Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low Phytic Acid Barley Improves Performance, Bone Mineralization, and Phosphorus Retention in Turkey Poults

SUMMARY A study was conducted to determine whether P in a low phytic acid mutant barley (Hordeum vulgare L.; MB) containing the lpa 1-1 allele is more available than P in a near-isogenic, wild-type barley (NB). The MB contained 0.21% non-phytate P (nP) (estimated available P; aP) and 0.35% total P (tP), whereas NB contained 0.11% aP and 0.35% tP. A completely randomized design was used with 150 1-d-old male poults randomly assigned to five treatments (six pens of five poults per treatment) for 21 d. The five treatments were 1) a NB diet containing 0.30% aP, 0.41% tP, and 1.0% Ca; 2) a MB diet containing 0.36% aP, 0.41% tP, and 1.0% Ca; 3) a NB diet similar to Diet 1 but with KH2PO4 added to increase the aP to 0.36% (0.47% tP) to match the aP in Diet 2; 4) a MB diet containing 0.60% aP, 0.86% tP, and 1.2% Ca; and 5) a NB diet containing 0.60% aP, 0.92% tP, and 1.20% Ca. Performance and bone ash were significantly lower (P 0.05) in poults fed Diets 2 and 3 and in poults fed Diets 4 and 5. Poults fed Diet 1 retained 13.9% more P than did poults fed Diet 2 (P < 0.05). Poults fed Diets 2 and 4 retained 11.9 and 4.9% more P than poults fed Diets 3 and 5, respectively (P < 0.05). Poults fed MB diets excreted 41% less P than did poults fed NB diets when barley was the sole source of phytic acid in the diet. Results of the current study indicate that P in MB is more available than P in NB, and decreasing the phytate content did not compromise the nutritional value of MB.
The braincase of Euparkeria, and the evolutionary relationships of birds and crocodilians

The Triassic reptile Euparkeria has been frequently given a pivotal position in interpretations of the evolution of archosaurs. Most recently, Welman (1995) has argued from braincase data that Euparkeria is more closely related to birds than are either theropod dinosaurs or crocodilians – a conclusion clearly at odds with the current orthodoxy. The braincase of a single specimen of Euparkeria is described in detail and compared with previous descriptions and with the braincases of other diapsids. Variations among the known specimens are documented. The homology of various braincase structures are reassessed in light of the study by Welman (1995). We argue that the braincase of Euparkeria has an undivided metotic fissure, an incompletely ossified medial wall of the otic capsule, a well‐defined ‘semilunar depression’, and posteroventrally positioned foramina in the parabasisphenoid for the entrance of the cerebral branches of the internal carotid arteries. It lacks enclosure of the Eustachian system in bone, well‐developed tympanic sinuses, or a well‐defined recess for the lagena. A review of braincase morphology in extinct and extant diapsids suggests that braincase features of Euparkeria are largely plesiomorphic for Archosauria. The evolutionary relationships between Euparkeria and extant archosaurs (birds and crocodilians) are considered by reviewing braincase morphology in extant and extinct diapsids. No shared derived characters could be found that support the resolutions (crocodilians (Euparkeria+ birds)) or (birds (Euparkeria+ crocodilians)). Three derived characters shared by extant archosaurs support the resolution (Euparkeria (crocodilians + birds)), but only the presence of laterally positioned foramina in the parabasisphenoid for the entrance of the cerebral branches of the internal carotid arteries appears to represent strong evidence. The other two features are a degree of ossification (of the medial wall of the otic capsule) that exhibits some homoplasy among archosaurs, and an absence (of the ‘semilunar depression’), and therefore do not represent particularly robust hypotheses of homology. Our interpretation of the braincase of Euparkeria is fully congruent with the consensus among recent explicit phylogenetic analyses that this taxon is close to, but not a member of, the archosaur crown group. Birds and crocodilians share a number of other derived similarities (subdivided metotic fissure, elongated and tubular cochlear recess, enclosed Eustachian system, extensive tympanic sinuses, quadrate‐prootic articulation) that are probably not homologous because of their absence in a number of non‐avian dinosaurs and crocodilian‐line crown‐group archosaurs.
Socio-Demographic Predictors of EFL Teacher Efficacy

