Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Production of five Merino type lines in a terminal crossbreeding system with Dormer or Suffolk sires

This study details the production performance of ewes and lambs that originated from a terminal crossbreeding experiment that involved five Merino type dam lines and two terminal crossbreeding sire lines from 1999 to 2002. Ewe lines were SA Mutton Merino (SAMM), SAMM rams crossed to Merino ewes (SAMM cross), Dohne Merino, as well as specialist Merino lines selected for clean fleece weight (FW+) and for an increased reproduction rate (Rep+). Dormer and Suffolk rams were used as sire breeds on these ewes. Data include 777 birth and 605 weaning records of lambs and 562 production year records of ewes. At birth the progeny of SAMM ewes were heavier than those of the other ewe lines, while FW+ ewes produced smaller lambs at birth than SAMM cross and Rep+ ewes. Lamb survival was not significantly affected by ewe line or sire breed. The progeny of the dual-purpose ewe lines (SAMM, SAMM cross and Dohne Merino) were heavier than those of Merino ewes (FW+ and Rep+) at weaning. No sire breed difference was found for birth or weaning weight. The joining weights of dual-purpose ewe lines were higher than those of Merinos. Although considerable variation was found between ewe lines in terms of lamb output (number or weight of lamb weaned per ewe joined), the only significant difference was for weight of lamb weaned between SAMM cross and FW+ Merino ewes. Means for weight of lamb weaned per joining (in kg) were 37.3 for SAMM ewes, 39.6 for SAMM cross ewes, 35.5 for Dohne Merino ewes, 28.9 for FW+ ewes and 34.6 for Rep+ ewes. No differences in ewe reproduction were found between ewes joined to Dormer or Suffolk rams. The clean wool production of SAMM ewes amounted to 46% of that recorded in FW+ ewes. Corresponding percentages were 68% for SAMM cross ewes, 74% for Dohne Merino ewes and 90% for Rep+ ewes. The wool of SAMM ewes was slightly coarser in diameter than those of SAMM cross and FW+ ewes, which in turn was coarser than those of Rep+ and Dohne Merino ewes. The economic viability of crossbreeding programs involving the respective ewe lines would depend on the ratio between the prices of wool and lamb. No conclusive advantage could be demonstrated in favour of any of the sire breeds.
MYCOBACTERIUM GROWTH INDICATOR TUBE (MGIT) IN COMPARISON TO LOWENSTEIN JENSEN'S MEDIUM FOR ISOLATION OF MYCOBACTERIUM SPECIES FROM URINE SAMPLES.

The purpose of this study was to test the capability, efficiency, and reliability of the Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT; Becton Dickinson) for the detection of mycobacteria in urine samples, for which the method had not yet been approved. The results were compared with those of the Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) solid media in terms of recovery of mycobacteria from 307 consecutive urine specimens. The overall sensitivity for recovery of mycobacterium from urine specimens was 90.3% for the MGIT and 16.1% for LJ medium and this difference was found to be statistically significant. The mean time for positivity for MGIT was 19.4 days, while that for LJ medium was 43 days. However, despite the advantages and the higher sensitivity of the MGIT, solid media will still play a role in the recovery of mycobacterium from urine specimens as few of cases were picked by solid media alone. Therefore laboratories should continue to use a combination of liquid broth and solid media for the isolation of mycobacterium.
SPECTRUM OF SKIN TUMORS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN NORTHERN INDIA

