Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of dietary mannanoligosaccharides on histological parameters of the jejunal mucosa and growth performance of broiler chickens

The trial involved 480 Hubbard Classic broiler chicks which were from either mannanoligosaccharide (MOS) fed breeder flock (Bio-Mos, Alltech Inc. USA at level of 1 kg/t) or control fed breeder flock (without MOS). Three groups with four replicates per treatment were formed: control fed breeders/control fed broilers (C/C); MOS fed breeders/control fed broilers (BM/C) and MOS fed breeders/MOS fed broilers (BM/BM). All chicks were fed the same basal diet, except for the inclusion of Bio-Mos (1, 0.75 and 0.5 kg/t in the starter, grower and finisher diet, respectively). The results showed a significant improvement (p<0.05) in the body weight gain with the addition of Bio-Mos in broiler feed. Feed conversion ratio was improved by 0.03 points, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The gut morphology examination showed that chick origin (chicks that originated from Bio-Mos fed breeders or control fed breeders) did not influence the morphological parameters of the jejunum in the broiler chickens, but addition of Bio-Mos directly to the broiler feed had a significant influence on the gut morphology and played an important role in processes of digestion and absorption, leading to improved performance.
Effects of ensiling of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize (MON810) on degradation of the crystal 1Ab (Cry1Ab) protein and compositional quality of silage

The study investigated the degradation of the Bt protein (Cry1Ab) in Bt maize during ensiling and chemical composition of the silage. Two laboratory studies were conducted at the University of Fort Hare. One Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize cultivar (DKC80-12B) and its isoline (DKC80-10) in the 2008/2009 study and two Bt maize cultivar (DKC61-25B and PAN6Q-321B) and their isolines (DKC61-24 and PAN6777) in the 2009/2010 study, were ensiled for 42 days and analyzed for ash-free dry matter, Cry1Ab protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin and crude protein. Silage from two of the Bt maize varieties had lower ash-free dry matter than their near-isolines, while variety DKC61-25B was similar to its near-isoline. At least, 60% of the initial Cry1Ab protein concentration remained in the silage. Bt maize had higher neutral and acid detergent fiber than its isolines before ensiling and remained constant after ensiling in 2008/2009, but was neither influenced by ensiling nor variety in 2009/2010. Crude protein and acid detergent lignin in Bt maize silages were similar to those in silages derived from their near-isolines. The findings suggested that Bt maize will result in silage with similar chemical composition to that of non-Bt maize but a large proportion of the Cry1Ab protein persists.
"Drawing with a crack in concrete": A hybrid test to control mixed-mode crack propagation

In order to experimentally validate damage and fracture models, a hybrid cracking test on a concrete sample with controlled stress intensity factors (SIFs) is currently developed. Starting from the tests performed by Nooru-Mohamed [1], new experiments are made. The loadings are applied with a hexapod testing machine [2] and the cracking state is analyzed with digital image correlation (DIC) [3]. The objective is to resolve an inverse problem, to determine the boundary conditions required to obtain a desired crack path. The presented numerical results validate the principle of the proposed hybrid test. The “real” cracking state is computed using a damage model [4], while the SIFs are obtained from a linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) analysis. After each propagation step, the new data (assessed by DIC in the real test) are introduced in the LEFM model and the crack is reoriented by changing the loading conditions. To control the real tests two possibilities are proposed: (1) the crack tip position is evaluated using DIC [3] and the SIFs values and the new boundary conditions are obtained from an LEFM computation performed on a geometry having the crack introduced in the mesh; (2) the SIFs are directly obtained by DIC and only the SIF/boundary conditions relationship is computed using LEFM.
The Fecundity of Macrobrachium macrobrachion (Herklots, 1851) from Luubara Creek Ogoni Land, Niger Delta, Nigeria

The fecundity of Macrobrachium macrobrachion from Luubara creek in Ogoni land axis of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria was studied for a period of two years (January, 2006 - December, 2007). A total of 934 berried female shrimp were examined. The results show that the number of eggs ranged from 180 to 5, 800. The mean number of eggs per female was 1, 403. The eggs were spherical in shape; on the long axis the egg diameter ranged from 0.60 to 0.78 mm with a mean of 0.68mm while on the short axis, the egg diameter ranged from 0.40 to 0.59 mm with a mean of 0.48mm. There was a positive relationship between carapace length, total weight and the number of eggs: Y = 4207.9-3666x and r = 0.9737, Y = 0.4224-42244x and r = 0.9721, Y = 3666.11+2483.9x and r = 0.3736, Y = 500-0.3794. 11x and r = 0.97372, y = 250-0.03794. 0x and r = 0.9843 and Y = 333 + 674.71x and r = 0.3736. There was high correlation between female weight and the number of eggs. The range of absolute fecundity observed in this study was 180-5, 800 eggs and the mean number of eggs per female were 1403. A strong correlation exists between the number of eggs and total length of berried females (r = 0.969). Fecundity increases with the carapace length. The number of eggs also increases with increase in weight and carapace length. Generally, fecundity was linear and a function of the body weight and carapace length.
A multi-method approach for identifying meiofaunal trophic connections

