Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rate (ROI) and severity (SOI) of infection of white spot disease in cultured and captured Penaeid shrimps in the Persian Gulf using histopathology and polymerase chain reaction.

White Spot Disease (WSD) is well known as a widespread viral disease in shrimps from 1992. Many studies focused on morphological, histopathological and epidemiological characteristic and pathogenecity of the disease but less on the determination of the severity of WSD using the histopathological features in target tissues. A generalized scheme for assigning a numerical qualitative value to severity grade of infection considering to histopathology and counting the inclusion bodies in different level of infection and different microscopic fielding immersion lens was accomplished before. This study was conducted in order to estimate the rate of infection (ROI) and the severity of infection (SOI) of WSD in native shrimps in the Persian Gulf. About 90 live specimens of affected cultured Penaeus indicus were collected from Abadan region, south Iran and 150 specimens of native shrimps were captured from the Persian Gulf. Histopathological changes were observed by light microscope in target organs such as: gills, cuticular epidermis, heart, hemolymph, fore stomach and hepatopancreas. ROI and SOI were estimated respectively by standard formulas and grading between 0-4 based on the percentage of white spot syndrome virus WSSV positive cells in selected fields of microscope. The results were confirmed by conducting nested PCR method. The SOI of Parapenaeopsis stylifera was estimated in grade four and its ROI was about 85% as the most susceptible species. Histopathologic infection of Metapenaeus affinis shrimp by WSD was observed also during this study.
Audio Grade Feature extraction Speech recogniser Text Features

With increasing global demand for learning English as a second language, there has been considerable interest in methods of automatic assessment of spoken language proficiency for use in interactive electronic learning tools as well as for grading candidates for formal qualifications. This paper presents an automatic system to address the assessment of spontaneous spoken language. Prompts or questions requiring spontaneous speech responses elicit more natural speech which better reflects a learner’s proficiency level than read speech. In addition to the challenges of highly variable non-native, learner, speech and noisy real-world recording conditions, this requires any automatic system to handle disfluent, non-grammatical, spontaneous speech with the underlying text unknown. To handle these, a state-ofthe-art speech recognition system is applied in combination with a Gaussian Process (GP) grader. A range of features derived from the audio using the recognition hypothesis are investigated for their efficacy in the automatic grader. The proposed system is shown to predict grades at a similar level to the original examiner graders on real candidate entries. Interpolation with the examiner grades further boosts performance. The ability to reject poorly estimated grades is also important and measures are proposed to evaluate the performance of rejection schemes. The GP variance is used to decide which automatic grades should be rejected. Back-off to an expert grader for the least confident grades gives gains.
Exploring Gender Differences in Solving Open-Ended Mathematical Problems.

Open-ended tasks were used to examine gender differences in complex mathematical problem solving. The results of this study suggest that, overall, males perform better than females, but the gender differences vary from task to task. A qualitative analysis of student responses to those tasks with gender differences showed that male and female students exhibited many similarities in their solution processes, such as making similar types of mathematical errors and using similar strategies and representations. This study suggests not only the complexity of the issue of gender differences, but also the feasibility and usefulness of using open-ended tasks to explore the issue. Contains 13 references. (Author/MKR) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. *********************************************************************** Exploring Gender Differences in Solving Open-Ended Mathematical Problems
Efficiency measurement, multiple-output technologies and distance functions: with application to European Railways

