Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation on the Effect of Adding Different Levels

According to 2015 data, approximately, 25-35 thousand tons of fresh pistachio by-product was obtained from the processing of 144000 tons of pistachio produced in Turkey, one of the top 5 countries in production of pistachio (TUIK, 2013). Utilization of pistachio by-product as a roughage source will prevent pollution as well as converting a waste product to a new income source (Vahmani et al. 2006). Nutrient content of this by-products obtained from the processing of pistachio depends on varieties, harvesting time, processing method, leave and stem content. It contains 9-12% crude protein, 21-26% acid detergent fibre (ADF) and 32-37% neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (Bagheripour et al. 2008; Valizadeh et al. 2009; Mokhtarpour et al. 2012). The cheapest and most effective way to store the low dry matter by-product is to ensile it (Mokhtarpour et al. 2012). Shakeri et al. (2014) reported that the silage of pistachio by-products without additive gives high quality silage, and addition of 12% pistachio byproduct silage to the total ration of male calves had no adverse effect. The tannin content in the pistachio by-products may vary due to variety, harvesting time, processing method, and geographic conditions (Bohluli et al. 2007). In some studies, tannins reduced the cellulolytic bacterial level and ruminal methane production (Bhatta et al. 2009; Goel and Makkar, 2012). This study was performed to investigate the possible utilization of fresh pistachio by-product, The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of adding different levels of molasses (1-5%) on the silage quality, in vitro methane production and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of pistachio (Pistachio vera) by-product and wheat straw mixture silages. For this purpose, silages were prepared with pistachio by-product (85%) and wheat straw (15%) without molasses (control group), and with addition of molasses from 1% to 5% (treatment groups). All the treatments consisted of five replicate silos, and they were prepared in 1.5 L glass jar silos. While silage pH and acetic acid values decreased with addition of molasses levels (P<0.05), silage lactic acid values increased (P<0.05). Butyric and propionic acid were not detected in any of the silages. Addition of all levels of molasses increased in vitro methane production, IVOMD and metabolizable energy (ME) values (P<0.05). As a result, fresh pistachio by-product can be ensiled with addition of wheat straw and molasses to produce good quality silage. It can be concluded that this by product can be ensiled well and used as a roughage source with mixture of other roughage sources for animal nutrition in the regions where fresh pistachio by product is available.
Effects of pruning on heartwood formation in Scots pine trees

The object of this study was to investigate the effect of pruning on heartwood formation in mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees. Fifty trees were treated by three different intensive pruning regimes: 42, 60 and 70 percentage of defoliation. After five growing seasons numbers of growth rings were counted and the width and the area of sapwood and heartwood were calculated. The results did not show any proportional increase or decrease in the heartwood area or in the number of growth rings in heartwood associated with the pruning. A statistically significant negative effect of pruning was found on the width of the five most recently formed sapwood growth rings. This decreased growth rate did not influence the ratio of sapwood and heartwood. However, it cannot be excluded that the proportion of heartwood may increase during a longer period. It is concluded that pruning is not a practicable silvicultural method for regulating heartwood formation in mature Scots pine trees.
Historical and contemporary determinants of global phylogenetic structure in tropical reef fish faunas

Identifying the main determinants of tropical marine biodiversity is essential for devising appropriate conservation measures mitigating the ongoing degradation of coral reef habitats. Based on a gridded distribution database and phylogenetic information, we compared the phylogenetic structure of assemblages for three tropical reef fish families (Labridae: wrasses, Pomacentridae: damselfishes and Chaetodontidae: butterflyfishes) using the net relatedness (NRI) and nearest taxon (NTI) indices. We then related these indices to contemporary and historical environmental conditions of coral reefs using spatial regression analyses. Higher levels of phylogenetic clustering were found for fish assemblages in the Indo-Australian Archipelago (IAA), and more particularly when considering the NTI index. The phylogenetic structure of the Pomacentridae, and to a lower extent of the Chaeotodontidae and Labridae, was primarily associated with the location of refugia during the Quaternary period. Phylogenetic clustering in the IAA may partly result from vicariance events associated with coral reef fragmentation during the glacial periods of the Quaternary. Variation in the patterns among fish families further suggest that dispersal abilities may have interacted with past habitat availability in shaping the phylogenetic structure of tropical reef fish assemblages.
Financial performance of Benefit Corporations

