Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Substrates of Mauritia flexuosa and wastewater from pig farming on growth and quality in seedlings of Acacia mangium

Sustainable alternatives should be adopted to minimise the negative environmental impacts of agricultural activities. The use of wastewater as well as organic waste, from agricultural activities or found naturally, such as the decomposed stems of the Buriti palm (Mauritia flexuosa), can be a sustainable alternative in the production of seedlings for the reforestation of areas in the process of degradation or desertification, common in the State of Piaui, Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate growth and quality in seedlings of Acacia mangium Willd grown in substrates with different proportions of decomposed stems of Mauritia flexuosa (DSB), and irrigated with wastewater from pig farming (WPF). The experimental design was completely randomised, arranged in a 5 x 2 factorial scheme, corresponding to five proportions of DSB and soil (v/v,% - 0:100, 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, 80:20), and two sources of irrigation water (well water and WPF), with four replications. At 100 days after sowing (DAS), the seedlings were collected to measure the variables related to growth, quality and nodulation. Height, root collar diameter, shoot dry weight, leaf area and nitrogen accumulation in the shoots were significantly influenced (p≤0.05) by the interaction between substrate and source of irrigation water. The WPF had no significant influence on the growth or quality of the Acacia mangium Willd seedlings. The best ratio between DSB substrate and soil was 46:54, considered the most suitable for seedling production in Acacia mangium Willd.
First record of Baetis taiwanensis Müller‐Liebenau from Japan, with description of the imago and subimago (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae)

Baetis taiwanensis is recorded from Japan, and its imagoes and subimagoes are described for the first time. We provide diagnostic characters which are useful to distinguish B. taiwanensis from an allied species, Baetis sahoensis, in imago, subimago and nymph. We reveal that the line drawings of B. taiwanensis and Nigrobaetis tatuensis were inadvertently interchanged in the original description.
Efficacy and safety of recombinant zona pellucida vaccines in domestic horse mares and current application of native porcine zona pellucida vaccines in African elephant cows

50 Introduction . 51 Materials and methods . 53 Mare selection, management and environment . 53 Study design . 54 Formulation of vaccines . 54 Vaccine administration. 54 Data collection . 55 Pasture breeding . 55 Hormone assays . 56 Statistical analyses . 56 Results . 57 Ovarian activity . 57 Anti-Müllerian hormone . 57 Discussion . 58 References . 64 Chapter Four: Serum antibody immunoreactivity and safety of native porcine and recombinant zona pellucida vaccines formulated with a non-Freund’s adjuvant in horses . 67 Abstract . 68. 68 Introduction . 69 Materials and methods . 73 Study 1 . 73 Subject selection, environment and management . 73 Study design . 73 Vaccine formulations . 73 Vaccine administration . 74 Sample collection and observations . 74 Study 2 . 74 Subject selection, environment and management . 74 Study design . 75 Antigens used . 75 Vaccine formulations . 75
Effect of physical stresses on survivability and post-exposure antibiotic susceptibility of coliforms in environmental waters and wastewaters

Background: Coliform bacteria are majorly introduced into water bodies (river and wastewater) as a result of faecal pollution, agricultural run-offs and several anthropogenic activities. Despite the effectiveness of water treatment methods, pathogens still persist in water; hence the relevance of assessing the ability of these pathogens to survive the lethal actions of physical stresses and the possible impact on antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the organisms. Methodology: The survivability of Escherichia coli strains (NCM3722, FAP1 and ST2747), Enterobacter cloacae GGT036 and Shigella sonnei 53G was assessed in environmental and waste waters for 21 days. The effect of three treatment regimens (UV radiation, solar radiation and boiling) on the survival of the coliforms was evaluated. Also, the antibiogram of the isolates post–UV exposure was assayed. Results: Although there was significant reduction (≥ 3-log) in the population of the bacteria overtime, all the coliforms survived in the waters for 21 days. The effect of UV radiation was significant on all organisms (> 3 log reductions). Solar radiation for 60 minutes had significantly lesser effect than boiling for 15 minutes. Surviving cells of all isolates demonstrated multiple drug-resistance post exposure to UV radiation. Conclusion: This study revealed the ability of coliforms to persist in waters after treatment and proves that UV radiation may not be effective in attenuation of antibiotic resistance. Keywords: Survivability; Coliforms; Antibiotic susceptibility; Water; Wastewater
Tritium Plume Dynamics in the Shallow Unsaturated Zone in an Arid Environment

