Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alternative respiration in seven Quercus Spp. of SW Spain

The terminal part of the mitochondrial electron pathway, consists of two terminal oxidases: the cytochrome oxidase (sensitive to cyanide) and the alternative oxidase (both resistant to cyanide and sensitive to salicylhidroxamic acid). This study assesses the presence and importance of these two respiratory branches in the roots of seven Mediterranean Quercus species (4 evergreens and 3 deciduous) typical of the South Spain landscapes. The experiments were carried out with seedlings growing under controlled conditions. Determinations were performed using specific inhibitors of both respiration systems (potassium cyanide and salicylhydroxamic acid). The results showed that, under the experimental growth conditions, root respiration of all species was sensitive to salicylhydroxamic acid, indicating that the alternative oxidase was engaged. Under the experimental growth conditions, the seven woody species studied have a range of cyanide-resistant respiration (37.7 % - 60.9 %) which is in the line of the value published for Q. suber, but lower than those published for herbaceous species. This suggests that higher cyanide-resistant respiration might be adaptive in herbaceous species because of their generally higher growth and respiration rates. In the same line, the deciduous species considered in the present study showed a salicylhydroxamic acid sensitive respiration (32 % ± 2.2 %) that is significantly higher than that of the evergreen ones (20.7 % ± 0.8 %), which have generally lower growth and respiration rates. Besides, this suggests that the Mediterranean evergreen species are more efficient in the use of energy than deciduous ones, which is in accordance with the putative low fertility of their habitats. Even not conclusive, the analysis of results shows a general pattern relating faster growth rates, more active tissues, higher respiration rates and higher alternative respiration rates; all which is in according with the expected as regards of the recent studies on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
Profitability of coffee production in Kabba / Bunu local government area of Kogi State Nigeria

The study surveyed economics of coffee production in Kabba/Bunu local government area of Kogi state. 100 farmers were purposively selected from the villages considered based on the predominance of coffee production. The tools used for data analysis were descriptive statistics, net farm income and multiple regression analysis. The study revealed that 74% of the farmers are male while 26% are female and the mean age of the farmers is 56 years, mean household size of 8 persons and they cultivate an average of 1.5 ha of farmland with over 25 years experience in coffee production. The cost and return analysis shows that coffee production in the area has a profitability index of 0.29 with a return margin of N8,855.40 per household per hectare. The result of the regression analysis shows that five variables gender (x1), age (x2), household size (x5), farming experience (x7) and farm size (x8) were significant at 1% level and have positive effect on the income of coffee farmers. It was concluded that coffee production is profitable in the study area; age, family size, farming experience and farm size play vital roles in increasing coffee production, level of profit was affected by the high cost of labour, processing method, low yield and the unavailability of accessible market. Based on findings, it was recommended that land ownership system in the study area should be revisited, the cost of inputs especially hired labour should be regulated, and extension agents should encourage and educate the farmers on the use of fertilizer.
Controlled Traffic Farming - from research to adoption in northern Europe and its future prospects

Controlled traffic farming (CTF) is based on a machinery management system that confines all field vehicles to the least possible area of permanent traffic lanes. It has developed in response to research evidence of widespread soil damage from compaction due to field traffic. The history of research on soil compaction is explored and found to be a relatively new phenomenon; even in the 1960s research concentrated on civil engineering projects aimed at maximising compaction while that related to agriculture did not start to increase until the late 1970s and has yet to plateau. Controlled traffic farming as a topic for research did not appear until the 1980s although its principles and benefits were well established before then. These benefits were reinforced during the 1980s when some of the key studies were done. Research expanded over the next decades but changed subtly to more reviews on the topic as well as emphasis on environmental deliverables and some economics studies. Few if any researchers attempted to develop on-farm systems using existing machinery until the mid 1990s when a small and dedicated team in Australia encouraged farmers to experiment. After a slow start, this led to rapid expansion across the continent to its present day approximate 13% of the cropped area. Despite changes to extension services in northern Europe at around the turn of the century and a move to subsidiarity, this did not alter the model of CTF adoption which mirrored the Australian experience. This followed a similar pattern to that in Australia involving individuals rather than organisations. Although CTF is well established in some countries in northern Europe, its future is far from assured with little over 50,000 ha known to be in this method of production. Legislation or incentives on environmental grounds could change this situation dramatically. A plea is made for more farmer and researcher partnerships that improve the quality and effectiveness of research and assist with its more efficient uptake. The future of CTF is explored and uncovers major potential in wide span machinery systems. These could move food production efficiency to a new level as well as delivering unprecedented benefits to the environment.
DIVIDEND POLICY AND VALUE OF THE FIRM:IS DIVIDEND RELEVANT OR NOT?