BACKGROUND: There is limited data on the spectrum of benign and malignant neoplasms of skin and subcutis in India. AIM: This study was undertaken in a tertiary care hospital of Uttarakhand to evaluate the frequency of various neoplasms affecting skin and subcutis in biopsy specimens. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective and prospective analysis of 660 skin biopsies was undertaken. The neoplasms were categorized as per International classification of World health Organization (WHO). RESULTS: Of all the skin biopsies analyzed, tumors were seen in 24.5% (162/660). Benign neoplasms were more frequently seen (72.8 %) than malignant neoplasms (27.2%). Benign to malignant ratio was 2.7:1. Amongst the benign neoplasms, soft tissue tumors including vascular, fibrous/ fibrohistiocytic, lipomatous and neural tumors constituted the largest group (61.2%) followed by appendageal tumors (22.0%), melanocytic naevi (12.3%) and keratinocytic tumors (5.1%). On the other hand, amongst the malignant neoplasms, keratinocytic tumors were the commonest (77.3%) followed by melanoma (9.1%) and appendageal tumors (9.1%). CONCLUSION: Soft tissue tumors of skin and subcutis form the largest group amongst the benign neoplasms and keratinocytic tumors are the commonest malignant skin tumors.
Can population growth contribute to economic development? New evidence from Singapore

This paper chose Singapore as a case study to investigate whether population growth can contribute to economic development. It employed four different single-equation tests for cointegration, namely, 1) ordinary least squares, 2) fully modified ordinary least squares, 3) canonical cointegration regression, and 4) dynamic ordinary least squares. The empirical findings indicated a mutually reinforcing bilateral causality between population and economic development in the island-state. This highlights a dynamic nature of the population-development relationship in the country. In other words, Singapore's population growth did contribute to the nation's economic development, which in return stimulated population expansion in the country.
BDNF and Synaptic Plasticity: The Recent Cell Biology for Understanding of Brain Disorders

The cell biology of synaptic plasticity and neurotrophic factor has been extending to the understanding of pathological mechanisms of brain disorders. This knowledge could prove beneficial for the development of new therapies against brain diseases. Dendritic spines are actin-rich structures, which are part of most excitatory synapses in the central nervous systems. Recent studies have shown that the morphological plasticity of the spine plays a crucial role in higher brain functions, such as learning and memory. How neuronal activity modifies the morphology of the spines is an exactly prominent issue. Brain-derived Neurotrophic Dactor (BDNF) is a traditional, yet fully characterized neurotrophic factor, and the key role in the adult brain is to modulate synaptic plasticity. This review focuses on recent advances in the research of dendrite spines, synaptic plasticity, and BDNF. Lastly, the recent research of BDNF for the development of new therapies, in particular, against depression is discussed.
An Overview of Microfinance Service Practices in Nepal

Microfinance is not simply banking for the poor; it is a development approach with a social mission and a private sector-based financial bottom line that uses tested and continually adjusted sets of principles, practices and technologies. The key to successful microfinance lies in the ability of the provider to cost-effectively reach a critical mass of clients with systems of delivery, market responsiveness, risk management and control that can generate a profit to the institution. Typically, this profit is ploughed back to ensure the long-term survival of the institution, i.e. the continuous provision of services demanded by its clients. The two long-term goals of microfinance are thus substantial outreach and sustainability. This article focus on microfinance services practices in Nepal on the basis of opinion survey. The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies Vol. Vii, No. 1, 2010-2011 Page : 1-16 Uploaded date : July 7, 2012
Genetic analysis of values, trends and relations between conformation and milk traits in Polish Holstein-Friesian cows

Abstract. In the work presented an analysis was performed of the genetic values of conformation traits in cows and their relations with the genetic value of dairy traits, basing on dairy performance (milk, fat and protein yield) and conformation data, obtained for Polish Holstein-Friesian cows of the Black-and-White variety, born between year 2001 and 2004, and maintained in 21 herds in the region of Wielkopolska (central Poland). The genetic values for the data analysed were estimated using the BLUP method and a mixed model. For the traits analysed a genetic trend was estimated as well as genetic correlations between the dairy and conformation traits. The population analysed was divided depending on year of birth and production level. The results obtained show a systematic increase in the traits analysed (positive genetic trends), both for the dairy and for conformation traits (with the exception of temperament). The highest genetic correlations between dairy and conformation traits were obtained for the udder, temperament and dairy type, while the lowest for height at sacrum and calibre. The analysis of the genetic value of conformation traits in cows of different dairy production genetic values indicated that the highest results were obtained for the group of animals with the highest genetic dairy production value. In turn, the analysis of the genetic value of traits of cows born in different years did not show statistically significant differences, with the exception of height in the youngest group.
Photoperiod and Stock Plant Age Effects on Shoot, Stolon, and Rhizome Formation Response from Leaf Cuttings of Achimenes

