Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the results from induced breeding of European catfish (Silurus glanis L.) broodstock reared in an intensive system or in pond conditions.

European catfish, Silurus glanis, is an important species for aquaculture in temperate climates. At present, its production relies mainly on pond culture. However, European catfish could be a promising candidate for intensive aquaculture since it has a high growth rate on commercial diet, is resistant to handling and has relatively low requirement for water quality. In this study we compared the results from induced breeding of European catfish broodstock reared in an intensive system or in a pond environment. Induced breeding experiments were conducted in two consecutive spawning seasons using European catfish broodstocks with different origins. One broodstock was cultured in an intensive system, while the other was reared in artificial pond conditions. One day before the experiments, fish were transferred to the hatchery and placed in 4.0 m polypropylene tanks with running water. One experimental group contained fish cultured in an intensive system, while the other consisted of fish reared in pond conditions. Fish in both groups received an injection of dry carp pituitary administered in 0.7% NaCl at a dose of 4.0 mg kg body weight. Assessment of ovulation was carried out by determining the ovulation ratio (number of ovulated females / number injected) and by the pseudo-gonadosomatic index (PGSI) calculated as follows: (weight of stripped egg mass / body weight of the female before stripping)  100. When ovulation was detected, the eggs were stripped and weighed. Fertilization rate of the eggs was used as a parameter for egg quality. In both spawning seasons, five out of six females reared in pond conditions ovulated after the treatment, while pituitary injection induced ovulation in all females cultured in an intensive system. Mean fertilization rates for the two groups were high and statistically similar in both seasons (P>0.05). The mean PGSI values, however, were significantly higher (P<0.05) for the females cultured in the intensive system in both seasons. In conclusion, this study shows that European catfish females reared in intensive conditions from larval stage to maturity at constant temperature of 21.0±1.0°C can be induced to ovulate by pituitary injection. The reason for the high relative fecundity of these females was probably the constant temperature that secured continuous ovarian development all year round. Results from the propagation of fish reared in pond conditions were similar to those from hatchery breeding of European catfish that has been carried out routinely for years.
Análise multivariada de atributos microbiológicos e químicos do solo em florestas com Araucaria angustifolia

Araucaria angustifolia is an endangered tree species in Brazil and little is known about the soil attributes of these pine forests. This study was carried out to identify differences between natural and reforested Araucaria areas, in terms of soil microbiological and chemical attributes, with multivariate canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA). The studied areas included: 1. native forest with Araucaria (NF); 2. Araucaria reforestation (R); 3. Araucaria reforestation burnt by an accidental fire (RF); and 4. native grass pasture with native Araucaria and burnt by an intense accidental fire (NPF). In each area, 15 pine trees were selected and three soil samples collected from under each tree crown, in three different seasons. The CDA was applied to the soil microbiological attributes: carbon of microbial biomass (CMB), basal respiration (C-CO2) and metabolic quotient (qCO2), while CCA was performed with the soil microbiological and soil chemical attributes [pH (CaCl2), total organic carbon (TOC), and the contents of P, K, Ca, Mg, and H+Al]. The canonical correlation between soil microbiological and chemical attributes was highly significant, with a higher contribution of CMB and C-CO2 to the microbiological attributes, and of TOC and P to the chemical attributes. The CCA indicated that the variation of the chemical attributes can explain 52 % of the total data variability of the microbiological attributes, and the soil microbiological attributes of the areas 36 % of the total data variability of the chemical attributes. The CDA suggested that the contribution of each microbiological attribute to the discrimination of the areas was season-dependent, and discriminated CMB as the most important microbiological indicator, followed by C-CO2. The tools CCA and CDA proved to be essential in the study of soil quality indicators.
Effect of Dietary Fishmeal on Cell-Mediated Immune Response of Laying Hens

In this study, we examined the role of different amounts of dietary fishmeal, a component of chicken diet on cell-mediated immune response of chickens. Forty eight laying white Leghorn chickens were randomly divided into 4 groups and fed diets containing 0, 1.5, 3 or 6% fish-meal. Six chickens from each dietary group were euthanized 3 and 9 weeks later and the spleens were removed to isolate cells and assess immune response. Mitogenic response was determined by H-thymidine incorporation and the cell 3 subsets were established by flow cytometry. Three weeks of dietary treatment had no impact on Concanavalin A (Con A) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA) induced proliferation or cell subsets of splenic lymphocytes. However, 9 weeks post dietary treatment PHA-induced proliferation and CD4 cell population were elevated in 3% fishmeal fed hens compared to those fed the control (0% fishmeal) diet. Our results suggest that a moderate increase in dietary fish-meal may enhance the immune response in laying hens. This may prove useful in infections in which cell-mediated immunity plays a role.
The Effects of L 2 Experience and Vowel Context on the Perceptual Assimilation of English Fricatives by L 2 Thai Learners