The Benefit Corporations (B-corps) are a growing community of companies that aim to be not only the best in the world, but also the best for the world. Their intrinsic motivation and focus on strategy integration of CSR and cooperation with society and government makes them an interesting group of CSR-focused companies. The B-corps are certified by scoring on the B Impact Assessment (BIA) from the independent B Lab. The objectives of this study were twofold; to research 1) whether B-corps financially outperform their counterparts and 2) whether scores on the BIA are correlated with financial performance (FP). The study included 117 B-corps and 1970 counterparts that the B-corps potentially compete with, selected on SIC code and country. Results indicate that the B-corps do outperform their counterparts, although no significant results were found. In addition, only the environmental component of the BIA was correlated with FP, indicating that better environmental performance leads to higher FP. Finally, the results suggest that B-corps grow significantly faster than their counterparts. These results make B-corps an interesting group of companies for investors, employees, customers and also further academic research.
A Mutagenic Study of β-1,4-Galactosyltransferases from Neisseria meningitidis

-1,4 galactosyltransferase. Also, the functions of threeother cysteine residues, Cys65, Cys139, and Cys205, wereinvestigated using site-directed mutagenesis to determinethe location of the disulfide bond and the role of thesulfhydryl groups. Purified mutant galactosyltransferases,His69Phe, Glu88Gln and Asp90Asn completely shut downwild-type galactosyltransferase activity (1-3%). Also,Ser68Ala showed much lower activity than wild-typegalactosyltransferase (19%). However, only the substitutionof Tyr156Phe resulted in a slight reduction ingalactosyltransferase activity (90%). The enzyme wasfound to remain active when the cysteine residues atpositions 139 and 205 were replaced separately with serine.However, enzyme reactivity was found to be markedlyreduced when Cys65 was replaced with serine (27%). These results indicate that conserved amino acids such asCys65, Ser68, His69, Glu88, and Asp90 may be involved inthe binding of substrates or in the catalysis of thegalactosyltransferase reaction.Keywords:
Viscosity of set-style yogurt as influenced by heat treatment of milk and added demineralized whey powder

Skim milk powder was reconstituted to obtain milk A (with 8.44% TS). Milk sample A was standardized with different amounts of demineralized whey powder (DWP) to obtain milk B (with 9.71% TS) and milk C (with 10.75% TS). Milk samples were heat treated at 85oC/20 min and 90oC/10 min, respectively. Untreated milk was used as control. Milk samples were inoculated with 2.5% of commercial yogurt culture (containing Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus in the ratio 1:1) at 43oC. Samples were incubated until pH 4.6 was reached. Samples were immediately cooled to 4oC and held at that temperature until analyses. Measurements of viscosity were done with Brookfield DV-E Viscometer. Spindle No 3 at 20 rpm was used for all samples. After 1 day of storage, set-style yogurt samples produced from untreated milk had the highest, while samples produced from milk heat treated at 90oC/10 min the smallest initial viscosity, regadless of the dry matter content and composition. Average viscosity of set-style yogurts decreased with intensifying temperature of applied heat-treatment. During storage, set-style yogurt samples produced from milk heat treated at 90oC/10 min had the least pronounced decrease of viscosity during shearing. After 14 days of storage, set-style yogurt samples produced from milk standardized with demineralized whey powder had higher viscosity than samples produced from basis milk.
The Queen Butterfly, Danaus Chrysippus (L.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) at Khartoum, Sudan.

Within the region of East and Central Africa, the aposematic butterfly D. chrysippus is characterized by unusual ecology, due to the co-occurrence of polymorphism, mimicry and sex ratio distortion. In this paper, we describe a survey conducted for D. chrysippus at Khartoum, based upon morphological and molecular investigations. The goal of the study was to determine whether Sudan is a part of the presumed hybrid zone of D. chrysippus in Africa, where the butterfly shows the unusual ecology. D. chrysippus was found to display considerable colour pattern polymorphism. Only one mimetic form, the batesian mimic, female Hypolimnas misippus was recorded. The population sex ratio of D. chrysippus did not show significant deviation from the 1:1 ratio. Molecular tests for the male-killing bacteria Spiroplasma yielded negative results. The study concluded that central Sudan belongs to the hybrid zone but lacks its characteristic ecology.
The Distribution of Main Sequence and Premain Sequence Stars in the Young Anticenter Cluster NGC 2401

Images obtained with the Gemini Multiobject Spectrograph on Gemini South are used to examine the photometric properties and spatial distributions of main sequence (MS) and premain sequence (PMS) objects in the star cluster NGC 2401. The data sample several magnitudes fainter than previous studies and a large population of candidate PMS (cPMS) stars are identified. The cPMS stars are traced out to 2.4′ from the cluster center and have a flatter spatial distribution than the brightest MS stars near the cluster center. The luminosity function of all MS and candidate PMS stars can be matched by a model that assumes a solar neighborhood mass function, suggesting that NGC 2401 has not yet shed significant numbers of members with masses ≥0.5 M ⊙. The frequency of wide binaries among the MS stars is ∼3× higher than among the cPMS stars. It is argued that the difference in the spatial distributions of MS and PMS objects is not the consequence of secular dynamical evolution or structural evolution driven by near-catastrophic mass loss. Rather, it is suggested that the different spatial distributions of these objects is the fossil imprint of primordial subclustering that arises naturally if massive stars form preferentially in the highest density central regions of a protocluster.
The response of the xerophytic plant Gypsophila aucheri to salt and drought stresses: the role of the antioxidant defence system

