Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breast meat quality of chickens with divergent growth rates and its relation to growth curve parameters

Abstract. The effects of the increase of body weight of contemporary broilers during growth on functional meat quality and color characteristics of the chicken breast muscle are controversially debated. Therefore, male chickens (n = 264) of a fast-growing commercial broiler (Ross 308) and two slow-growing experimental meat-type chicken lines were compared at equal age and at similar body weight in order to investigate the effect of growth rate on selected functional breast meat traits and meat color. Additionally, the breast meat characteristics of birds with different growth profiles were compared within lines. When the body weight of commercial broilers reached about 40 to 60 % of their growth potential, they exhibited particularly high ultimate pH values compared with slow-growing lines. The ability of the meat of fast-growing broilers to retain water during cooking was impaired (5 to 16 percentage points increased cooking loss compared to slow-growing lines), which, in contrast to pH, was only marginally affected by body weight and/or age at slaughter. No unfavorable correlations of breast meat quality traits with the growth profile, represented by growth curve parameters derived from the Gompertz–Laird equation, were detected within any of the investigated chicken lines. It is noteworthy that the associations of ultimate pH and cooking loss with maximum growth speed indicate a non-linear relationship. Thus, some of the functional characteristics of breast meat of the fast-growing broiler resembled the white-striping defect described for poultry meat, but the hypothesis that selection on increased growth rates is detrimental for meat quality per se could not be confirmed. In fact, an elevated growth potential in particular, i.e., body weight at maturity, could have some beneficial effects for the water-holding capacity of breast meat, regardless of the genotypic growth rate.
X-ray and charged particle detection with CsI(Tl) layer coupled to a Si:H photodiode layers

A compact real-time X-ray and charged-particle imager with digitized position output can be built either by coupling a fast scintillator to a photodiode array or by forming one on a photodiode array directly. CsI(Tl) layers 100-1000- mu m thick were evaporated on glass substrates from a crystal CsI(Tl). When coupled to a crystalline Si or amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photodiode and exposed to calibrated X-ray pulses, their light yields and speed were found to be comparable to those of a crystal CsI(Tl). Single beta particle detection was demonstrated with this combination. The light spread inside evaporated CsI(Tl) was suppressed by its columnar structure. Scintillation detection gives much larger signals than direct X-ray detection due to the increased energy deposition in the detector material. Fabrication of monolithic-type X-ray sensors consisting of CsI+a-Si:H photodiodes is discussed. >
Allelopathic Effects of Cool-season Turfgrass Mixture Clipping Extract on Four Weed Species and Detection of the Phenolic Compounds

In order to determine aqueous extract effects of cool-season turfgrass mixture clipping on germination and seedling growth of four weed species, laboratory and outdoor pot experiments were done at the experimental laboratory and greenhouse of the Doroud Parks and Landscape Organization, located in Doroud, Lorestan, Iran. The first factor was the concentration of sport turfgrass clipping extract (5, 10, 15, 20, 25% and 10, 25, 50, 75% (w/v) at laboratory and outdoor pot experiments, respectively) and the second factor was the type of weeds [dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), plantain (Plantago major), prostrate pigweed (Amaranthus blitoides) and common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)]. A. blitoides was the most sensitive in both experiments. In both of the experiments, roots were more susceptible than shoots. For identifying phenolic acids, gas chromatography mass analysis displayed that this extract contained trans-cinnamic acid, 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, gentisic acid, protocatechuic acid and ferulic acid. The results demonstrated that sport turfgrass clipping extracts have an inhibitory property on germination and initial seedling growth of noxious weed species and could be potentially used as preemergence bioherbicide.
Business Cycles and Comovement in Mediterranean Economies : A National and Areawide Perspective

This paper analyzes business cycle characteristics for a sample of eleven European, Middle East, and North African (MENA) economies in the Mediterranean region. Our frequency domain approach allows for the estimation of time-dependent spectral measures for different ranges of potential cycle length. To address the issue of synchronization, we decompose the variance for different frequency bands into an explained and an unexplained part and distinguish between in-phase and out-of-phase movements. By plotting our measures against time, we analyze changes in the similarity of the business cycle structure, as well as changes in comovement. We find (1) differences of business cycles across, and (2) changes of comovement over, the observation period between the European economies, on one hand, and the MENA economies, on the other.
Fiscal Policy, Labour Productivity Growth and Convergence between Agriculture and Manufacturing: Implications for Poverty Reduction in Cameroon