Research on teachers’ beliefs and their impact on teacher cognition has been a relevant topic for educational inquiry for some decades. Teachers’ actions are tied to their beliefs, perceptions, assumptions and motivation levels. Thus, research on teachers’ beliefs is crucial in determining the way teachers understand and organize instruction. One important belief that appears to be an important influence on teacher and student outcomes is teacher efficacy. In accordance with this view and due to the increasing demand for English as a foreign language education, the present study aimed to assess EFL teachers’ efficacy level and explore the socio-demographic predictors of teacher efficacy in an EFL setting, i.e., Turkey. 226 EFL teachers working at the preparatory schools of public and private universities in Istanbul participated in this study. Data were collected by means of quantitative methods; i.e., the Ohio State Teacher Efficacy Scale (adapted from Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001) and the School-Level Environment Questionnaire (Fisher & Fraser, 1990). Data collected by means of these instruments were submitted to correlation and regression analysis and independent samples t-tests. Results of the study showed that the number of professional activities teachers were involved in, average number of students in teachers’ classes, working position, type of institution, and gender were the socio-demographic factors that predicted variations in EFL teachers’ efficacy in this study.
Israel: Reconstructed estimates of total fisheries removals in the Mediterranean, 1950–2010

Over the past six decades, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported fisheries ‘landings’, not ‘total removals’ for Israel. Thus, public data do not include all removals, including discards, the recreational fishery, subsistence portions of the catch or Bluefin tuna catches. Moreover, FAO data inadvertently included landings by Gaza fishers in the Gaza Strip during the 1960s and 1970s. We reconstructed total removals for Israel fishing in the Mediterranean Sea using various anchor points from recent studies to account for the missing removals. We estimated total removals at slightly over 255,400 tonnes for 1950-2010, which are nearly 30% higher than the 198,136 t of Israel’s reported catch to FAO (after exclusion of data from the Gaza Strip). The major components of unreported removals were discards (over 37,400 t), dominated by the trawl fishery, and recreational removals (over 15,500 t), which account for a large and rapidly growing fishery sector in Israel. In contrast, subsistence catches (just under 4,000 t) are low, which is not unexpected for a developed country. Non-indigenous Indo-Pacific organisms are a large and growing component in the multispecies catch of Mediterranean fishers; however they appear to change species composition and mode of exploitation more than they affect the level of total removals. In the highly oligotrophic, yet fast changing Levantine Sea, the high discarding rates, use of unsustainable fishing methods and under-regulated fisheries (particularly the recreational sector) pose a threat to the integrity of the marine environment and the ecosystem services we expect from it.
Why Mt Etna?

The Etna volcano is located in an apparently anomalous position on the hinge zone of the Apennines subduction and its Na‐alkaline geochemistry does not favour a magma source from the deep slab as indicated for the Aeolian K‐alkaline magmatism. The steeper dip of the regional foreland monocline at the front of the Apennines in the Ionian Sea than in Sicily, implies a larger rollback of the subduction hinge in the Ionian Sea. Moreover, the lengthening of the Apennines arc needs extension parallel to the arc. Therefore, the larger southeastward subduction rollback of the Ionian lithosphere with respect to the Hyblean plateau in Sicily, should kinematically produce right‐lateral transtension and a sort of vertical ‘slab window’ which might explain (i) the Plio‐Pleistocene alkaline magmatism of eastern Sicily (e.g. the Etna volcano) and (ii) the late Pliocene to present right lateral transtensional tectonics and seismicity of eastern Sicily. The area of transfer of different dip and rollback occurs along the inherited Mesozoic passive continental margin between Sicily and the oceanic Ionian Sea, i.e. the Malta escarpment.
Theory of Optimal Mixing in Directly Modulated Laser Diodes

Using a simple nonlinear model based on rate equations, and by employing a harmonic balance method, we develop a theory of optimal mixing in directly modulated semiconductor laser diodes. We perform a consistent numerical solution to the mixing in laser diodes to the arbitrary accuracy and intermodulation index (m;n). Through numerical computations we demonstrate that there is an optimal bias in mixing, corresponding to a relaxation frequency, fr, coinciding with the subcarrier frequency, f1, at which the mixing power is maximized nearly simultaneously for all intermodulation products, fmn. In terms of increasing the signal's current amplitude, it will be shown that it would result in a monotonic increase in the optical power of all intermodulation products, as is normally expected. More generally and for the rst time to the best of our knowledge, the condition for optimal mixing power is found as fmn = kfr = mf1 +nf2. Applications are in data transmission beyond the resonant frequency of the laser diode as needed in future communication standards.
Spin-offs and Operating Performance

This study examines the relation between changes in industry-adjusted operating performance associated with corporate spin-offs and the market’s assessment of the spin-off as either a value increasing or value decreasing activity. I find that the average change in industry-adjusted operating performance associated with my sample of spin-offs is not significantly different from zero. However, I also present evidence suggesting that this average result is misleading because some spin-offs appear to be value increasing while others are value decreasing. I establish that a positive and significant relation exists between parent company revaluation and a) the change in industry-adjusted operating performance of the combined but independent units, and, b) whether the parent and spun-off unit operated in different lines of business. Tests for the sensitivity of the results to underlying assumptions show that these results are robust. I conclude that some spin-offs create value, especially those in which the parent and the unit spun-off are in unrelated lines of business. However, I also conclude that some spin-offs destroy value.
The Effect of Topic Interest and Gender on Reading Test Types in a Second Language