Meiofauna can play an important role in the energetics of benthic communities, but determining their diet remains problematic due to their small size. In this study, the contribution of primary producers to the diet of meiofauna and to bulk and fine (<125 µm) sediment organic matter (SOM) was investigated in Papanui Inlet, southern New Zealand, using stable isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) and fatty acid analyses in the field and in a microcosm experiment. Seston did not contribute significantly to SOM of vegetated (seagrass Zostera muelleri) and unvegetated habitats, suggesting limited bentho-pelagic coupling. The contribution of different benthic primary producers to SOM and meiofaunal diet could not be determined accurately based on isotopic signatures alone due to over- lapping isotopic signatures. The high content of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) of harpacti- coid copepods from vegetated and unvegetated sites suggested that their main food item was micro- phytobenthos (MPB), although bacterial biomarkers were twice as abundant in copepods sampled from the seagrass bed than in copepods sampled from unvegetated sediments. Isotopic and fatty acid analyses showed that the uptake of 13 C-labeled macroalgal (Enteromorpha sp.) detritus by harpacti- coid copepods in the microcosm experiment was minimal. Nematode diet could not be assessed with certainty, but seagrass detritus and MPB are likely to represent significant food sources at the vege- tated and unvegetated sites, respectively, based on the fatty-acid profile of fine SOM. This combined approach (i.e. isotopic and fatty acid analyses, field sampling and microcosms), and analysis of bulk SOM, fine SOM, and aged seagrass detritus helped circumvent limitations associated with the indi- vidual methods. The combination of approaches was still insufficient to quantify the contribution of different primary producers to meiofaunal diet, however, highlighting the difficulties associated with the study of meiofaunal trophic connections in coastal systems.
FEASIBILITY OF USING ZEIN IN GLUTEN-FREE BAKING

Flour is essential to bread production as it provides structure, texture, and flavor. The most common, wheat flour, is unique compared to other cereal flours as it forms gluten that is capable of forming viscoelastic dough, which retains gas produced during fermentation and helps create cohesive dough, all of which are critical to bread development. However, a certain percentage of the population has a rare autoimmune disorder, celiac disease, which is triggered by gluten. A gluten-free diet is the only remedy for celiac disease. Traditionally, in gluten-free breads, hydrocolloids, or gums have been used to mimic the behavior of gluten. However, the lack of a protein structure in breads made with hydrocolloids leads to an almost batter-like viscosity. Therefore, research has focused on gluten-free alternatives, particularly non-wheat cereal proteins that can be altered to mimic gluten’s dough forming properties. For example, zein has an average molecular weight and larger peptides than gluten, which contribute to its hydrophobic behavior. In fact, zein from maize flour is an ideal alternative as it can be manipulated to behave like gluten under certain conditions. The main difference between gluten and zein is that zein does not exhibit a large disulfide-linked polymer. Zein is also more hydrophobic than gluten. However, zein has been found to exhibit viscoelastic properties similar to gluten’s at temperatures higher than its glass transition. Other research has found the secondary structure of zein, in particular the β-sheet structure, increases at temperatures above its glass transition. This suggests that temperature and shear are not the only factors necessary to form and maintain the viscoelastic properties of zein; apparently, the β-sheet structures also affect viscoelasticity. Finally, differences such as maize variety and particle size also affect the properties of zein in bakery applications.
ALMA observations of cool dust in a low-metallicity starburst, SBS0335-052