This paper examines the factors that drive labour productivity convergence between agriculture and manufacturing activities in Cameroon over 1969-2005. It is supposed that whenever one sector grows in terms of labour productivity it will also bring benefit to other industries. For instance, agriculture plays a significant role in reducing poverty. The bulk of the poor are engaged in agriculture and so an increase in agricultural productivity has a significant potential for reducing such poverty. Our findings indicate that while government spending on education, health, and road infrastructures promotes convergence, agricultural spending reinforces inequality in sectoral labour productivity by disproportionately increasing non-agricultural sector productivity. Furthermore, increases in manufacturing and service productivity levels both have a positive impact on agricultural productivity in the long-run, with manufacturing equally contributing in the short-run.
An inquiry into socio-historical factors contributing to poverty within the Early Church in Palestine

This article seeks to investigate the root causes of poverty in the early Christian community.The view that is put forward and argued in this article is that poverty was widespread in early Christianity with particular reference to the converted Jews in Palestine. This was the result of socio-historical factors, namely the Israelites’ contact with Canaanites during the conquest,and the implementation of the secular leadership paradigm derived from those paga n nations around Israel, which led to their subjugation under the oppressive and exploitative and economic structures of the Roman Empire. For that reason many believers, newly converted Jews, at that time were destitute and impoverished as they belonged to the lower classes in society. In spite of this state of affairs, the early Christians in Jerusalem seemed to have faced the challenges of poverty with a measure of success as can be attested by the statement ‘for there was no needy person amongst them …’ (Ac 4:34). ’n Ondersoek na sosio-historiese faktore wat tot armoede binne die vroee Christelikekerk in Palestina bygedra het. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die grondoorsake van armoede in die vroee Christelike gemeenskap te ondersoek met spesifieke verwysing na die bekeerde Jode in Palestina. Die standpunt wat in hierdie artikel gestel en beredeneer word, is dat armoede algemeen in die vroee Christendom voorgekom het. Dit was as gevolg van verskeie sosio-historiese faktore, waaronder die Israeliete se kontak met die Kanaaniete na die inname, asook die instelling van die sekulere paradigma oor leierskap wat Israel aan die naburige heidennasies ontleen het en wat op hulle verknegting onder die Romeinse Ryk se onderdrukkende en uitbuitende strukture uitgeloop het. ’n Groot aantal gelowiges, bekeerde Jode, was in daardie tyd behoeftig en armoedig omdat hulle deel van die laer klasse in die samelewing was. Tog, ten spyte van hierdie omstandighede, het die vroee Christene in Jerusalem klaarblyklik die uitdaging van armoede met ’n mate van sukses gehanteer, soos die stelling getuig: ‘Nie een van hulle het gebrek gely nie …’ (Hand 4:34).
Comparative studies on the in vitro antioxidant properties of methanolic and hydro-ethanolic leafy extracts from eight edible leafy vegetables of Ghana

Epidemiological studies indicate that consumption of fruits and vegetables has the ability to inhibit the damaging activities of free radicals in the human body. Eight edible leafy vegetables of Ghana namely: Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Hibiscus Sabdariffa, Solanum macrocarpon, Talinum triangulare, Corchorus olitorius, Laportea aestuans, Ipomoea batatas, and Amaranthus cruentus were assessed for their antioxidant properties. The experimental results indicate that hydro-ethanol is an effective solvent for extracting the phytoconstituents of the leafy vegetables. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total phenol content (TPC) in the methanol extracts (METE) and hydro-ethanol extracts (HETE) from the selected leafy vegetables within the measured concentration range (0.1 - 3.0 mg/ml) decreased in the order X. sagittifolium > I. batatas > L. aestuans > T. Triangulare > H. Sabdariffa > C. olitorius > S. macrocarpon > A. cruentus . A high and positive correlation was observed between TPC and TAC in both the METE and HETE from all the selected leafy vegetables. The selected leafy vegetables showed strong antioxidant properties with respect to their free radical scavenging activity and Fe 3+ reduction ability with hydro-ethanol extracts indicating higher antioxidant potential compared with their respective methanol extracts. Key words : Hydro-ethanol extract, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, total antioxidant capacity, reducing power, edible leafy vegetables.
Prevalence and risk factors of dental caries among school children from a low socio economic locality in Mumbai, India

Objective: Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases among school going children and its prevalence is multifactorial. Only sporadic data is available on the oral health condition in different states in India. In a metropolitan city like Mumbai, no systematic assessment on the oral health problems is available, especially among the children belonging to low socio-economic class, studying in municipal schools. Hence the current study was planned to assess the prevalence of dental caries and its relation with various oral hygiene practices among the children studying in (V-VII Std.) suburban municipal school and predominantly from a low socio-economic area, located in the field practice area of a teaching medical college. Method: The present cross sectional study was conducted among 299 school children of the age 9 to 13 years using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire for face to face interview followed by oral examination by trained dental experts. Results: The prevalence of dental caries was found to be 78.3%, higher among 10-11 years and among boys. Mean DMFT index was found to be 1.94±1.70. Statistically significant association was found among the oral hygiene practices and dental caries for daily brushing (p<0.001), rinsing mouth after meals (p<0.0001) and frequency of sweets consumption (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The high prevalence of dental caries warrants an urgent need for inculcating better oral hygiene practices among school children through active involvement of parents and teachers.
CloudFlow - An Infrastructure for Engineering Workflows in the Cloud