This study examines the possible effects of dividend policy on firm value. The study covers 10 quoted companies studied for the period of 1995 - 2015. In so doing, the methodology adopted is the ordinary least square regression analysis for primary data analyses and multiple regression analysis for the secondary data analyses with models MPS (Market Price per Share) as dependent variable, EPS (Earnings per Share) and DPS (Dividend Per Share) as independent variables. The study shows the relevance of dividend as a signaling model and proves that firm value is greatly influenced by dividend policy as far as public limited companies are concerned.
VISUAL SEXUAL STIMULATION THROUGH THE AMYGDALA MAY AFFECT THE INDIVIDUALS EMOTIONAL STATE

The nature of sexual stimulation in the brain is not well established. In this regard, the role of emotional brain (which is called as the amygdaloid complex) needs to be evaluated more precisely. The amygdala is a silent region in the temporal part of the brain which has enriched connections with the parts of the brain both involved in the cognition functions and sensory information process. These connections gives the amygdala to receive unique information from visual cortex about the environments as well as other parts of the body, merge these information and produce sufficient outputs to the different parts of the frontal cortex to exhibit a behavior relevant to the stimulation. The present study tries to review the data exist about this function of the amygdala.
Science Clubs as a Vehicle to Enhance Science Teaching and Learning in Schools

The introduction of science at schools is an important vehicle for science communication. It is generally understood that the first experiences of science influence scientific interest. Sustaining this interest through the education pipeline from primary to secondary to post school science careers is a challenge faced by the education system of all countries. It is therefore imperative that suitable vehicles are chosen to communicate science to learners at all levels to enable them to make informed decisions about opportunities presented by science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This paper in general reviewed selected reports on the use of science clubs as a vehicle to promote science activities in various contexts. It also in particular reported on the outcomes of the implementation of science clubs in rural South African schools and highlighted the findings of the experiences of schools participating in a project using science clubs to develop a culture of science learning.
ANTHROPOGENIC DISTURBANCES ON THE REGENERATION OF TREE SPECIES IN THE MIXED BROADLEAVED FOREST OF THE HIMALAYAN REGION, NEPAL

The aim of this study was to assess the anthropogenic impacts on the vegetation structure and regeneration of dominant tree species in the community managed mixed broadleaved forests of the Sargamatha (Everest) National Park buffer zone area. The forest plots were categorized into disturbed and semi-disturbed considering the scale of anthropogenic disturbances such as percentage of biomass extraction, lopping, tramping coverage and grazing intensity. For each forest type, three radii (10 m, 5 m and 2.5 m) plots were laid for sampling trees, sapling and seedling layers, respectively. In both the forest sites, Quercus semecarpifolia and Rhododendron arboreum were the main dominant tree species. The distribution of Q. semecarpifolia and R. arboreum along with diameter classes showed high stem density mainly concentrated in 2-15 cm diameter class. In both sites, the density of R. arboreum showed increment from sapling to seedling stage, while no seedling of Q. semecarpifolia was recorded in the disturbed site. The absence of Q . semecarpifolia seedlings in the disturbed forest sites could be associated with the practice of biomass removal and forest management activities. The study attributed that Rhododendron species in the study sites were not frequently cut, browsed, or lopped due to their religious belief and its ornamental value. Thus R. arboreum is expected to be slowly expanded if biotic pressure is maintained less. This may cause change in the vegetation structure and scarcity of resources for livelihood. On the whole, managing the forest in an equitable and sustainable way could satisfy basic needs and improve the livelihood of rural people in the study area. J. Nat. Hist. Mus. Vol. 27, 2013: 35-44
Estimating Tourism's Share Of Local Income From Secondary Data Sources