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of vowel context and language experience in the perceived similarity between L2 English fricatives and Thai sounds. The target English sounds being investigated were the sounds /v, f, w, θ, th, s, ð, d, z, ʃ, t͡ʃ/. These sounds were elicited from four native English speakers in words in onset position and followed by three vowel contexts: high, low and back. Subjects were 54 Thai students divided into two groups: English-major and non-English-major. These Thai learners were asked to identify the sounds they heard with the Thai sounds that were closest in their perception. The findings showed that 1) all shared sounds were matched with the same L1 categories, suggesting that the existence of L2 sounds in the L1 sound system supports the perception; 2) most non-shared sounds, except English /θ/ were matched to Thai sounds that were suggested in previous literature; 3) the perceived similarity of English /θ/ and the L1 Thai sounds showed the effect of the vowel context in that this sound was mostly matched with Thai /f/ in the high and low vowel contexts whereas in the back vowel context, it was matched with Thai /s/; 4) the perceived similarities of both shared and non-shared sounds were affected by vowel context and language experience. The findings of this study shed light on the importance exploring perceived similarities and differences in the phonetic level rather than the phonological one.
Tourism Commodity Chains: Market Entry and its Effects on St Lucia

Tour operators have received considerable attention as gatekeepers of the tourism system. Corporate changes in the European package tourism industry via mergers and acquisitions have resulted in horizontal as well as vertical integration, with the modification of relationships within the tourism system. This paper examines the structural organisation of UK package tourism by analysing the Commodity Chain to St Lucia. First, it considers the commodification process of tourism and the range of commodification, before turning to a macro-level analysis of the tourism system following the vertical assembly of the tourism product. Finally, the paper underlines the additional importance of intra-nodal relationships. Specific circumstances, as exemplified by the market entry of the Virgin Travel Group, can lead to the amplification of pre-existing governance structures.
Application of Electrical Resistance in Nondestructive Postharvest Quality Evaluation of Apple Fruit

Nondestructive physical tests can be considered as recent trends for quality evaluation of agricultural products. Required information on postharvest quality of fruits and vegetables makes it possible to use their electrical properties as a novel method for nondestructive quality evaluation purposes. In this study, the electrical resistance of harvested apple fruits (Golden Delicious variety) was nondestructively measured by developing and employing special plate electrodes using a load cell to adjust the force holding the samples between two electrodes. Electrical resistance measurements were performed at two frequencies; 120 Hz and 1 kHz. Precise fruit weight was also measured along with electrical resistance measurements. The relationship between the electrical resistance and the weight loss was investigated during the storage period. The experiment ran for a total of 24 days. Results showed that in the 15 initial days of experiment, the electrical resistance decreased by increasing the storage period. But with further increase in the storage period, the electrical resistance also increased. The loss of the fruit moisture content, during the early stage of storage, may be attributed to the decrease of the fruit electrical resistance. However, as the stored apples lost more moisture, the concentration of ions, in soft tissues of samples, highly increased and this could be responsible for the increase of apple electrical resistance during the final days of the experiment.
ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS AND CARBON STOCK ESTIMATION USING DOUBLE SAMPLING APPROACH AND REMOTELY- SENSED DATA

Tropical forest embraces a large stock of carbon and contributes to the enormous amount of aboveground biomass (AGB) in the global carbon cycle. In order to quantify the carbon inventory, field data is vital for accurately determining the forest parameter such as diameter at the breast height (DBH), height of the tree (h) ,crown diameter (CD) and tree species. The merging of the multi-sensory remote sensing which is LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and very high resolution satellite imagery can reduce the labor intensive of field sampling for a large area of carbon inventory data. Double sampling approach which is combination of the field sampling plot measurement with ancillary remote sensing data used to improve the precision of AGB estimation compared by using field data alone. Hence, this study aims: (1) to describe the use of field data plots in a statistical way, and (2) to determine the potential of LiDAR data in a double sampling forest aboveground biomass and carbon stock inventories and (3) to compare the used of field data plot itself or combination with LiDAR data to quantify the aboveground biomass and carbon stock for upcoming inventories.
The Effects of Investor Sentiment on Speculative Trading and Prices of Stock and Index Options