The single-output production function has long been regarded as one of the principle limitations of the econometric approach to technical efficiency measurement. If one wished to investigate efficiency in a multiple-output industry using econometric methods one would usually either: (a) aggregate outputs into a single index of output (e.g., total revenue or a multilateral Tornqvist output index); or (b) attempt to model the technology using a dual cost function. The first of these methods require that output prices be observable (and reflect revenue maximising behaviour), while the latter approach requires an assumption of cost-minimising behaviour. There are a number of instances, however, when neither of these requirements are met (the public sector contains many examples). In this study we outline the recently developed distance function solution to the multi-output problem. The method is illustrated using data on European railways. Output-orientated, input-orientated and constant returns to scale distance functions are estimated using corrected ordinary least squares. The distance function estimates are also compared with production function estimates involving aggregate output measures. These comparisons indicate that, for the case of European railways, a production function involving a multilateral Tornqvist output index exhibits substantially less aggregation bias relative to a production function that uses total revenue as a measure of aggregate output. * The authors wish to thank Henry-Jean Gathon, Shawna Grosskopf, Kris Kerstens, Knox Lovell and Pierre Pestieau for their advice on various aspects of this work. Any errors which remain are our own.
Three-dimensional dosimetry using polymer gel and magnetic resonance imaging applied to the verification of conformal radiation therapy in head-and-neck cancer

Background and purpose : It was our aim to investigate NMR-based BANG gel dosimetry as a three-dimensional dosimetry technique in conformal radiotherapy. Materials and methods : The BANG gel consisting of gelatin, water and co-monomers was first validated in a cylindrical glass flask for a single standard beam. Next, the gel contained in a human neck-shaped cast was used to verify a treatment plan for the conformal irradiation of a concave tumour in the lower neck. Magnetic resonance relaxation rate images were acquired and, based on an appropriate calibration of the gel, converted to absorbed dose distributions. The resulting maps were compared with dose distributions measured using radiographic film. Results: The gel-measured dose profiles of standard beams agreed within 3% (root mean square difference) with the profiles measured with high spatial resolution by a diamond detector. For the multi-beam conformal treatment, the difference map between gel-measured and film-measured dose distributions revealed a noise component and a more systematic deviation including structural or space-coherent patterns. The mean absolute value of the difference amounted to 8%. A number of possible causes for this deviation are designated. Conclusions : Polymer gel dosimetry in combination with magnetic resonance imaging is a promising method for dosimetric verification of conformal radiotherapy.  1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
Efecto del sexo y del cruzamiento sobre la calidad instrumental y sensorial y sobre la aceptación de la carne de añojos de la raza avileña-negra ibérica

espanolSe estudio el efecto del cruce industrial (Avilena-Negra Iberica en pureza o cruzados por Charoles) y del sexo sobre el pH, color la carne y valoracion sensorial con panel entrenado y consumidores de la carne de 30 animales de categoria anojo. El color estuvo mas influenciado por la base genetica que por el sexo, resultando menos luminosa la carne de los animales en pureza que la de los cruzados. En general, la carne de las hembras fue mejor valorada que la de los machos. La maduracion incremento la jugosidad y terneza de la carne, asi como la intensidad de su olor y flavor. El sexo del consumidor no influyo sobre la valoracion de la carne, pero la edad si. EnglishPresent experiment studied the effect of crossbreeding (Avilena-Negra Iberica breed or crossing by Charolais) and animal' sex on pH and meat colour as well as its sensory characteristic, measured by both a trained and consumers panels. Colour was slightly affected by considered effects and crossbreeding effect was more important than sex, being meat from pure animals less light than meat from crossbreeding. Ageing increased meat juiciness and tenderness and odour and flavour intensities. Consumer's gender did not affect sensory appraisal of meat but consumer's age did.
How to Retain a Bank Customer: A Qualitative Study of Jordanian Banks Relational Strategies

This paper studies how banks in Jordan promote long-term strategies in an effort to attract and retain loyal customers. An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken in order to develop a clearer understanding of background issues relating to the research problem. An in-depth interviewing technique was used, experts from nine different Jordanian banks participated in the data collection, the interviewees consisted of marketing directors, managers and executives as well as senior relationship managers and direct banking managers. Content analysis was used to analyze textual information from interviews in order to draw conclusions from them. Findings revealed Relational strategies, tactics, and tools used to achieve customer retention used by banks and benefits of customer retention, it also showed how retention is linked with customer profitability, findings showed that internal marketing is important for achieving retention. A number of drivers were found to be critical in banks efforts toward fulfilling relational strategies; trust, satisfaction, loyalty, commitment, closeness, communication, transparency, confidentiality, privacy, culture, customer acquisition, and reputation. However this study should be carried out in a different context. Further study is needed to explain how these constructs are linked in order to develop a model of customer retention.
Effects of experimental warming on soil respiration and its components in an alpine meadow in the permafrost region of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