Effective isolation of tritium (3H) and other contaminants at waste‐burial facilities requires improved understanding of transport processes and pathways. Previous studies documented an anomalously widespread (i.e., theoretically unexpected) distribution of 3H (>400 m from burial trenches) in a dry, sub‐root‐zone gravelly layer (1–2‐m depth) adjacent to a low‐level radioactive waste (LLRW) burial facility in the Amargosa Desert, Nevada, that closed in 1992. The objectives of this study were to: (i) characterize long‐term, spatiotemporal variability of 3H plumes; and (ii) quantify the processes controlling 3H behavior in the sub‐root‐zone gravelly layer beneath native vegetation adjacent to the facility. Geostatistical methods, spatial moment analyses, and mass flux calculations were applied to a spatiotemporally comprehensive, 10‐yr data set (2001–2011). Results showed minimal bulk‐plume advancement during the study period and limited Fickian spreading of mass. Observed spreading rates were generally consistent with theoretical vapor‐phase dispersion. The plume mass diminished more rapidly than would be expected from radioactive decay alone, indicating net efflux from the plume. Estimates of upward 3H efflux via diffusive‐vapor movement were >10× greater than by dispersive‐vapor or total‐liquid movement. Total vertical fluxes were >20× greater than lateral diffusive‐vapor fluxes, highlighting the importance of upward migration toward the land surface. Mass‐balance calculations showed that radioactive decay and upward diffusive‐vapor fluxes contributed the majority of plume loss. Results indicate that plume losses substantially exceeded any continuing 3H contribution to the plume from the LLRW facility during 2001 to 2011 and suggest that the widespread 3H distribution resulted from transport before 2001.
Algorithms for data-gathering in wireless sensor networks

Wireless sensor networks consist of a large number of small battery powered sensor nodes with limited energy resources which are responsible for sensing, processing, and transmitting the monitored data. Once deployed, the sensor nodes are normally inaccessible to the user, and thus replacement of the battery is generally not feasible. A major concern in designing and operating dense Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is the energy-efficiency. Hierarchical clustering and cross-layer optimization are widely accepted as effective techniques to ameliorate this concern. We propose two different novel energy efficient algorithms to gather data from sensor nodes. Energy-Efficient Media Access Control (EE-MAC) protocol is the first algorithm, which has excellent scalability and performs well for both small and large sensor networks. We will also provide a theoretical analysis of the protocol and give guidelines on how to find the optimal protocol parameters such as the number of clusters. In addition, we develop and analyze a novel and scalable Spiraled Algorithm for Data-gathering (SAD) that periodically selects cluster heads according to their geographic locations and residual energy by sorting nodes on virtual spirals. Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that SAD can achieve as much as a factor of three prolonging network lifetime compared with other conventional protocols like LEACH especially when the network is large. Moreover, SAD is also able to distribute energy dissipation evenly throughout the sensors such that 80% of the nodes run out of batteries in the last 20% of the network lifetime.
’ response to reviewers ’ comments

For convenience, measurements used to compare soil respiration (Rs) from different land uses, crops or management practices are often made between 09:00˗16:00, convenience which is justified by an implicit assumption that Rs is largely controlled by temperatureFor convenience, measurements used to compare soil respiration (Rs) from different land 10 uses, crops or management practices are often made between 09:00˗16:00, with an implicit assumption that R s is largely controlled by temperature. Three months’ continuous data presented here show distinctly different diurnal patterns of Rs between barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Miscanthus x giganteus (Miscanthus) grown on adjacent fields. whereas in Miscanthus after an initial early evening decline, Rs increased above the daily average during the night and in July maximum daily rates of Rs were seen at 22.00 and was significantly correlated with earlier levels of solar radiation, probably due to 15 delays in translocation of recent photosynthateMaximum Rs in barley occurred during the afternoon and correlated with soil temperature, whereas Rs peaked in Miscanthus during the night and was significantly correlated with earlier levels of solar radiation, probably due to delays in translocation of recent photosynthate. Since the time of the daily mean Rs in Miscanthus occurred when Rs in the barley was 40% greater than the daily mean, it is vital to select appropriate times to measure Rs especially if only single daily measurements are to be madeSince daily mean Rs in Miscanthus coincided with levels 40% 20 greater than the mean in barley, it is vital to select appropriate times to measure R s if only single daily measurements are to be made.
The Effect of Word Meaning on Speech DysFluency in Adults with Developmental Stuttering

Method: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study was performed on 14 adults who stuttered. Their average age was 25 years. The frequency of non-fluency instances was evaluated upon reading two lists containing 60 words and 60 non-words. The words were selected on the basis of common Persian syllable structures. ‘Kolmogoro-Smirnov one sample test’ and paired t-test was used to analyze data; the significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: There was a significant difference between the dysfluency in word and non-word lists (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a significant increase in the frequency of dysfluency on non-words than on real words. It seems that the phonological encoding process of non-word reading is much more complex than for word reading, because, in non-word reading, the component of semantic content retrieval (word meaning) is missing when compared to word reading.
Age‐specific survival and reproductive performances in fur seals: evidence of senescence and individual quality