We find that the demand for stock option positions that increase exposure to the underlying is positively related to measures of investor sentiment and past market returns, while the demand for index options is invariant to these factors. These differences in trading patterns are reflected in differences in the composition of traders in the different types of options -- Options on stocks are actively traded by individual investors, while trades in index options are more often motivated by hedging demands of sophisticated investors. Consistent with a demand based view of option pricing, we find that sentiment is related to time-series variation in the slope of the implied volatility smile of stock options, but has little impact on the prices of index options. The pricing impact is more pronounced in options with a higher concentration of unsophisticated investors and in options with higher hedging costs. Our results provide new evidence factors not related to fundamentals affect price of securities actively traded by noise traders.
Teacher characteristics and student performance in India: A pupil fixed effects approach

This paper exploits unique data that permits the matching of students` test scores in different subjects to the teachers that teach those subjects. Within-pupil (across-subject, rather than across-time) variation is used to examine whether the characteristics of different subject teachers are related to a students` marks across subjects. There are four main contributions. Firstly the findings, using a credible methodology for identification, give only modest grounds for optimism about the effects of teacher policies. A teacher`s possession of Masters level qualification and pre-service training have well identified but small effects on student achievement. While a teacher`s union membership strongly reduces pupil achievement, union membership is typically not a policy variable. The bulk of the variation in student achievement is a school fixed effect and observed school characteristics explain less than 30% of this fixed effect. The second main contribution of the paper is to highlight the importance of `controlling for` the non-random matching of students to schools and teachers. The finding that within-pupil effects of many teacher variables differ very significantly from the across school effects indicates that much of the extant achievement production function literature - which perforce relies on across school estimation - leads to incorrect inferences because it confounds the effect of unobserved school and pupil heterogeneity with the effect of teacher characteristics. This underlines the importance of finding credible sources of within school and preferably within-student variation in future research. Thirdly, the paper showcases the use of an across-subject estimator of the achievement production function which is similar to the more familiar panel data approach but which circumvents the problem of non-random attrition of students/teachers over time and the problem of non-random matching of students to teachers, and which permits the identification of teacher effects in cross-section data that are readily available. Finally, a school fixed effects equation of teacher pay shows that while teacher compensation is efficient in some respects, i.e. teachers are rewarded for characteristics that raise student achievement, it is not so in other respects. In particular, union membership is substantially rewarded when in fact it is associated with signficantly lower student achievement, raising the question whether teachers` right to unionize pits teacher interests against student interests.
Victimization and attitudes towards woman abuse of impoverished minority women

There has been virtually no research on the linkages between poor minority women’s attitudes toward woman abuse and their experiences of mistreatment. In this article, this relationship is explored for 144 women from three racial groups living in public housing in a Minnesota city. One unique aspect of the study is the inclusion of Hmong women, members of a group originally from several areas of Southeast Asia, and about whom little is known. Generally, while there were no differences between groups, and a few within the Black or White groups, Hmong women who agreed with male privilege were five times more likely to be abused than other Hmong women, while Hmong women who disagreed with statements approving of male aggression in certain specific situations were only one third as likely to be abused. The results suggest that while rates of abuse among minority poor women are profound, agreement with certain patriarchal norms that may validate abuse varies considerably, and may have different consequences for different ethnic groups. Further research examining potential reasons for these variations is needed if policy makers and practitioners are to adequately address these women’s experiences of abuse.
Depression among patients undergoing hemodialysis; a narrative review

Psychological problems such as negatively affect quality of life in hemodialysis patients and their response to treatment. In present study we reviewed prevalence of depression among Iranian end-stage renal diseases patients who were under hemodialysis. A narrative review of the literature was undertaken between May 2016 and July 2016, which involved searching several electronic sources including Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Elsevier, Web of Knowledge, EMBASE, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, IranMedex, Scientific Information Database, ISC, Google, Google Scholar and Yahoo. The following keywords were used; chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, psychological issue, depression, dialysis, hemodialysis, renal replacement therapy, patients, Iran. We included 15 studies for this review. Most studies included in present study used self-reported questionnaire to measuring depression. According to finding of present study, depression prevalence was between 39.2% and 90.2%. Depression has several adverse effects on end-stage renal disease patients. Present review study revealed that depression is common among Iranian hemodialysis patients. All healthcare workers should be aware of this and planed for prevention and management. Core tip When a patient needs maintenance hemodialysis therapy, level of physical, mental, social and financial stress may increase significantly, leading to an increased chance of depression development. Present review study revealed that depression is common among Iranian hemodialysis patients. This common mental disorder may negatively effect on the quality of life in patients and their response to treatment. It is important that all the patients on maintenance hemodialysis be frequently screened for signs and symptoms of psychiatric disorders such as depression. Citation: Mazroie Sebdani A, Pourhossein Alamdary M, Abdollahpour N. Depression among patients undergoing hemodialysis; a narrative review. J Prev Epidemiol. 2018;3(1):e09. DOI: 10.15171/jpe.2018. 04.
Challenges for the Evaluation of the P.I.P.P.I. - Programme of Intervention for Prevention of Institutionalisation: between Partecipative and Experimental Pathways

