Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Geographical influence of heat stress on milk production of Holstein dairy cattle on pasture in South Africa under current and future climatic conditions

Heat stress, as a consequence of global warming, can have a profound effect on dairy cattle in South Africa. In this paper, current milk production data of Holstein dairy herds on pasture in South Africa, together with climate variables related to heat stress, were used to model and identify geographical areas for optimal milk production under current and future climatic conditions. To model the influence of heat stress on milk production of Holstein dairy herds on pasture in South Africa, the maximum entropy (Maxent) modelling technique was used in a novel approach to model and map optimal milk-producing areas. Geographical locations of farms with top milk-producing Holstein herds on pasture were used as presence-only data points. Only three of a possible eight climate variables that made significant contributions to the model were included, namely evaporation rate, relative humidity and mean annual temperature. The modelling technique showed good capability to capture the geographical influence of heat stress on milk production of Holstein dairy cattle and to reconstruct this relationship in sites where no data were available. The method performed well with low test omission rates, an area under curve (AUC) value of 0.929, and mean training data predictive rate of 0.66 (SD = 0.13). The modelled map indicated optimal milk production areas in the eastern parts of South Africa, which correlates well with the geographical influence of heat stress as represented by the temperature humidity index for the country. Future climate change projections (2046–2065) were used to predict optimal milk-producing areas for the future, indicating progressive shrinking of currently suitable areas and a geographical shift towards the southern parts of the east coast of South Africa. Possible long-term viable alternatives are suggested, including changes in nutrition and replacing existing breeds with more heat tolerant genotypes. Keywords: climate change, climate variables, Maxent modelling, temperature-humidity index
Key success factors of online food ordering services:an empirical study

This study examines the determinants of the customer ordering experience, which include website trust, customer satisfaction and loyalty. The determinants are represented by website quality and service quality. A survey data of 353 online food ordering customers were used to test the research model using structural equation modelling (SEM). Results reveal that not only is there a significant positive relationship between website quality and website trust but also a significant positive relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, significant positive relationships are also found not only between website trust and customer satisfaction but also between customer satisfaction and loyalty. Finally, the study also found an unexpected direct link between service quality and loyalty. Overall, the study provides valuable insights for operating online food ordering services successfully.
Agricultural Commercialization: Effect on Food Security among Smallholder Farming Households in Southwestern Nigeria

Agricultural commercialization has several effects on farm households’ life conditions. This study therefore, examined the current level of crop commercialization and its effect on food security among smallholder farming households. Primary data were collected from 373 selected smallholder farm households in the study area with the aid of well structured questionnaire using multistage sampling procedure. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics, Household Commercialization Index (HCI) and logit regression model. The study indicated that average HCI was 0.83. Farmers with low, medium and high HCI were 6.44%, 9.65% and 83.91% respectively. The empirical results show that age, level of education, farm size, farm income, access to extension services, access to credit, off farm income and crop commercialization had a significant and positive relationship effect on food security at household level. The study concludes that crop commercialization has a positive influence on food security.
Influence of bedrock mineral composition on microbial diversity in a subglacial environment

Microorganisms in subglacial environments drive the chemical weathering of bedrock; however, the influence of bedrock mineralogy on the composition and activity of microbial assemblages in such environments is poorly understood. Here, using a combination of in situ mineral incubation and DNA fingerprinting techniques, we demonstrate that pyrite is the dominant mineralogical control on subglacial bacterial community structure and composition. In addition, we show that the abundance of Fe in the incubated minerals influences the development of mineral-associated biomass. The ubiquitous nature of pyrite in many common bedrock types and high SO 4 2– concentrations in most glacial meltwaters suggest that pyrite may be a dominant lithogenic control on microbial communities in many subglacial systems. Mineral-based energy may therefore serve a fundamental role in sustaining subglacial microbial populations and enabling their persistence over glacial-interglacial time scales.
Protein Engineering with Non-Natural Amino Acids

Among all biomolecules in living cells, proteins represent a group with highly divergent biological functions. These include maintaining structural integrity, catalyzing most chemical reactions in vivo, regulating cellular responses via signal transduction, and targeting foreign molecules via the immune system. Because of these diverse functions and associated applications, protein engineering has been a field for intense academic research and biopharmaceutical drug development. However, proteins made by nature are generally composed of only 20 canonical amino acids. The recently developed technology to incorporate non-natural amino acids (NNAAs) into proteins at specifically chosen sites represents an extremely powerful tool for protein engineering. Unlike traditional protein engineering with the 20 canonical amino acids as building blocks, protein engineering with NNAAs has nearly unlimited novel side-chain structures to choose from. Coupled with rapid advances in protein structure computation and bioorthogonal chemical reactions, proteins with tailored properties or novel functions beyond natural or directed evolution are becoming a reality.
Molecular approaches to diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis; what we know and what we do not know