Typically, primary survey data is necessary to gauge the scale of local tourism. This paper proposes an alternative method for generating county-level estimates of employee compensation attributable to tourism based on secondary data sources. The procedure used principal components and cluster analyses to establish regions matched by tourism structure. Minimum requirements was then used to estimate the share of employee compensation attributable to non-local demand. The procedure was applied to Wisconsin counties to estimate tourism shares attributable to travelers and recreational home owners. The principal components analysis showed that Wisconsin tourism is driven by variable combinations of three components: urban tourism, outdoor-based activities, and natural parks/specialty tourism. Minimum requirements generated county-level estimates of non-local demand for disaggregated tourism-sensitive business sectors. Tourism shares ranged from approximately 3 percent of total employee compensation within the urban clusters to about 10 percent in the nature and parks clusters.
In vitro anticoagulant activity of Nelumbo nucifera leaf extracts on normal healthy blood plasma

Aim: Hemostasis is the process of formation of clots within the walls of damaged blood vessels. To prevent abnormal bleeding and to maintain intravascular blood in a fluid state, in this study we aimed to evaluate the possible anticoagulant effect of leaf extracts of Nelumbo nucifera. Materials and Methods: The aqueous, methanol, acetone, and ethyl acetate extracts of N. nucifera at different concentrations were tested for in vitro prothrombin time (PT) test. The in vitro anticoagulant effects of different extracts of N. nucifera in different concentrations 0.5, 0.25, 0.125, and 0.062 g/ml were examined using plasma, collected from blood samples of normal individuals by measuring PT. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and saline in distilled water were used as a negative and positive control, respectively. The extract plasma was subjected to anticoagulation activity and was compared with EDTA-plasma and saline plasma. Results: The methanol leaf extract of N. nucifera was found to inhibit coagulation process in 60 min: 3 s in 0.5 g/ml. The time taken for clotting at the concentration of 0.5 g/methanol leaf extract showed the moderate effect of 10 min:20 s with respect to control while ethyl acetate extract showed the least effect of 8 min: 23 s compared to control. Overall, the concentration of 0.5 g/ml of leaf extract showed a maximum effect in all the tested extracts with respect to other concentrations 0.25, 0.125, and 0.062 g/ml. Thus, N. nucifera methanol, ethanol, and ethyl acetate leaf extract in different concentrations inhibits clot formation and increases the PT in a dose-dependent manner. The observed prolonged prothrombin activity could be due to the presence of certain phytochemical constituents in the crude extract. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids and steroid compounds in the crude extract and further, the active principles could be isolated and evaluated for clinical or physiological purposes. Conclusion: In vitro, anticoagulant activity studies results demonstrated that leaf extract N. nucifera possesses pharmacologically active anticoagulant components which could be helpful in preventing blood clotting disorders. Thus, in future N. nucifera leaf could be used as a supplementary source of natural anticoagulant.
Evaluation of Dimensional Changes of Supraosseous Gingiva Following Crown Lengthening