Leaf cuttings of three cultivars of Achimenes, ‘A09’, ‘A16’, and ‘A23’ were taken from stock plants of different ages and photoperiod treatments to determine the effects of these environmental treatments on subsequent growth and development. The cuttings were planted and placed in either long days (LD, 16 hours) or short days (SD, 8 hours) at 20°C in growth chambers. Stock plant leaf age had significant effect on rhizome, shoot, and stolon initiation. Old leaf tissue had a greater propensity to initiate rhizomes, 2 times more than that of young tissue. Young tissue responded with the production of shoots and stolons, 25 and 3.5 times more, respectively, than that of old tissue. Rhizome response was also promoted when leaf cuttings received a LD stock plant photoperiod followed by a SD propagation photoperiod.
Market Share Considerations and Price Dynamics

We develop a micro-founded dynamic general equilibrium model in which …rms are endogenously concerned with their market share position. Introducing customer ‡ow dynamics into the …rm's problem yields a tradeobetween increasing the pro…t margin in the short run and investing in a stock of customers that will allow the …rm to sustain higher pro…ts in the long run. We show that in an environment where …rms face such an intertemporal problem, sector-speci…c and economy- wide shocks have very dierent implications for the pricing behavior of producers, and argue that this is consistent with the empirical evidence on cost pass-through and the cyclicality of markups. We also …nd that the perceived shock persistence is an important determinant of the cost pass-through. On the basis of these results, we investigate what happens when …rms are uncertain about the nature of the shocks they face. Finally, we brie‡y discuss a natural application of this model to the study of exchange rate pass-through.
Nutritional, eco-physiological and symbiotic characteristics of rhizobia nodulating faba bean ( Vicia faba L.) collected from acidic soils of Ethiopia

Characterization of root nodule bacteria is used for selecting and using them as inoculants to improve legume production. To this end, faba bean (Vicia faba L.) rhizobia were isolated from nodules collected from acidic soils of Central and Southern-Western parts of Ethiopia. A total of hundred rhizobial isolates were collected and characterized based upon their nutritional, ecophysiological and symbiotic characteristics. The isolates produced low to copious amount of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and attain colony sizes ranging from 2 to 7 mm with generation time ranging 0.75 to 3.9 h. Most of the isolates were grown at different pH levels ranging 4.5 to 7.0 and temperatures between 4 and 45°C. They were also capable of growing on many carbon sources and most of the nitrogen sources, and showed significant variations in resisting different types of antibiotics and heavy metals. Based on symbiotic efficiency (SE), 56% of the isolates were found to be very effective when applied with both Degaga and Dosha varieties. All taken together, two isolates, HUGAVf1 and HUCDVf5 were nutritionally versatile, showed a wide range of tolerance to the stress in many of the ecophysiological characters and very effective symbiotic performance should be utilized in future faba bean inoculants production. Key words: Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar. viceae, antibiotic tolerance, carbon utilization, fast growing, heavy metals, temperature tolerance.
The impact of climate variation and disturbances on the carbon balance of forests in Hokkaido, Japan