The aim of the present study was to determine the antioxidant system responses of a xerophytic plant to salinity and drought, which were not elucidated before. Physiological and antioxidant responses of the xerophytic plant Gypsophila aucheri Boiss. were investigated under salinity (100 and 300 mM NaCl) and drought (withholding watering) treatment for 2 weeks in a controlled growth chamber. Besides growth responses (relative growth rate (RGR)), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities, and SOD and CAT isoenzymes activities were determined under stress conditions. Moreover, the level of lipid peroxidation was determined as thiobarbutiric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content. Tolerance of G. aucheri to salinity and drought was evaluated based on lipid peroxidation (oxidative damage) and RGR. According to the experiments, G. aucheri was found to be tolerant to drought and 100 mM NaCl and its antioxidant system was able to cope with oxidative stress under these conditions. However, 300 mM NaCl treatment had detrimental effects on plant growth and membrane integrity. Under this concentration, oxidative stress cannot be precluded in spite of increased SOD, POX, and APX activities. These data indicate that xerophytic G. aucheri is a moderate halophytic plant that uses an efficient antioxidant defence mechanism under salinity.
Participatory GIS: opportunity or oxymoron?

A summary of some of the findings of a workshop on participatory research and geographic information systems, with a case study from South Africa. The article describes GIS as a computer-based technology and discusses its potential as a participatory planning and policy tool. The authors emphasise the challenges of local politics, updating and ownership. They conclude that there is valued to participatory GIS if it can help to inform process and relationships rather than simply extracting patterns from large volumes of data.
Long-time behaviour of point islands under fixed rate deposition

Among Marshall Slemrod’s many important contributions to analysis and differential equations, his works on coagulation–fragmentation equations, and in particular on long-term behaviour in the Becker-Döring equations [12, 13] are very well known. In this paper we consider the dynamics of a related, much simpler, point island system, in which there also is a steady influx of monomers. The context is of submonolayer deposition, i.e. of depositing atoms onto a surface, such that the deposited particles can then diffuse and coagulate into clusters. If in modelling this process we do not take the spatial structure into consideration, we are, broadly speaking, in the domain of mean-field models. If we furthermore assume that coagulation and fragmentation rates of clusters are not size-dependent, we are dealing with point islands. It makes sense to say that i is the critical island size if clusters of size 2 < j ≤ i can fragment into monomers while clusters of size j ≥ n := i + 1 cannot. If we assume that clusters of all sizes larger or equal to n are immobile, a point-island mean-field model would lead to Becker–Döring kinetics, i.e. stable clusters would be able to grow only by addition of monomers. In [7], the authors consider such a mean-field point island deposition process with Becker–Döring kinetics and time-independent input of monomers with i = 1 (note that in the absence of diffusion the i = 1 case is equivalent to the i = 0 case). Using Poincaré compactification and centre manifold
Antioxidant potentials of different potato genotypes

The present investigation was undertaken to analyze the antioxidant potential of sixteen different potato genotypes. Eleven yellow fleshed potato genotypes namely Forza, Courage, Laura, Rosa Gold, Lady Rosetta, Cumbica, Asterix, Coronada, Granola, Cardinal and Diamant and five purple fleshed potato genotypes namely Jam Alu, KAC 10063, KAC 10064, KAC 10069, KAC 10097 were used as experimental materials. Total carotenoids, anthocyanin, phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity in the above mentioned genotypes were determined to compare the antioxidant potentials of the genotypes. Analysis of above mentioned parameters resulted significant variation in their contents in both yellow and purple fleshed genotypes. The results indicate the purple fleshed genotypes showed significantly higher carotenoids, anthocyanin, flavonoids and total antioxidant activity than those of yellow fleshed genotypes. The findings also suggested the antioxidant activity of the genotypes positively correlates to the total content of carotenoids, anthocyanin and flavonoids. Since, purple fleshed genotypes showed higher antioxidant properties, the results of this study claim that the purple fleshed genotypes would be suitable for direct consumption as vegetables which might increase the health and food security of human beings.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 43(3): 369-381, June 2018
Do Institutional Investors Prefer Near-Term Earnings Over Long-Run Value?