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Cycle 0 Band 7 observations of an extremely metal-poor dwarf starburst galaxy in the Local Universe, SBS0335-052 (12+log(O/H)~7.2). With these observations, dust is detected at 870micron (ALMA Band 7), but 87% of the flux in this band is due to free-free emission from the starburst. We have compiled a spectral energy distribution (SED) of SBS0335-052 that spans almost 6 orders of magnitude in wavelength and fit it with a spherical dust shell heated by a single-age stellar population; the best-fit model gives a dust mass of (3.8+/-0.6)x10^4 Msun. We have also constructed a SED including Herschel archival data for IZw18, another low-metallicity dwarf starburst (12+log(O/H)=7.17), and fit it with a similar model to obtain a dust mass of (3.4+/-1.0)x10^2 Msun. Compared with their atomic gas mass, the dust mass of SBS0335-052 far exceeds the prediction of a linear trend of dust-to-gas mass ratio with metallicity, while IZw18 falls far below. We use gas scaling relations to assess a putative missing gas component in both galaxies and find that the missing, possibly molecular, gas in SBS0335-052 is a factor of 6 times higher than the value inferred from the observed HI column density; in IZw18 the missing component is 4 times smaller. Ultimately, despite their similarly low metallicity, the differences in gas and dust column densities in SBS0335-052 and IZw18 suggest that metal abundance does not uniquely define star-formation processes. At some level, self-shielding and the survival of molecules may depend just as much on gas and dust column density as on metallicity. The effects of low metallicity may at least be partially compensated for by large column densities in the interstellar medium.
Return Enhancing, Cash-Rich or Simply Empire-Building? An Empirical Investigation of Corporate Real Estate Holdings

No, we find no evidence for a return-enhancing role for corporate real estate holdings, which is consistent with the previous literature. Instead, our study based on a sample of U.S. listed corporations suggests that corporate real estate holdings are a form of managerial “empire building”. Corporations with weaker corporate governance and a lower degree of financial constraint tend to have higher real estate holdings, whereas higher real estate holdings are associated with lower returns to shareholders. The impact of corporate governance on corporate real estate holdings seems to be stronger in manufacturing-related industries. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Customer satisfaction in B2B cloud services

Turunen, Helinä Customer satisfaction in B2B cloud services Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2013, 57 p. Information Systems, Master’s Thesis Supervisor(s): Ojala, Arto The aim of study is to present qualities that affect customer satisfaction in B2B cloud services and give insight on how to improve customer satisfaction. eCommerce related customer satisfaction research is used in defining qualities affecting cloud service related satisfaction. The study compares satisfaction related qualities from eCommerce satisfaction and B2B satisfaction research and includes three customer satisfaction and service models in the comparison (American Customer Satisfaction Index, SERVQUAL and SaaS-QUAL). Common factors affecting qualities in all compared research and models were found (expectations, perceived value and perceived overall quality), but cloud specific aspects were mostly limited to the offerings of the SaaS-QUAL model. Further study should be conducted in order to distinguish more possible qualities affecting customer satisfaction in cloud services.
FTS atlas of the Sun's spectrally resolved center-to-limb variation

The Sun's spectrum varies with center-to-limb distance. This variation is governed by the underlying temperature-density structure of the solar atmosphere. To explore the spectrally resolved center-to-limb variation (CLV) we make use of two spectral atlases recorded with the Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) at the McMath-Pierce facility at Kitt Peak. One spectral atlas obtained 10 arcsec inside the solar limb was recorded in 1978-79 as part of the first survey of the Second Solar Spectrum, while the other atlas is the well used reference NSO/Kitt Peak FTS atlas for the disk center. Both atlases represent fully resolved spectra without any spectral stray light. We then construct an atlas of the limb/disk-center ratio between the two spectra over the wavelength range 4084-9950 \AA. This ratio spectrum, which expresses the CLV amplitude relative to the continuum, is as richly structured as the intensity spectrum itself, but the line profiles differ greatly in both shape and amplitude. It is as if we are dealing with a new, unfamiliar spectrum of the Sun, distinctly different from both the intensity spectrum (which we here refer to with the acronym SS1) and the linear polarization of the Second Solar Spectrum (for which we use acronym SS2). In analogy we refer to the new ratio spectrum as SS3. While there is hardly any resemblance between SS3 and SS2, we are able to identify a non-linear mapping that can translate SS1 to SS3 in the case of weak to medium-strong spectral lines that are mainly formed in LTE (being directly coupled to the local temperature-density structure). This non-linear mapping is successfully modeled in terms of two free parameters that are found to vary approximately linearly over the entire wavelength range covered. These parameters and the various SS3 line profiles provide a novel, rich set of observational constraints on model atmospheres.
A Review of Gross Motor Function in Children with Cerebral Palsy in Zaria, North-Western Nigeria