—In this paper, we present a framework for easy integration of existing software solutions in a cloud environment. We aim to allow software providers to offer their products in the Cloud through a common web portal. Central in the framework is workﬂows, where independent software solutions can be chained together to solve the users tasks in a uniﬁed way. One of the main challenges addressed here, is facilitating workﬂows spanning multiple software vendors and cloud solutions. The framework is validated by a range of experiments, consisting of both software vendors and end users, from the context of manufacturing industries, and offer unique and ubiquitous access to integrated workﬂows.
Accuracy of genomic predictions for carcass and meat quality traits in the Uruguayan Hereford breed

Genomic selection provides the opportunity of genetic improvement of difficult-to-measure traits, such as carcass and meat traits. This study investigated the accuracies of genomic predictions of carcass and meat quality traits in Hereford with an initial training population of 747 steers. Hot carcass weights, rib eye areas and subcutaneous, fat depths were recorded in commercial slaughterhouses, as well as, the left pistola cut weight and retail product. Shear force and intramuscular fat content were measured in the Longissumus dorsi. Animals were genotyped with GGP HD80K, GGP HD150K or Illumina Bovine HD and were imputed to the highest density, with a total of 601,399 SNPs used in the study. Accuracies of GEBV predicted by GBLUP were assessed by four-fold cross-validation using k-means and random clustering. Average accuracies were of 0.35 and 0.24 for random and k-means crossvalidations, respectively. Differences between clustering methods were expected given the differences in genomic relationships between validation and training populations. There was a trend of increased accuracy with increasing genomic heritability estimates, which were of moderate magnitude. Although the magnitudes of estimated accuracies are encouraging, costeffective strategies for increasing training populations, such as national platforms connecting traceability and electronic post-slaughter data recording systems and international training populations should be investigated
Prevalence and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Campylobacter species Isolated From Chicken and Beef Meat

Background: To study prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in chicken and beef meat, and determine the drug susceptibility of strains, 450 samples in Tehran, Iran were investigated. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and the antimicrobial resistance of entropathogenic Campylobacter strains, especially C. jejuni isolated from raw chicken and beef meat in Tehran- Iran. Materials and Methods: Out of 250 chickens and 200 beef meats, 121(26.8 %) contaminated cases with Campylobacter strains were isolated. Campylobacter was isolated from a significantly larger number of chickens (44%) than beef meats (5.5 %) (P < 0.05). Results: From all isolated Campylobacter organisms, 93 (76.8%) species were identified as C. jejuni and 28 cases (23.1%) as C. coli. Susceptibilities of 121 strains (93 C. jejuni and 28 C. coli) were determined against 12 antimicrobial drugs using the disk agar diffusion method. Resistance to nalidixic acid (75%) and ciprofloxacin (50%) was an alarming finding, moreover, 32.6% of isolates was resistant to tetracycline, 10.8% to ampicillin, 29.3% to colisitin and 26.1% to amoxicillin. The highest sensitivity was seen to erythromycin (95 %) and gentamicin (96%). Conclusions: These results showed that a high proportion of chicken and beef meat in Iran is contaminated with Campylobacter, particularly with Campylobacter jejuni. The high rate of contamination, especially chicken is a significant public health concern. Most of the isolates were resistant; therefore, human infection with Campylobacter spp. via consumption of these products is possible.
Simulation of distant tsunami propagation with a radial loading deformation effect

A simple parameterization of the loading deformation of the seafloor is incorporated into a tsunami simulation model in order to realistically calculate tsunami travel time, especially at regions far from the source. The parameterization uses one scalar parameter that is optimized effectively by far-field, deep-sea records of recent giant tsunamis: the 2011 Tohoku and the 2010 Chilean tsunamis. Using this parameterization with the optimal values, the observed tsunamis are realistically simulated in both near and far fields. The optimal values seem equivalent for both giant tsunamis, and are relatively smaller than those previously verified for ocean tide modeling, which is reasonable because of the shorter wavelengths of tsunamis.
What Do Field Experiments of Discrimination in Markets Tell Us? A Meta Analysis of Studies Conducted Since 2000