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a major complication in immunocompromized patients where can be serious and rapidly fatal. Ea rly diagnosis and appropriate antifungal treatment is important in reducing morta lity and morbidity. Despite many efforts to develop detection methods, the diag nosis of IA still remains challenging and current conventional methods are li mited for adequate diagnosis. New rapid methods which can detect IA early in the course of disease with high sensitivity and specificity are needed to treat the se infections at an early stage. Using molecular methods for the identification of Aspergillus species can be a cost-effective, rapid, discriminatory, and objectiv e approach for delineating Aspergillus species in a clinical microbiology laboratory. PCR techniques for the diagnosis of IA have been studied for more than a d ecade and are still considered investigational; however, until now PCR is not incl uded in current EORTC/MSG diagnostic criteria .
Characterization of wastewater from hog slaughterhouses in Eastern Canada and evaluation of their in-plant wastewater treatment systems

Masse, D.I. and Masse, L. 2000. Characterization of wastewater from hog slaughterhouses in Eastern Canada and evaluation of their in-plant wastewater treatment systems. Can. Agric. Eng. 42:139-146. Literature on existing systems for slaughterhouse wastewater treatment was reviewed and discussed in terms of technology usefulness and relevance under Canadian conditions. The wastewater from six hog slaughterhouses in Quebec and Ontario was also characterised before and after treatment at the plant. In raw wastewater, total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) ranged from 2333 to 8627 mg/L and suspended solids (SS) varied between 736 and 2099 mg/L. Slaughterhouse wastewater composition in terms of organic strength, inorganic elements, alkalinity, and pH is adequate for biological treatment. Two slaughterhouses only settled their wastewater before discharging it to the municipal sewer. Three plants used primary treatment to precipitate blood and remove floating fat, while one further treated its wastewater using an aerobic trickling filter. Although preliminary treatment at the slaughterhouse reduced the level of pollutants, TCOD and SS concentrations were still too high for sewer discharge without being imposed a municipal surcharge. In addition, all treatments produced large amounts of putrefactive and bulky sludge, which required special handling and/or further treatment. Cet article presente d’abord une recension des ecrits sur les systemes de traitement des eaux usees d’abattoir. Les technologies d’epuration sont decrites en fonction de leur utilite dans le contexte canadien. Les eaux usees provenant de six abattoirs de porcs au Quebec et en Ontario ont ensuite ete caracterisees avant et apres le traitement effectue aux abattoirs. Dans les eaux usees brutes, la demande chimique en oxygene totale (DCOT) varie de 2 333 a 8 627 mg/l, et les matieres en suspension (MES), de 736 a 2 099 mg/l. Les eaux usees d’abattoir contiennent une charge organique, des concentrations d’azote, de phosphore et d’oligo-elements, une alcalinite et un pH adequats pour un traitement biologique. Deux des abattoirs visites se contentent de transvider les eaux usees dans des bassins de decantation avant de les deverser dans le reseau municipal d’egouts. Trois abattoirs effectuent une epuration primaire dans le but de precipiter le sang et de favoriser la flottaison des gras, tandis qu’un abattoir traite aussi ses eaux usees a l’aide d’un filtre bacterien aerobie. Les traitements d’epuration utilises dans les abattoirs reduisent le niveau des matieres polluantes mais se revelent insuffisants pour ramener la DCOT et les MES a des concentrations permettant aux etablissements de deverser leurs eaux dans les egouts municipaux sans se voir imposer une surtaxe. En outre, tous les traitements recenses produisent une quantite considerable de boues putrides et volumineuses qui necessitent une manutention speciale ou des traitements ulterieurs. INTRODUCTION
Friends-of-friends galaxy group finder with membership refinement. Application to the local Universe