This paper examines whether institutional investors exhibit preferences for nearâ€ term earnings over longâ€ run value and whether such preferences have implications for firms' stock prices. First, I find that the level of ownership by institutions with short investment horizons (e.g., â€œtransientâ€ institutions) and by institutions held to stringent fiduciary standards (e.g., banks) is positively (negatively) associated with the amount of firm value in expected nearterm (longâ€ term) earnings. This evidence raises the question of whether such institutions myopically price firms, overweighting shortâ€ term earnings potential and underweighting longâ€ term earnings potential. Evidence of such myopic pricing would establish a link through which institutional investors could pressure managers into a shortâ€ term focus. The results provide no evidence that high levels of ownership by banks translate into myopic mispricing. However, high levels of transient ownership are associated with an overâ€ (underâ€ ) weighting of nearâ€ term (longâ€ term) expected earnings, and a trading strategy based on this finding generates significant abnormal returns. This finding supports the concerns that many corporate managers have about the adverse effects of an ownership base dominated by shortâ€ termâ€ focused institutional investors.
The relationship between incentive compensation and forced CEO turnover

We study the relationship between incentive compensation and performance related CEO turnover. Our theoretical model predicts that the slope of the compensation contract and forced turnover may be complements. Our results support this prediction. We find that incentives and turnover are positively related. This relationship however, varies with the equity ownership of CEOs and does not hold for CEOs who own more than 5% equity. Moreover, this relationship is stronger if the firm under performs its industry. Our results suggest that high-powered incentives may increase the signaling power of performance measures and lead to higher likelihood of turnover. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gross Anatomical Study of the Urogenital System of the Indigenous Nigerian Male Donkey (Equus africanus africanus) in Comparison with the Stallion

Urogenital systems of two adult male donkeys were studied and the findings compared to that of the stallion. The right kidney, urinary bladder, ureters, testes, epididymis, ductus deferens, accessory genital organs, penis and urethra were found to be similar in many aspects especially their shapes, locations and relationship with associated structures. Dimensions and weights of the urinary and genital organs determined were much smaller and lighter than those of their matches in the stallion. The dimensions of the accessory genital organs were however, close to that of the stallion with the exception of the seminal vesicles which decreases. Certain key differences were also noticed such as the shape of the left kidney of the donkey is heart- shaped with flat dorsal surface and attachment of lateral ligaments of urinary bladder extends to the apex. In addition, the arcuate vessels of the kidneys were fewer; the columnae uretericae, urethral crest and mucosal folds of the bladder were not well pronounced. Despite the fact that both the donkey and the horse belong to the same species of animals, differences exist in the anatomy of their urogenital systems.
A microscopic mechanism of dielectric breakdown in SiO2 films: An insight from multi-scale modeling

Despite extensive experimental and theoretical studies, the atomistic mechanisms responsible for dielectric breakdown (BD) in amorphous (a)-SiO2 are still poorly understood. A number of qualitative physical models and mathematical formulations have been proposed over the years to explain experimentally observable statistical trends. However, these models do not provide clear insight into the physical origins of the BD process. Here, we investigate the physical mechanisms responsible for dielectric breakdown in a-SiO2 using a multi-scale approach where the energetic parameters derived from a microscopic mechanism are used to predict the macroscopic degradation parameters of BD, i.e., time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) statistics, and its voltage dependence. Using this modeling framework, we demonstrate that trapping of two electrons at intrinsic structural precursors in a-SiO2 is responsible for a significant reduction of the activation energy for Si-O bond breaking. This results in a lower barrier.
A prime geodesic theorem for SL4

A prime geodesic theorem is derived for rank-one geodesics in quotients of SL4. This has applications in class number asymptotics for quartic fields. For these applications it is necessary to prove a more general statement than in the literature: several regularity conditions have to be abandoned. As a consequence, the analytical difficulties multiply. The final result is obtained by a sandwiching argument from infinitely many independent asymptotics.
The Entwined Effects of Attitude, Motivation and Gender on EFL Learning: A Correlation Study

Foreign language learners vary on a number of dimensions to do with personality, motivation, gender, aptitude, and age. The aim of this paper is to illustrate and summarize the relationship between personality and foreign language learning. Using a correlation study, findings indicated that females are better language learners being more motivated than men are, and having more positive attitudes towards language learning than male students.
Accounting Communication and the Capital Market: The Nigerian Experience

Applicability of the principles of language theory of communication to produce userfriendly annual reports that are useful to capital market participants in Nigeria and bridge the existing expectation gaps thereon was investigated. The study seeks further to contribute to remedying creative accounting infraction in the Nigerian capital market. Perception survey was conducted in Lagos metropolis on 132 randomly selected annual report users who participate in Nigerian capital market. Perception was conceptualized in terms of the degree of users’ agreement or otherwise with the variables that would enhance informational content (valence) of annual reports. Perceptions were examined at three levels on: current disclosure practices of Nigerian public companies and satisfaction of users’ expectations; proposed qualitative attributes that would make annual reports meaningful to users; and, critical information items as disclosures extension in future annual reports. Results of descriptive and inferential non-parametric statistical tests applied confirmed a strong relationship among satisfaction of users’ expectations, proposed disclosure items and value of information (valence) in annual reports.