Life history theory hypothesises that breeding events induce reproductive costs that may vary among individuals. However, the growing number of studies addressing this question are taxonomically biased, therefore impeding the generalisation of this hypothesis, especially with regard to marine top predators. This study investigated age-related survival and breeding performances in subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis) females from Amsterdam Island, southern Indian Ocean. Using multistate capture–recapture models on data obtained from known-age tagged females over eight consecutive years, we tested for evidence of senescence, individual quality, and reproductive costs in terms of future survival and fecundity. Adult female yearly survival appeared high and constant throughout time. While a two age-class model was preferred in non-breeders, breeding females exhibited three age classes with a maximum survival for the prime-age class (7–12 years). Survival and reproductive probabilities decreased from 13 years onward, suggesting senescence in this population. Survival was lower for non-breeders than for breeders, among both prime-aged (0.938 vs 0.982) and older (0.676 vs 0.855) females. Furthermore, non-breeders exhibited higher probabilities of being non-breeders the following year than did breeders (0.555 vs 0.414). Such results suggest consistency in female breeding performance over years, supporting the hypothesis that non-breeding tend to occur among lower quality individuals rather than representing an alternative strategy to enhance residual reproductive value. However, the high proportion of females that did not breed during two consecutive years, and the lower probability of being a successful breeder after a greater reproductive effort confirmed the existence of reproductive costs, especially during the second half of the lactation. These results also suggest that younger age-classes included a higher proportion of lower quality individuals, which are likely to face higher costs of reproduction. Such hypotheses lead to consider the first breeding event as a filter generating a within-cohort selection process in females.
Landfill investigation using tritium and isotopes as pollution tracers

Some studies of municipal landfills in Italy have pointed out the importance of isotope analysis based tools in evaluating the main source of pollution. Isotope investigations are commonly used especially for defining a hydrogeological conceptual model of a re- search area but, in some instances, they are useful for locating leach- ate contamination of groundwater: tritium measures were indicated by some authors for tracing purposes, owing to its stability and sen- sitivity as a leachate pollution tracer; nitrogen isotopes have been utilized to identify sources of nitrates and ammonium in groundwa- ter; sulphur-34 and carbon-13 were just used in landfill contamina- tion problems. Tritium ( 3 H) is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, occurring in very low quantity in the natural waters. In particular, tritium content in leachate water is still very high in some municipal landfills, due to the presence in the waste of some items containing high levels of tri- tium (i.e. luminescence paints, watches, etc.). So, with the aid of this tool, it is possible to evaluate a landfill leakage to the surrounding environment, establishing, even better and before chemical signal has been revealed downgradient, whether leakages have migrateed through the containment barrier. It is possible to identify the contamination of groundwater from the tritium increase with respect to the base level, and also to estimate the mixing ratio with the leachate. The aim of this paper is to show the validity of tritium as a pollut- ant tracer, with the support of many results in different landfills in Central and Northern Italy. Some indication of the interpretation of results and data of tritium and isotopic content in groundwater,
Pigment production by Exiguobacterium aurantiacum FH, a novel Lebanese strain

A B S T R A C T An orange pigmented strain of Exiguobacterium aurantiacum FH was isolated from air. The analysis of pigment produced revealed the presence of carotenoids. Both carotenes and xanthophylls were detected in the methanolic extract of carotenoids. The carotenoids produced were characterized by considerable stability and demonstrated antifungal activity against Fusarium sp. , Penicilium sp. , and Alternatria sp. By optimization of the factors affecting carotenoid production, cellular pigment content (534.51 µg pigment /g dry weight) was recorded when E. aurantiacum FH was cultivated at 30 °C under shaken condition (150 rpm) in 250 Erlenmeyer flasks containing 40 ml LB medium (pH 7), for three days in light .
Investigating the molecular basis of rubella virus-induced teratogenesis: a literature review

Rubella virus (RV) is the etiologic agent of rubella, a disease more commonly known as German measles. The 1940 rubella epidemic in Australia allowed for the identification of RV as a teratogenic agent: infection early in pregnancy causes a variety of birth defects collectively referred to as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Although rigorous immunization policies have dramatically reduced the incidence of CRS, it is still estimated that around 100,000 infants are born with CRS every year. Furthermore, in light of the recent Zika virus epidemic which is now known to be a causative agent of microcephaly and other birth defects, a deeper understanding of RV may help elucidate the paradigm of viral teratogenesis and aid in the development of therapeutic agents to prevent the development of birth defects in fetuses after maternal infection. This review aims to give a summary of the current knowledge regarding the molecular biology of the virus followed by an overview of potential mechanisms of RV-induced teratogenesis as well as suggestions for possible future directions for research .
Monetary news, U.S. interest rate and business cycles in emerging economies