The response of soil respiration (Rs) and its components (autotrophic [Ra] and heterotrophic respiration [Rh]) to climate warming is one of the uncertainties in ecosystem carbon (C) models. Here we conducted a warming experiment in an alpine meadow dominated by Koresbia in the permafrost region of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) to examine effects of warming on Rs and its components. Infrared heaters were used to simulate a 2°C warming of the surface soil temperature. Deep collars (50 cm to exclude root growth) were inserted into soil to measure Rh: Ra, which was calculated by subtracting Rh from Rs. Average Rs and its components (Ra and Rh) were significantly stimulated by 21.5, 27 and 15.6%, respectively, in warmed plots from January 2011 to October 2013. The contribution of Rh to Rs decreased in the warmed plots because of the smaller relative increase in Rh than in Ra. Annual soil C release increased by 263 and 247 g C m−2 in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Stimulation in Ra and Rh was related to the significant increase in root biomass (0–50 cm) and in labile soil C in the deeper layer (40–50 cm). The temperature sensitivities (Q10) of Rs and its components all increased with larger values in Ra, followed by Rs and Rh. Our results suggest a positive feedback between soil C release and climatic warming in the permafrost region of the QTP.
Numerical dosimetric calculations for in vitro field expositions in the THz frequency range

Abstract. Field exposition experiments have been initiated by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt fur Strahlenschutz – BfS) to examine genotoxic effects of THz radiation in vitro. Two different human skin cell types are exposed to continuous-wave radiation at six distinct frequencies between 100 GHz and 2.52 THz originating from different sources of THz radiation under defined environmental conditions. The cell containers are irradiated with free space power flux densities between 0.1 mW/cm2 and 2 mW/cm2 measured traceable to the SI units. For meaningful results, dosimetric calculations using the finite differences time-domain method have been performed in order to access the fields and consequently the specific absorption rate (SAR) in the cell layer.
Fluorescent Molecularly Imprinted Polymers in Sensing of cAMP and cGMP

The cyclic nucleotides are biomolecules taking part in many intracellular processes [1]. Among cyclic nucleotides, 3’,5’-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and 3’,5’-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are particularly important due to their numerous functions. Those cyclic nucleotides have been recognized as crucial second messengers involved in the regulation of physiological processes, such as platelet aggregation, long term potentiating, or blood pressure regulation [2]. Their intracellular activity processes through phosphodiesterases, nucleotide-gated channels and protein kinases [3]. Both cAMP and cGMP plays a relevant role in diseases such as cancer, diabetes and, particularly, in cardiovascular diseases [4]. Since their discovery various approaches have been taken to quantifying cGMP and cAMP in biological samples. Molecular imprinting of polymers is one of the methods used to detect or distinguish between cGMP and cAMP.
Nucleon mass and pion-nucleon sigma term from a chiral analysis of lattice QCD data

We thank Doug Toussaint for making the new MILC data available to us. We are also grateful to Jose M. Alarcon, Michele Della Morte, Jambul Gegelia, Juan Nieves and Vladimir Pascalutsa for useful discussions. The work by L. A. R. , T. L. and M. V. V. has been supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and European FEDER funds under Contracts No. FIS2011-28853-C02-01 and No. FIS2011-28853-C02-02, Generalitat Valenciana under Contract No. PROMETEO/2009/0090 and the EU Hadron-Physics3 project, Grant No. 283286. J. M. C. acknowledges support from the Science Technology and Facilities Council (STFC) under Grant No. ST/J000477/1, the Spanish Government and FEDER funds under Contract No. FIS2011-28853-C0201 and the Grants No. FPA2010-17806 and Fundacion Seneca No. 11871/PI/09.
Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretiminde Sözlü Tarih Yönteminin Kullanımı: Nitel Bir Çalışma