Background: Impaired motor function is the hallmark of cerebral palsy and could present with grave implications particularly in resource limited settings. Consequently the identification of motor function and mobility needs in children with cerebral palsy in such settings is vital to providing optimal care. Objective: To describe the gross motor function in children with cerebral palsy presenting to a child neurology service in Zaria, north-western Nigeria. Methods: A review of the gross motor function, using the Gross Motor Function Classification System Expanded and Revised (GMFCS- E&R), of children with cerebral palsy (Subjects) who were in steady state of health and who presented at Neurology Clinic of the Departments of Paediatrics and Physiotherapy, of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, Nigeria over a five year period was under taken. Other parameters assessed were: age, sex, identified predisposing factor for cerebral palsy, clinical type of cerebral palsy, mode of transport and social class of the subjects. Results: A total of 235 subjects with age range 5 months to 11 years (mean 2.6 ± 2.4 years) were studied. Of the subjects 148 were males and 87 females (M.F, 1.7:1). Most of the subjects were under 2 years of age (169, 71.91%), in the upper social classes (182, 77.45%), had the spastic clinical type of cerebral palsy (184, 78.30%) and birth asphyxia (106, 45.1%) as the commonest identifiable predisposing factor. Majority of the subjects (143, 60.9%) had severe limitation (GMFCS-E&R Levels IV&V) in gross motor function and this was significantly (pE0.05) associated with age less than 2 years and spastic type of cerebral palsy. Out of the 205 (87.2%) Subjects who needed a transport mobility device only 14(6.8%) of them utilized one. Conclusion: The study was characterized by severe limitation in gross motor function and limited utilization of mobility devices in the subjects. It underscores the need to address mobility issues in children with cerebral palsy in the environment.
Periodic points of entire functions: proof of a conjecture of Baker

Let f be an entire transcendental function and denote the nth iterate off by f n. Our main result is that if n ≥ 2, then there are infinitely many fixpoints of f n which are not fixpoints of fk for any k satisfying 1 ≤ k ≤ n. This had been conjectured by I. N. Baker in 1967. Actually, we prove that there are even infinitely many repelling fixpoints with this property. We also give a new proof of a conjecture of E Gross from 1966 which says that if h and g are entire transcendental functions, then the composite function hog has infinitely many fixpoints. We show that h∘g. has even infinitely many repelling fixpoints.
Characterization of Lactobacillus strains isolated from Algerian children faeces for their probiotic properties

Lactic acid bacteria termed probiotics have preventive as well as curative effects on several types of diarrhoea of different aetiologies. The main objective of this study was to screen lactobacilli strains having probiotic traits, isolated from Algerian healthy children faeces on the purpose of using them further in children diarrheal illnesses. One hundred and twenty (120) lactic acid bacteria isolates were selected from faecal samples of healthy Algerian children aged between five and ten years. Gram positive rods and catalase negative bacteria (52 isolates) were screened, in vitro, for their probiotic potential properties including ability to survive in simulated gastro-intestinal conditions, adherence to Caco-2 cells and their antimicrobial activity. The results show that only five strains resisted in simulated gastric juice at pH 1.5 and pepsin. Four of them were resistant to simulated intestinal conditions at pH 8 and pancreatin and have a good adherence. In the end, three of them were retained as they display interesting probiotic profiles characterized by a strong antimicrobial effect against some intestinal pathogenic bacteria. They were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as Lactobacillus plantarum F12, Lactobacillus brevis G6 and Lactobacillus paracasei B13. Key words: Probiotics, Lactobacillus, selection criteria, human origin.
Salivary Duct Carcinoma with Mucin Containing Cells -Report of a Case Misdiagnosed as Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma on Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology-

Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare primary salivary gland malignancy characterized by histological features similar to those of ductal carcinomas of the breast. It is regarded as a high-grade malignancy associated with frequent local recurrences and early distant metastases that require aggressive treatment. The typical fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) findings in SDC include cellular smears showing tumor cells with eccentric pleomorphic nuclei and a granular cytoplasm arranged in flat sheets or cribriform patterns against a necrotic background. However, the presence of mucin-containing cells in SDC has been rarely described. We report the FNAC findings in a patient with histologically confirmed SDC that demonstrated numerous mucin-containing cells and was subsequently misdiagnosed as a high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Here we discuss the problems involved in distinguishing SDC from high-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma on the basis of cytologic findings alone.
Putting the G back in English: Preparing pre-service teachers to teach grammar

Classroom teachers need to have a solid foundation in understanding and applying English grammar in order to buttress their content and pedagogical content knowledge and support their students' literacy development. However, teacher preparation programs are challenged to incorporate this kind of content into the existing curriculum, which is heavily laden with other core requirements, including the need to prepare teachers for classrooms of diverse learners, many of them ELLs. How can we best prepare future teachers so that they have the requisite knowledge and skills, curiosity, and training to meet the language learning demands of today's students? This case study explores a collaborative attempt to respond to the grammar challenge in teacher education involving a block of literacy courses and a linguistics course. Linguists who have engaged in serious, thoughtful and rigorous study of the English language may be forgiven for assuming that the results of their work would have a significant effect on the way English grammar is taught in schools. (Meyer, 2003)