Background and aims. Clinical studies on dimensional changes of supraosseous gingiva (SOG) following crown lengthening surgery have yielded different results. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the alterations in SOG dimension following crown lengthening surgery. Materials and methods. This clinical study included 20 patients with 20 teeth needing surgical exposure for proper restorative treatment. Clinical parameters, including GI, PD, SOG, KG (keratinized gingiva) and BL (bone level) were recorded at baseline and two months after treatment. Surgical crown lengthening procedures were carried out on all the teeth. After a two-month period of healing, the parameters were measured again. Results. The amount of KG at the baseline and two months after treatment were 5.00 Â± 0.85 and 4.15 Â± 0.9 mm, respectively (P = 0.001). The FGM at baseline, immediately after suturing, and two months later were 4.07 Â± 1.36 mm, 5.46 Â± 1.15 mm and 5.16 Â± 1.1 mm, respectively (P = 0.004). The mean bone reduction was 1.69 Â± 0.52 mm. The mean SOG at interproximal site at baseline and two months after surgery were 3.87 Â± 0.7 mm and 3.22 Â± 0.5 mm, respectively (P = 0.001). The mean tissue re-growth at interproximal sites was 2.2 Â± 0.5 mm. Conclusion. Following surgical crown lengthening, vertical dimension of SOG significantly decreased within two months after treatment. TPS is a reliable and accurate technique for measuring the apico-coronal dimension of SOG.
Schizophonic Performance: Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Virtual Virtuosity

Abstract This article addresses Guitar Hero and Rock Band gameplay as a developing form of collaborative, participatory rock music performance. Drawing on ethnomusicology, performance studies, popular music studies, gender and sexuality studies, and interdisciplinary digital media scholarship, I investigate the games' models of rock heroism, media debates about their impact, and players' ideas about genuine musicality, rock authenticity, and gendered performance conventions. Grounded in ethnographic research—including interviews, a Web-based qualitative survey, and media reception analysis—this article enhances our understanding of performance at the intersection of the “virtual” and the “real,” while also documenting the changing nature of amateur musicianship in an increasingly technologically mediated world.
X-RAY STUDIES AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY IN COPPER AND COBALT COMPLEXES WITH IMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVE LIGANDS

The complexes Diaqua-bis(5-nitroimidazole)-copper(II)-dinitrate (1); Tetrakis(4- phenylimidazole)-copper(II)-dinitrate, ethanol solvate (2); Bis(4phenylimidazole)-bis(acetate)-copper(II) (3); Hexakis(4-phenylimidazole)-cobalt(II)-acetate (4) and Bis(2- phenylimidazole)-bis(acetate)-cobalt(II) (5), have been synthesized. Their structures were determined by X-ray analysis. The antimicrobial activities of these complexes have been screened in vitro against the microorganisms Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes. Complexes (1) and (3) showed antimicrobial activity over Gram positive and negative bacteria by a bacteriostatic effect. On the other hand, complexes (4) and (5) showed antibacterial activity with a bacteriolytic effect over Gram positive and negative bacteria. The cytotoxicity of complexes (3) and (4) was tested in vitro. These complexes presented cytotoxic effect to values near the MIC.
Definiteness Agreement and the Chinese DP

This paper reflects on how and why agreement systems may arise, maintain themselves and ultimately go into decay, and suggests that Mandarin Chinese relative clause/possessive de is a 'bleached' determiner instantiating one possible endpoint/outcome in the historical development of a system of definiteness agreement. Comparing Chinese with Hebrew, Buginese and other languages which show earlier stages of definiteness concord, it is suggested that Chinese shows an interesting deviation from more common patterns of determiner grammaticalization with the re-deployment rather than simple loss of the determiner de after its earlier hypothetical definiteness has disappeared. Synchronically the paper also attempts to show how an analysis of de as an enclitic determiner in D0 is able to explain a variety of current syntactic patterns in the language.
Advice and Student Agency in the Transition to Middle School

Abstract In response to the 2000 Virginia state writing prompt, eighth grade students wrote a letter of advice to a sixth grader coming to middle school for the first time. A purposeful sample of more than 10,000 writing responses was collected. Content analysis of a random sample of 350 responses revealed themes of advice for students negotiating the transition to middle school. Content analysis revealed that organizational themes were mentioned more frequently than personal/social or academic themes. The most frequently mentioned themes in each category were choosing and changing classes or electives, improving study habits, and making and managing friends. Data also revealed wide diversity in advice and a robust sense of student agency, including recommendations of student attitudes and attributes that were deemed important for new middle school students. Implications for middle school personnel are discussed and future research directions are presented.
The influence of grain legumes on spring wheat yield formation and phytosanitary state.