We evaluated the long-term (52-year) effect of climate, disturbance, and subsequent recovery on the carbon balance of cool temperate forests by using the process-based ecosystem model VISIT. The study sites were artificial larch forests planted after clear-cutting of mixed forest in Hokkaido, Japan. The model was validated, scenarios were computed, and a sensitivity analysis was performed. First, we performed a baseline simulation of carbon dynamics and compared these values with those observed across a wide range of stand ages (old mixed forest and young and middle-aged larch forests). Second, we ran scenarios to investigate how disturbance and several climate factors affect long-term carbon fluxes. Third, we analyzed the sensitivity of carbon balance to the amount of disturbance-generated tree biomass residues. By taking into account seasonal variation in the understory leaf area index, which played an important role, especially in the initial stage of recovery, the simulated net ecosystem production (NEP), gross primary production, ecosystem respiration, and biomass for the three types of forest were consistent with observed values (mean ± SD of R 2 of monthly NEP, GPP and RE for the three types of forest were 0.63 ± 0.26, 0.93 ± 0.07, 0.94 ± 0.2, respectively). The effect of disturbances such as clear-cutting, land-use conversion, and thinning on the long-term trend of NEP was larger than that of climate variation, even 50 years after clear-cutting. In contrast, interannual variation in the carbon balance was primarily driven by climate variation. These findings indicate that disturbance controlled the long-term trend of the carbon balance, whereas climate factors controlled yearly variation in the carbon balance. Among the meteorological factors considered, temperature and precipitation were the main ones that affected NEP and its interannual variation. The carbon balance in the initial post-disturbance period, which is strongly affected by the amount of residues, influenced the subsequent long-term carbon budget, implying the importance of residue management. Consequently, carbon release just after disturbance and the length of the recovery period required to balance the carbon budget are controlled by the amount of residues.
Are maximum ground forces and leg compression in phase? A test of the classical spring mass model of running gaits

The mechanical understanding of human running has classically been described as a spring-mass system, with subsequent models predicting the movements of the body’s center of mass and the forces applied by the leg against the ground. A central requirement of any spring system is the phasic relationship between the length of the elastic elements and the forces applied to these structures. Specifically, elastic elements compress under load and extend as the load is released. We tested whether this model applies to individuals with specialization for extreme performance in human gait. Recent work from elite level sprint runners suggest that their patterns of force application differ from those used during slow speed running, and similarly differ between individuals capable of high speed running and those that are not. We measured force application and center of mass movements in collegiate sprinters (n=7; top speed 10.1 ± 0.7 m s -1 ) and recreational runners (n=9; top speed 8.4 ± 0.1m s -1 ) as they ran on an instrumented force treadmill at speeds spanning each individual’s range. Between these groups we found sprinters applied greater stance average forces at common speeds (mean difference = 11 ± 0.2%) and used an asymmetrical pattern of force application to do so when running at speeds great than 7.0 m s -1 . Further at speeds greater than this threshold peak force application preceded minimum center of mass height by 13±1% when expressed relative to the duration of foot-ground contact. This result produced force-length relationships, a method to describe the elastic properties of the leg, that were unique among terrestrial species displaying increased compression of the leg despite lesser levels of force application. We conclude sprint runners use novel gait mechanics to obtain increased whole-body performance rather than a reliance on the storage and release of elastic energy, classically documented at low speeds and for recreational runners.
Influence of post-peak feed withdrawal rate on egg production by broiler breeders of different weights.

Broiler breeder hens are subjected to feed withdrawal as production declines after about 30 weeks of age. This study investigated effects of fast and slow feed withdrawal rates in both high and low weight hens, since body weight influences energy needs and nutrient stores. Daily allotments accounted for weight differences between high and low weight groups while decreasing 20.2 g per hen (12.8%) from peak production to 60 weeks in the slow withdrawal treatment, and 40.4 g per hen (25.6%) in the fast withdrawal treatment. From 31-60 weeks, weight gain was greatest in slow (702 g), intermediate in high-fast (351 g), and least in the low-fast treatment (219 g). Egg production began earlier and was greater in the high than low weight treatment from 23-30 weeks, was unaffected by treatments from 31-40 weeks, was greater in the slow than fast withdrawal treatment from 41-50 weeks and was greater in the low than high weight treatment from 51-60 weeks. Total production was unaffected by weight but 4.6 eggs per hen less in the fast relative to slow withdrawal treatment. The egg weight increase from 30-60 weeks was 1.4 g less in the fast relative to slow withdrawal treatment. Feed efficiency was better in the low than high weight treatment, but only marginally reduced by the fast relative to slow withdrawal treatment. These results indicate low weight breeder hens produce similar egg numbers with greater efficiency than high weight hens. In addition, doubling the typical feed withdrawal rate limits body and egg weight increases, but since it reduces egg production it only minimally improves feed efficiency.
The relationship between income and housing deprivation in Luxembourg: a longitudinal analysis *