Sixty-seven field experiments of discrimination in markets conducted since 2000 across seventeen countries were surveyed. Significant and persistent discrimination was found on all bases in all markets. High levels of discrimination were recorded against ethnic groups, older workers, men applying to female-dominated jobs and homosexuals in labour markets. Minority applicants for housing needed to make many more enquiries to view properties. Geographical steering of African-Americans in US housing remained significant. Higher prices were quoted to minority applicants buying products. More information made no significant improvement to minority applicant outcomes. Clear evidence of statistical discrimination was found only in product markets.
Perceived overqualification and withdrawal behaviours: Examining the roles of job attitudes and work values

The current study examined a moderated mediation model of perceived overqualification and job search, with job attitudes as mediators and the competence and growth work value as a moderator. We also hypothesized a positive relationship between overqualification and actual voluntary turnover behaviour. College graduates from diverse occupations completed two surveys spaced 6 months apart ( n = 368). Results suggested that perceived overqualification at Time 1 led to active job search behaviour at Time 2, both directly and through job satisfaction. The direct link was moderated by work values, such that the overqualification-job search relationship was stronger for employees who highly valued work which offered skill utilization and growth. Perceived overqualification was also predictive of voluntary turnover behaviour; those at the high end of the overqualification scale were over four times more likely to have left their position than those at the low end of the scale. Finally, those who left their original positions reported less overqualification in their new positions. The current findings extend the limited existing literature by establishing relationships between overqualification and withdrawal behaviours 6 months later, and also providing evidence that individual differences may influence reactions to being overqualified. Practitioner points The current study found that employees who feel overqualified were more likely to be searching for a new job 6 months later, especially among those who strongly value work that utilizes their skills. Perceived overqualification was also linked to future actual turnover behaviour. Thus, organizations stand to potentially lose talented employees if they feel underutilized and underchallenged in their jobs. , These trends are particularly true of employees who strongly desire work that takes advantage of their talents, suggesting that the most ambitious employees are likely to seek alternate employment if they feel underutilized. , To retain these employees, supervisors first need to identify employees who might be feeling overqualified and underutilized, as these perceptions may or may not line up with 'objective' overqualification. The supervisor can then consider ways to empower the employee through increased involvement in decision-making or offering more advanced job assignments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Contextualización de los roles periodísticos cívicos y del perro guardián: reevaluación del desempeño del rol periodístico en los periódicos estadounidenses

This study examines the two dominant U.S. journalism models—the watchdog and civic-oriented professional performance—in the after math of the economic crises. The study, based on a content analysis of 1,421 news stories published by five national U.S. dailies, measures journalists’ role conception through a content analysis of newspaper articles, examining the concept of journalistic role performance. The findings indicate different contextualizations of the two roles: The civic journalism performance was mostly found in stories dealing with issues such as human rights, demonstrations, and religion. The watchdog model was found in stories dealing with religion as well, but was found more frequently than the civic model in stories covering the government, police and crime. While the overall results indicate shifting roles of journalists toward a more civic approach, the traditional watchdog role remains important in covering politics. The roles journalists perform and their implications for U.S. news coverage are discussed. doi: 10.5294/pacla.2016. 19.4. 6
Key factors that influence engineering students' academic success: a longitudinal study

The aim of this longitudinal research was to identify the key predictors of academic success for 66 on-campus students enrolled in first-year engineering programs at USQ in 2004. In this paper, the relationships between cognitive abilities, personality, and previous educational experience, and academic success are examined. Other variables measured in the test battery are not analysed here. The initial findings as reported in Burton and Dowling (2005) and Dowling and Burton (2005) indicated that the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) rank was the most significant factor in predicting academic success for engineering students in their first year of study. Interestingly, the Extroversion personality trait also proved to be important. This paper will report on the results of the longitudinal study which concluded when the students had completed four years of study in 2007. It will also briefly outline other longitudinal research currently underway with a cohort of distance students.
Audit Committee Composition, Compensation Committee Composition, and Compensation Transparency

The increase in executive and director compensation in recent years has resulted in increased scrutiny of corporate compensation practices. Similarly, a recent survey indicates that 75 percent of directors and 75 percent of institutional investors believe that the manner in which executive pay is determined in the US is damaging to the image of corporate America (Perkins 2008). Investors, regulators, and other stakeholders have called on firms to provide greater transparency concerning these practices. My results from a sample of US firms indicate that compensation committee composition plays a greater role in the transparency of compensation practices than does audit committee composition. In addition, the independence of committee members is more important than their financial expertise. Investors, regulators, and other stakeholders outside of the US looking to increase the transparency of corporate compensation practices should look to increase the independence of compensation committees as one possible way to increase the transparency of corporate compensation practices.