The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of grain legumes on spring wheat yield, its quality and phytosanitary state in an organic farming system. The experiment was carried out in 2007 and 2008 at the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture in Dotnuva on a loamy Endocalcari-Ephypogleyic Cambisol. Grain legumes - pea, lupine, bean, vetch and wheat were sown as intercrops and sole crops, and were grown organically for grain. The productivity and phytosanitary state of spring wheat sole crops or intercrops depended on the species of grain legume, however, the results varied over the experimental years. In 2007, the vetch and wheat intercrop produced a significantly higher grain yield than wheat in sole crop or in other intercrops. In 2008, no advantages of legume and wheat intercrops were revealed. The nitrogen content was higher in wheat when it was grown with legumes.
Demographic and Attitudinal Factors Influencing Doctoral Student Satisfaction

Higher education administrators face challenges in providing a welcoming environment for doctoral students in higher education institutions, as they must identify factors influencing students’ satisfaction in order to provide a supportive environment, reduce attrition rates, and promote persistence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify predictors of doctoral student satisfaction from demographics and attitudes concerning the campus environment. Participants were 132 (33 male, 99 female) doctoral students from two private nonprofit universities in the New York metropolitan area of the United States who completed either a web-based or paper/pencil survey in which demographics and opinions regarding student satisfaction were sought. Regression analysis on participant attitudes found that university services, advisor, and students were all significant predictor variables. Other demographic predictor variables included years in graduate school, race, and ethnicity. Of particular importance, as doctoral students progress in their program by year, dissatisfaction increases. This could be due to the increasing pressures of successfully completing the dissertation, the progress of which can be heavily influenced by advisor-student relationship. Overall findings may assist education administrators and institutional planners in making campus environments welcoming to students thereby increasing both student satisfaction and retention.
BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF EVALUATION OF RENAL AND HEPATIC FUNCTION OF COLIC HORSES SUBMITTED TO LAPAROTOMY THAT HAVE SURVIVED OR NOT

We examined 46 adult horses - six healthy, as control, (group 1), and 40 horses with colic submitted to treatment by laparotomy. Twenty animals had no postoperative complication (group 2), and twenty died or were euthanized from seven to ten days after the surgery (group 3). There was an increase in serum urea and creatinine concentration and AST, FA and GGT activity of animals from group 1 and group 2, indicative of renal and hepatic injury. The changes were associated with dehydration and endotoxins. Depending on the severity of the colic, animals may develop kidney and liver failure.
A study of the variability for grain and oil yield and yield related traits of castor beans accessions in two savannah agro- ecological zones of Cameroon

Field trials were carried out to investigate the seeds/oil yielding ability and yield related traits of three accessions of castor beans (Motso 1, Motso 2 and Ndoutourou) cultivated in the environmental conditions of the two agro-ecological zones of Northern Cameroon (Sudano-guinea zone and Sudano-sahelian zone). Planting was done following a randomized block design with 3 replications and three treatments (Castor bean accessions) in each of these study zones. The growing parameters, the seeds yield and oil yield were evaluated. Growing parameters and seeds and oil yields were significantly different (p<0.05) between castor bean accessions and the two study zones. Castor bean accessions adapted better in the Sudano-Guinea zone than the Sudano-sahelian zone. Irrespective of the growing zone, Ndoutourou accession possessed the highest seeds and oil yield, 4.09±0.004 and 4.28±0.02 t ha-1 respectively in Sudano-Guinea zone and Sudano-Sahelian zone) is more than those of Motso 1 and Motso 2 accessions. Motso 1 accession has the smallest seeds yield. It comes out from these results that Ndoutourou accession can be recommended to farmers of Northern Cameroon to be integrated into their agricultural systems.