per bush), physical attributes of the cluster and fruit (berry weight and cluster weight) and chemical properties of the fruit (soluble solids content, total sugars, titratable acidity, total anthocyanins, total phenolic content and vitamin C) of black currant cultivars. Three soil management systems were used: treatment I – bare fallow i.e. continuous tillage; treatment II – sawdust mulch, and treatment III – black polyethylene foil mulch. Four black currant cultivars were included - ‘Ben Lomond’, ‘Titania’, ‘Čačanska crna’ and ‘Tiben’. The soil management systems had a significant effect on the tested parameters. The cultivars also showed highly significant differences. Soil management system x cultivar interactions were observed for generative potential, and physical properties of the cluster and fruit, but not for fruit chemical traits, except in the soluble solids content.