Evaluation is constantly requested by governments and decisionmakers, to prove that social policies and actions undertaken are effective in responding to problems. Also, programmes contrasting child neglect are involved in such request to guarantee that children enjoy their childhood and ensure access to quality service. This paper focuses on an Italian evaluation experience of such a programme, thanks to the collaboration between University of Padua and Italian Ministry of Welfare. It is called P.I. P.P.I. Programme of Intervention for Prevention of Institutionalisation. The paper questioned and challenged the experimental designs normally used for these evaluation purposes, highlighting how knowledge of effective treatments is far from the practices delivered. The study purposes an innovative evaluation path, intertwining the participative evaluation where the professionals build their own knowledge through an evaluation in the field, with the choice of matching as (quasi) experimental evaluation, responding to the Government’s request of effective investments.
Genetic diversity and admixture in three native draught horse breeds assessed using microsatellite markers

Vostrá-Vydrová H. , Vostrý L. , Hofmanová B. , Moravčíková N. , Veselá Z. , Vrtková I. , Novotná A. , Kasarda R. (2018): Genetic diversity and admixture in three native draught horse breeds assessed using microsatellite markers. Czech J. Anim. Sci., 63, 85–93. In this study, we aimed to estimate and compare genetic diversity of two native draught horse breeds and check the possible influence of Noriker breed population on these native breeds. Genetic analyses of relationships and admixture were performed in two native endangered draught horse populations (Silesian Noriker and Czech-Moravian Belgian horses) and one open breed (Noriker). Totally 104 alleles from 13 microsatellite loci were detected in 1298 horses. The average number of alleles per locus was the highest in the Czech-Moravian Belgian horse (7.62) and the lowest in the Silesian Noriker (7.31), the differences were non-significant, whereas the observed and expected heterozygosities per breed ranged from 0.680 (Czech-Moravian Belgian) to 0.719 (Noriker) and from 0.678 (Silesian Noriker) to 0.714 (Noriker). The estimates of Wright’s FST between each pair of breeds indicated a low level of genetic segregation. At the individual level across the analyzed population, formation of two clusters was observed with respect to historical breed development. Moreover, the membership probability outputs showed that the frequencies of alleles varied across the two main regions represented by the Czech-Moravian Belgian and other analyzed breeds. Our results indicated high genetic variability, low inbreeding, and low genetic differentiation, especially between Silesian Noriker and Noriker, which is caused by the high level of admixture. This high level of admixture was in accordance with geographical location, history, and breeding practices of the analyzed breeds. The Silesian Noriker and Noriker breeds seem to be the most genetically related and the decision to consider them as the same population is thus highly supported. The study provides data and information utilizable in the management of conservation programs planned to reduce inbreeding and to minimize loss of genetic variability.
Gravitational Lensing Described by Its Electromagnetic Processes

In the present paper, gravitational lensing is described as the electromagnetic influence from gravity waves on light waves. Previous reports have described the dynamic electromagnetic processes of the atom, the photon and gravity. Results from these reports have been compiled into a theoretical model. The theoretical model describes the mechanism which results in gravitational lensing. The study also displays how the electromagnetic characteristics of gravity waves and light waves and the mechanism creating gravitational lensing are measured.
The Effect of Vowel-Recognition Training on Beginner and Advanced Iranian ESL Learners

This study was an attempt to investigate the effect of vowelrecognition training on beginner and advanced Iranian ESL learners. A total of 36 adult Iranian ESL learners (18 advanced and 18 beginners) who were students of various majors at Memorial University (MUN) were recruited for the study. Advanced participants had the experience of living in Canada for at least three years while beginners had lived in Canada less than six months. The study commenced with a pre-test to verify the participants’ awareness of English vowel sounds. Predictably, advanced participants were superior to beginners in terms of English vowel awareness. After the pretest administration, participants of both groups underwent a five-week vowel-recognition training course (focusing on all English vowel sounds). At the end of the vowel-recognition training program, the 80-item multiple choice test which had been once used as the pre-test was conducted again. The findings revealed that both beginner and advanced participants’ performance was improved on the second administration of vowel-identification test due to the intensive vowel-recognition training program. It is also revealed that formal instruction of English vowels had raised the beginners’ English phonetic knowledge to that of advanced learners. Moreover, it was shown that phonology of the participants’ first language (i.e. Farsi) did have an impact on the acquisition of second language phonological features.