The relationship between income and housing deprivation in Luxembourg is analysed at both a cross-sectional and longitudinal level using data from the Panel Socio-Economique ? Liewen zu Letzebuerg? (PSELL3) for 2003 to 2009. Long-term housing deprivation is negatively associated with long-term income but this relationship is not confirmed when controlling for unobserved heterogeneity through fixed effect models. This finding suggests that housing deprivation is less affected by short variations in income than by measures of permanent income and that unobserved characteristics of households, such as their wealth or assets, may affect the relationship between long-term income and long-term deprivation.
A study of disease pattern in a tertiary level Gastroenterology and Hepatology Out-Patient Unit

Background: Diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract and its accessory organs like the liver, gall bladder and the pancreas have become a global concern as they are characterized by morbidities with high burden to both the individual and the economy. Objective: To describe the pattern of various gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases at a tertiary institution. Methods: A retrospective study of consecutive new referrals for ambulatory clinic visits to a Gastroenterology and Hepatology Clinic between May 2014 and May 2016 was conducted. Results: There were 259 new cases comprising 148 (57.1%) males and 111 (42.9%) females, aged 16-89 years with a mean age of 42.0 ±15.5 years. The commonest reasons for referral included asymptomatic chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection (35.9%), chronic liver disease (CLD) (12.4%), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (11.6%) and dyspepsia (10%). Asymptomatic HBV infection, CLD and HCC were more frequent among the males, whereas dyspeptic complains were more prevalent among the females (p = 0.008). Conclusion: Asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B virus infection, which is the leading cause of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma, was the most common reason for ambulatory gastroenterology and hepatology consultation in this study. Therefore, more effective measures for the eradication of the hepatitis B virus are desired.
Effect of Parameter Distributions on Uncertainty Analysis of Hydrologic Models

Increasing concern about the accuracy of hydrologic and water quality models has prompted interest in procedures for evaluating the uncertainty associated with these models. If a Monte Carlo simulation is used in an uncertainty analysis, assumptions must be made relative to the probability distributions to assign to the model input parameters. Some have indicated that since these parameters can not be readily determined, uncertainty analysis is of limited value. In this article we have evaluated the impact of parameter distribution assumptions on estimates of model output uncertainty. We conclude that good estimates of the means and variances of the input parameters are of greater importance than the actual form of the distribution. This conclusion is based on an analysis using the AGNPS model.
Effect of soil roughness on the inversion of off‐ground monostatic GPR signal for noninvasive quantification of soil properties

We report on a laboratory experiment that investigates the effect of soil surface roughness on the identification of the soil electromagnetic properties from full‐wave inversion of ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) data in the frequency domain. The GPR system consists of an ultrawide band stepped‐frequency continuous‐wave radar combined with an off‐ground monostatic horn antenna. Radar measurements were performed above a rectangular container filled with a loose sandy soil subject to seven water contents and four random surface roughnesses, including a smooth surface as reference. Compared to previous studies, we have reduced the modeling error of the GPR signal for the smooth surface case thanks to improved antenna transfer functions by solving an overdetermined system of equations based on six model configurations instead of only three. Then, the continuously increasing effect of surface roughness on the radar signal with respect to frequency is clearly observed. In close accordance with Rayleigh's criterion, both the radar signal and the inversely estimated parameters are not significantly affected if the surface protuberances are smaller than one eighth of a wavelength. In addition, when this criterion is not respected, errors are made in the estimated parameters, but the inverse solution remains stable. This demonstrates the promising perspectives for application of GPR for noninvasive water content estimation in agricultural and environmental field applications.