Calismanin temel amaci, Sosyal Bilgiler Ogretim Programi’nin uygulayicilari olan ogretmenlerin sozlu tarih yontemine iliskin goruslerinin incelenip degerlendirilmesidir. Calisma nitel yonteme uygun olarak olgubilim cercevesinde yurutulmustur. Arastirmanin calisma grubunu Rize ilinde ilkokul ve ortaokullarda gorev yapmakta olan 10 sinif ve 10 sosyal bilgiler ogretmeni olusturmaktadir. Veri toplama araci olarak 6 acik uclu sorunun yer aldigi yari yapilandirilmis gorusme formu kullanilmistir. Elde edilen veriler, nitel yonteme uygun olarak betimsel ve icerik analiz teknikleri birlikte kullanilarak analiz edilmistir. Analiz sonucunda ogretmenlerin sozlu tarih yontemi hakkinda yeterli bilgiye sahip olduklari tespit edilmistir. Ogretmenlerin sosyal bilgiler ogretiminde sozlu tarih kullanimina iliskin yanitlari icerik, amac ve yontem kategorilerinde toplanmistir. Ayrica ogretmenler, sozlu tarih yontemin uygulanmasinin ogrenciye bilgi, deger ve beceri kazandirmada faydali olacagini ifade etmislerdir.
Prevalence and Contamination Level of Staphylococcus aureus in Raw Camel Milk and Associated Risk Factors in Jigjiga District, Eastern Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was conducted from August, 2014 to February 2015 aimed to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in raw camel milk and to assess risk factors. The study was conducted on a total of 384 bulk milk samples from three critical points. For this study both laboratory and questionnaire based data were collected. The overall prevalence of S. aureus was found to be 11.45% (44/384). The frequency of isolation of S. aureus varied between sources of sample and ranged from 7-15%. The prevalence of S. aureus was 7.03% (9/128), 11.71% (15/128) and 15% (20/128) from household, primary collection centers and selling sites, respectively. The raw camel milk samples were contaminated and the S. aureus counts markedly variable among samples at different sampling points. Mean S. aureus count was found to be 4.2 × 104 CFU/ml and the mean count of the samples at household was 8.9 × 102 CFU/ml, 9.9 × 103 CFU/ml at primary collection centers and 1.1 × 105 CFU/ml at selling sites. The difference was not statistically significant between the sampling points (p>0.05). In the study area, camel milk is consumed (100%) in its raw state without being subjected to any sort of processing treatment. The outcome of the present results suggests that, the examined raw camel milk samples were produced and handled under poor hygienic conditions with high health risk to the consumers. Consumption of raw camel milk should be of major concern from public health point of view. This study recommends for urgent development and adaptation of feasible and sustainable interventions to improve the camel milk hygiene and safety in study area and to mitigate staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) in the region.
Dealer’s Legitimate Power and Relationship Quality in Gaunxi Distribution Channel: A Social Rule System Theory Perspective

Relative to the volume of research into B2B channel power effects on relationship outcomes and relationship quality in gaunxi distribution channel, individual channel power effects have received much less attention than plodded channel powers. To tackle this imbalance, this study examines the direct effects of dealer’s legitimate power on four dimensions of relationship quality (cooperation, relationship commitment, relationship satisfaction and trust) from the perspective of small and medium enterprise (SME) manufacturers. In order to understand how gaunxi distribution channels operate, social rule system theory is utilized. Four hypothesized relationships are tested with a sample of 400 manufacturing SMEs in Taiwan. The results suggest that dealer’s legitimate power positively influences SME manufacturers’ cooperation, relationship satisfaction, relationship commitment and trust in a significant way. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed and limitations and future research directions are indicated.
SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC : AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Social Networking Sites are a phenomenon of the times. For example, the largest of them, Facebook, has more than 798 million users worldwide. Unfortunately, not much is known about the usage of Social Networking Sites in the European context. This study tries to reduce the gap. The study explores some of the most important questions regarding usage of Social Networking Sites by heavy Internet users in the Czech Republic. Based on an online survey of 640 respondents, the study analyzes the main reasons for using Social Networking Sites, the intensity of this usage, the demographic profile of daily Facebook users, and the users’ perceptions of marketing activities in the environment of Social Networking Sites. The Czech heavy Internet users report that the most important reason to participate on Social Networking Sites is “to be in touch with friends”. Other significant reasons are “planning activities with friends” and “organizing events”. Social Networking Sites have a high marketing potential not only because of the growing usage rate but also because of the relatively low resistance of the users towards marketing activities.
Coroplastic studies: what’s new?