This study explores how readers’ interest, gender, and test types (multiple-choice questions, Yes/No questions, and short-answer formats) affect second language reading comprehension in three different levels and five different categories of topics. A questionnaire was administered to 168 Turkish EFL students to find out the gender-oriented topic interests, and five different topics were identified. For each of the three levels (A2.1, A2.2, and B1 in the CEFR), five passages with the determined topics were selected. Comprehension was evaluated by three different assessment types. The findings of this study present the impact gender-oriented topic interest and assessment types have on reading comprehension. INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW Foreign language reading comprehension is believed to be affected by gender and interest. However, there has been little research regarding the correlation of different test types, gender, and topic interest. This study explored the relationship between gender and topic interest in foreign-la nguage reading comprehension at three language levels and with three different test types. Studies by Christianson (1992), Eysenck (1982), Hidi (1990), and Thayer (1989) suggest that positive emotion, activation, and concentration each play an important role in the learning process. It was assumed that interest is also related, and that these variables mediate significantly in both first and second languages. Reading Comprehension and Gender There are some findings linking gender with interest in reading specific types of text. For example, according to Norvell (1958) and Thorndike (1941), males prefer adventure, sports, science, and information, while females prefer mystery and romance; males are less likely to read about female protagonists, whereas females are likely to read about male protagonists. There have also been studies that document how individual differences affect reading comprehension in a foreign language (Brantmeier, 2002, 2003, 2005; Bügel & Buunk, 1996; Chavez, 2001). The results of some of these studies provide evidence that interest by gender has
Nonparametric predictive inference for combining diagnostic tests with parametric copula

Measuring the accuracy of diagnostic tests is crucial in many application areas including medicine and health care. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve is a popular statistical tool for describing the performance of diagnostic tests. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is often used as a measure of the overall performance of the diagnostic test. In this paper, we interest in developing strategies for combining test results in order to increase the diagnostic accuracy. We introduce nonparametric predictive inference (NPI) for combining two diagnostic test results with considering dependence structure using parametric copula. NPI is a frequentist statistical framework for inference on a future observation based on past data observations. NPI uses lower and upper probabilities to quantify uncertainty and is based on only a few modelling assumptions. While copula is a well-known statistical concept for modelling dependence of random variables. A copula is a joint distribution function whose marginals are all uniformly distributed and it can be used to model the dependence separately from the marginal distributions. In this research, we estimate the copula density using a parametric method which is maximum likelihood estimator (MLE). We investigate the performance of this proposed method via data sets from the literature and discuss results to show how our method performs for different family of copulas. Finally, we briefly outline related challenges and opportunities for future research.
Biomass Distribution and Development of Allometric Equations for Non-Destructive Estimation of Carbon Sequestration in Grafted Mango Trees

The general equations available/developed for forest/wild mango trees based on measurement of diameter at breast height (DBH) (cannot be used) are not applicable for mango orchards which are predominantly established with grafted plants. Hence allometric equations were developed with destructive sampling of grafted mango trees. The selected parameters showed that allometric parameters were significantly related with age of the trees. The proportion of roots (22%) in grafted mangos was found to be higher than those reported for tropical forest trees (18%) with a R ratio of 0.291. The biomass expansion factor (BEF) varied with age. Initially the BEF was very high followed by a decreasing phase and finally a steady phase by and large attained stability beyond 20 years. The equations generally fitted the data well, and in most cases more than 50% of the observed variation in biomass was explained by primary branch girth (PBG) × number of primary branches (NPB). All equations were statistically significant (p < 0.05) for both scaling parameters, a and b. Based on the R 2 values the best fit model for estimation of above ground biomass of grafted mango trees is a power model using PBG × NPB as the best dimension: There was a good agreement between the observed and the predicted biomass using this equation.
Income Inequality as a Determinant of Trade Flows

Consumer studies have a long tradition of incorporating non-homothetic preferences in their models, whereas this has been very uncommon in studies of international trade. We use a model from Mitra and Trindade (2005) to set up a gravity model in which we include income distribution measures as explanatory variables for the exporting as well as for the importing countries. Our results indicate that non-homothetic preferences significantly affect both exports and imports.
A Comparative Analysis of the Informal Workplace Learning Experiences of Three Professional Groups

A survey was conducted to compare the informal workplace learning (IWL) experiences of three professional groups (information technologists, school teachers, and HRD professionals). Data analysis found that the three groups use interactive more than independent IWL activities. Five environmental factors inhibited engagement and nine personal characteristics enhanced engagement in IWL. Implications of these findings for theory, practice, and research in IWL are discussed.
Personal hygiene and taking into account the preventive measures and safety among healthcare providers