This paper identifies anticipated (news) and unanticipated (surprise) shocks to the U.S. Fed Funds rate using CBOT Fed Funds Future Market and assesses their propagation to emerging economies. Anticipated movements account for 80% of quarterly Fed Funds fluctuations and explain a significant fraction of the narrative monetary policy shocks. An expected 1% increase in the reference interest rate induces a fall of 2% in GDP of emerging economies two quarters before the shock materializes. Unanticipated contractionary shocks also cause a recession. Both shocks have a larger impact in emerging relative to developed economies and the financial channel is the most relevant for their transmission. Anticipation is also relevant to understand the transmission of U.S. real interest rate shocks.
Salience, Path Dependency and the Coalition between the European Commission and the Danish Council Presidency: Why the EU Opened a Visa Liberalisation Process with Turkey

In June 2012 the European Commission received the backing of the member states to launch a visa liberalisation process with Turkey in exchange for a readmission agreement that obliges Ankara to take back illegal immigrants who passed through Turkey as a transit country. This is a remarkable development in view of the earlier rejection by several member states of the perspective of a visa free travel for Turkish citizens. My process tracing analysis suggests that the key to explaining this development is the argumentative strength of the European Commission, stemming from the necessity of cooperation with Turkey on migration and the norms of procedures set in previous readmission negotiations, as well as the coalition between the Commission and the Danish Council Presidency. Thus, this article contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics of Turkeyâ€™s EU accession process, the role of the Commission in the EUâ€™s visa policy, and the influence of Council Presidencies.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Cognitive training for children with ADHD : Individual differences in training and transfer gains

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Globalization and the Output-Inflation Tradeoff: New Time Series Evidence

Recent cross-country studies on the globalization and output-inflation tradeoff correlation find openness has no significant effect on OECD countries. Those studies assume parameter constancy across countries. In this paper, we argue that this assumption does not hold for major industrialized countries. Using individual time series analysis, we find the effect of openness on the output-inflation trade off differ in sign and size across countries. In contrast to previous cross-country studies, we find globalization has significantly changed some major industrialized countries’ output inflation tradeoff. This has important implications for future theoretical and empirical research.
Comments on a 'Hot Hand' Paper by Miller and Sanjurjo (2015)

Miller and Sanjurjo (2015) suggest that many analyses of the hot hand and the gambler’s fallacies are subject to a bias. The purpose of this note is to describe our understanding of their main point in terms we hope are simpler and more accessible to non-mathematicians than is the original.
Seasonal effects on bunch components and fatty acid composition in Dura oil palm (Elaeis guineensis )

Rainfall and temperature in the different seasons can affect yield and oil quality of oil palm. A study was carried out on bunch components and fatty acid content of oil samplesfrom Dura oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) in the wet (July to October 2007) and dry (Januaryto April 2008) seasons. Experimental area was a farmer’s plantation in Pathio district, Chumphon province, the southern part of Thailand. Significant differences among seasons were observed in fruits/bunch, kernels/bunch and oil/bunch ratios. Myristic and palmitic acid in mesocarp oil from the fruits harvested in dry season showed reduction of percentage compared to those from wet season. However, stearic and linoleic acid percentages increased 0.90 and 1.79%, respectively, in the samples from dry season more than those from wet season. In kernel oil, oleic acid content from dry season was higher than that from wet season. The data suggest that different harvesting times affect oil content and fatty acid composition in the oil. This study found a statistically significantcorrelation (P < 0.01) between mesocarp oil yield (kg) and amount of rainfall as well as accumulated temperature in the three months before harvesting while the kernel oil yield (kg) showed higher correlation with accumulated temperature than the amount of rainfall. Key words: Bunch component, fatty acid composition, palm mesocarp, palm kernel.
EXTENT OF RIPRAP LAYER WITH DIFFERENT STONE SIZES AROUND RECTANGULAR BRIDGE PIERS WITH OR WITHOUT AN ATTACHED COLLAR

In the present study, extent of riprap layer with different sizes around bridge piers is investigated. Rectangular piers with or without an attached protective collar aligned with the flow and skewed at different angles are tested. The optimal configurations of riprap extent for each pier condition with different sizes are determined. Experiments showed that in case of aligned rectangular pier without a collar only 8% of the area around the pier is critical and the remaining 92% area can be protected with about 60% smaller riprap stones. As the skew angle of the pier increases up to 20o, the critical area increases up to 23% of the riprap extent. In case of protected pier with collar, the collar prevents the critical region around the pier in aligned and 5o skewed pier. However, by increasing the flow attack angle up to 20o, only a small area up to 30% in the riprap extent around the collar is critical and the remaining area can be placed with 40% smaller riprap size. Finally, the design algorithm for riprap extent with different sizes is presented.