This overview discusses the recent scholarly literature on Greek terracottas of the first millennium BC. Figurative terracottas, once seen as meaningless trinkets, are now given their full meaning through rigorous study and anthropological approaches. Perhaps the most explicit and universal source on the piety of a great number of people, they now contribute decisively to the archaeology of religion, particularly in the field of votive and funerary practices. At the same time, research on figurative terracottas, renewed by a technological approach, reveals a craft that is surprisingly modern in its manufacturing and distribution processes.
A Demo of FPGA Aggressive Voltage Downscaling: Power and Reliability Tradeoffs

The power consumption of digital circuits, e.g., Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), is directly related to their operating supply voltages. On the other hand, usually, chip vendors introduce a conservative voltage guardband below the standard nominal level to ensure the correct functionality of the design in worst-case process and environmental scenarios. For instance, this voltage guardband is empirically measured to be 12%, 20%, and 16% of the nominal level in commercial CPUs [1], Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) [2], and Dynamic RAMs (DRAMs) [3], respectively. However, in many real-world applications, this guardband is extremely conservative and eliminating it can result in significant power savings without any overhead. Motivated by these studies, we aim to extend the undevolting technique to commercial FPGAs. Toward this goal, we will practically demonstrate the voltage guardband for a representative Xilinx FPGA, with a preliminary concentration on on-chip memories, or Block RAMs (BRAMs).
A Study on Pattern of Change in Serum Biochemical Profiles among Pre-Menopausal and Post-Menopausal Women

Aim: To study pattern of change in serum biochemical pro files among Pre-menopausal and postmenopausal women Method: Present study was carried out at Rajindra Hospital Patiala, Punjab. A total of 100 pre-menopausal and 100 post-menopaus al women were participated in the study. Serum calcium and phosphorus level concentration wa s measured by automated analyzer R sults: Serum calcium level was significantly lower in Post -Menopausal women than in Pre-Menopausal women (p-value < 0.0001). Serum Phosphorus level wa s significantly higher in Post-Menopausal women as compared to that in Pre-Menopausal women ( p-value < 0.0001). Conclusion: In PostMenopausal women, there is a drop in serum calcium level and serum phosphorus level significantly raised as compared to Pre-Menopausal women. Sargun Singh Walia Emergency Consultant Columbia Asia Hospital, Patiala(Punjab) India E mail: drsargunsingh@gmail.com Khushpreet Kaur Professor Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Government Medical College, Patiala(Punjab) India Manisha Uttam PhD Researcher Department of Sports science Punjabi University Patiala(Punjab) India
Accumulation Variations of selected heavy metals in Barbus xanthopterus in Karoon and Dez Rivers of Khuzestan, Iran

The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Ni and Hg were determined in gill, liver and muscle of Barbus xanthopterus in down streams of Karoon and Dez Rivers during summer 2009. Heavy metal concentrations varied significantly, depending on the types of the tissue in fish species. The levels of heavy metals such as Cd, Pb, Ni and Hg in the Barbus xanthopterus of Karoon River were higher than in Barbus xanthopterus of Dez River (P liver>muscle. The concentration of Hg in Karoon River was in the sequence liver> gill> muscle but, in Dez River, it was in the sequence liver> muscle > gill. Among heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni and Hg), the accumulation of Pb was more than other heavy metals in fish (P<0.05). In both rivers, the accumulation of heavy metals in muscle of fish was higher than the world health organization (WHO) standard.