Negligence of personal hygiene and safety practices among healthcare personnel is not only a major risk factor in the spread of infection, but is in many instances an abuse of human rights. Aim: the study aim was to assess the personal hygiene and taking into account the preventive measures and safety among healthcare providers. Tools: An interview questionnaire sheet and personal hygiene and vaccination status. Subject and methods: A descriptive design was used in the current study and all available doctors, nurses and housekeeper in the days of data collection. Results: It was found that the majority of physicians (76.2%) were holders of a bachelor degree of medicine, while the majority of nurses were holders of a diploma /technical of nursing and the majority of housekeepers were holders of a basic education. There were highly statistical significant differences based on study groups, profession, and qualifications. Conclusion: The adherence of the majority of healthcare provider with personal hygiene and safety measures were ranged from poor to fair. There was a relationship between availability of protective equipments barrier and personal hygiene practices and safety measures. Recommendations: A significant efforts are needed to enhance universal precaution compliance among caregivers includes training, strict supervision with disciplinary measures for poor compliance with improve the facilities available and equipments for personal hygiene and safety.
MODEL CATEGORY STRUCTURES ARISING FROM DRINFELD

We present a general construction of model category structures on the category C(Qco(X)) of unbounded chain complexes of quasi-coherent sheaves on a semi-separated scheme X. The construction is based on making compatible the filtrations of individual modules of sections at open affine subsets of X. It does not require closure under direct limits as previous methods. We apply it to describe the derived category D(Qco(X)) via various model structures on C(Qco(X)). As particular instances, we recover recent results on the flat model structure for quasi-coherent sheaves. Our approach also includes the case of (infinite-dimensional) vector bundles, and of restricted flat Mittag-Leffler quasi-coherent sheaves, as introduced by Drinfeld. Finally, we prove that the unrestricted case does not induce a model category structure as above in general.
Cosmic degeneracies III: N-body simulations of interacting dark energy with non-Gaussian initial conditions

We perform for the first time N-body simulations of Interacting Dark Energy assuming non-Gaussian initial conditions, with the aim of investigating possible degeneracies of these two theoretically independent phenomena in different observational probes. We focus on the large-scale matter distribution, as well as on the statistical and structural properties of collapsed halos and cosmic voids. On very large scales, we show that it is possible to choose the Interaction and non-Gaussian parameters such that their effects on the halo power spectrum cancel, and the power spectrum is indistinguishable from a $\mathrm{\Lambda CDM}$ model. On small scales, measurements of the non-linear matter power spectrum, halo-matter bias, halo and subhalo mass function and cosmic void number function validate the degeneracy determined on large scales. However, the internal structural properties of halos and cosmic voids, namely halo concentration-mass relation and void density profile, are very different from those measured in the $\mathrm{\Lambda CDM}$ model, thereby breaking the degeneracy. In practice, the values of $\mathrm{f_{NL}}$ required to cancel the effect of interaction are already ruled by observations. Our results show in principle that the combination of large- and small-scale probes is needed to constrain Interacting Dark Energy and Primordial non-Gaussianity separately.
Assessment of a multiresolution snow reanalysis framework: a multidecadal reanalysis case over the upper Yampa River basin, Colorado

Abstract. A multiresolution (MR) approach was successfully implemented in the context of a data assimilation (DA) framework to efficiently estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) over a large head water catchment in the Colorado River basin (CRB), while decreasing computational constraints by 60 %. A total of 31 years of fractional snow cover area (fSCA) images derived from Landsat TM, ETM+, and OLI sensor measurements were assimilated to generate two SWE reanalysis datasets, a baseline case at a uniform 90 m spatial resolution and another using the MR approach. A comparison of the two showed negligible differences in terms of snow accumulation, melt, and timing for the posterior estimates (in terms of both ensemble median and coefficient of variation). The MR approach underestimated the baseline peak SWE by less than 2 % and underestimated day of peak and duration of the accumulation season by a day on average. The largest differences were, by construct, limited primarily to areas of low complexity, where shallow snowpacks tend to exist. The MR approach should allow for more computationally efficient implementations of snow data assimilation applications over large-scale mountain ranges, with accuracies similar to those that would be obtained using ∼ 100 m simulations. Such uniform resolution applications are generally infeasible due to the computationally expensive nature of ensemble-based DA frameworks.
On the crossing mode of the long-period Cepheid SV Vulpeculae

The Cepheid SV Vul is demonstrated to be in the second crossing of the instability strip on the basis of its well- defined period decrease of −214.3 ± 5. 5s yr −1 . Recent arguments from its atmospheric abundance pattern that it is in the first crossing are not supported by the historical photometric data. Furthermore, an examination of atmospheric abundance patterns for other Cepheids in advanced strip crossing modes suggests that the presence of CNO-processed material in the atmospheres of intermediate-mass stars does not arise from red supergiant dredge-up phases but from meridional mixing during previous evolution as rapidly-rotating main-sequence B-type stars.