Context. Groups form the most abundant class of galaxy systems. They act as the principal drivers of galaxy evolution and can be used as tracers of the large-scale structure and the underlying cosmology. However, the detection of galaxy groups from galaxy redshift survey data is hampered by several observational limitations. Aims. We improve the widely used friends-of-friends (FoF) group finding algorithm with membership refinement procedures and apply the method to a combined dataset of galaxies in the local Universe. A major aim of the refinement is to detect subgroups within the FoF groups, enabling a more reliable suppression of the fingers-of-God effect. Methods. The FoF algorithm is often suspected of leaving subsystems of groups and clusters undetected. We used a galaxy sample built of the 2MRS, CF2, and 2M++ survey data comprising nearly 80000 galaxies within the local volume of 430 Mpc radius to detect FoF groups. We conducted a multimodality check on the detected groups in search for subgroups. We furthermore refined group membership using the group virial radius and escape velocity to expose unbound galaxies. We used the virial theorem to estimate group masses. Results. The analysis results in a catalogue of 6282 galaxy groups in the 2MRS sample with two or more members, together with their mass estimates. About half of the initial FoF groups with ten or more members were split into smaller systems with the multimodality check. An interesting comparison to our detected groups is provided by another group catalogue that is based on similar data but a completely different methodology. Two thirds of the groups are identical or very similar. Differences mostly concern the smallest and largest of these other groups, the former sometimes missing and the latter being divided into subsystems in our catalogue.
Thermal-death kinetics of fifth-instar Amyelois transitella ( Walker ) ( Lepidoptera : Pyralidae )

Information on kinetics for thermal mortality of navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is needed for developing post-harvest phytosanitation thermal treatments of walnuts. Thermal-death kinetics for fifth-instar navel orangeworms were determined at temperatures between 461C and 541C at a heating rate of 181Cmin 1 using a heating block system. Thermal-death curves for fifth-instar navel orangeworms followed a 0.5th-order of kinetic reaction. The time required to achieve 100% mortality (N0 1⁄4 600) decreased with increasing temperature in a logarithmic manner. Complete kill of 600 insects required a minimum exposure time of 140, 50, 15, 6, and 1min at 461C, 481C, 501C, 521C, and 541C, respectively. The reaction rate (k) was affected by treatment temperatures following an Arrhenius relationship. The activation energy for thermal kill of fifth-instar navel orangeworms was estimated to be between 510 and 520 kJmol . r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
THE EFFECT OF LOCAL OXYTOCIN DELIVERY ON HEALING OF BONE DEFECTS IN RABBITS

INTRODUCTION: Bone defects above critical size do not heal completely by itself and thus represent major clinical challenge to reconstructive surgery. Numerous bone substitutes have already been used to promote bone regeneration. Incorporation of 31biologically active molecules to bone grafts have shown to further improve its bone forming capacity. As a potential candidate for bone regenerating biomolecules which can be used in promoting proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, the hypothalamic hormone oxytocin is suggested to be promising.AIM OF THE STUDY: was to evaluate the efficacy of the hypothalamic nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) by direct delivery into local defects using β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) as a carrier.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty one male New Zealand white rabbits weighing 3 Kg (±250 g) were used in this study. Right and left critical size bone defects (CSD) were performed in the edentulous area of rabbit mandibles (diastema). Right side bone defects (Experimental) were filled with OT loaded β-TCP, while the left side bone defects (Control), were filled with saline loaded β-TCP. The effect of OT hormone on bone formation was assessed histologically as well as histomorphometrically after 1, 3 and 6 weeks.RESULTS: Greater amount of new bone formation was noticed in the CSDs filled with the OT loaded groups. The amount of new bone formed was significantly higher during the 3 observational intervals in the OT loaded β-TCP than when compared with the saline loaded β-TCP.CONCLUSION: OT induces new bone formation via an osteoinductive action and can be added to bone grafts following surgical and periodontal surgeries to enhance bone regenerative capacity.
Genetic diversity among commercial coffee varieties, advanced selections and museum collections in Kenya using molecular markers

Molecular markers have effectively been applied to study genetic diversity and as markers of particular traits. This study assessed the diversity of twenty four (24) coffee genotypes using 10 Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers and 2 microsatellites (M24 and Sat 235). A total of 35 polymorphic bands were generated by the RAPD primers. The bands were scored for presence (1) and absence (0) of amplified products. The data was subjected to cluster analysis using R statistical software and a dendrogram constructed using Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Average (UPGMA). The genotypes separated into three main clusters. C. eugenioides clustered alone in the first cluster while un-introgressed Arabica genotypes dominated the second cluster. The third cluster comprised of Coffea canephora (Robusta) and introgressed genotypes, Ruiru 11, Hibrido de Timor and Catimor. Robusta and C. eugenioides were the most distantly related and generated most of the diversity observed. The similarities observed among un-introgressed Arabica genotypes attest to the narrow genetic diversity within Coffea arabica. The divergence observed among introgressed genotypes could be utilized in future breeding programmes. Key words: Coffee accessions, RAPD, microsatellites, diversity, Kenya.
Impact of Dietary Isoleucine Status on Heavy-Broiler Production

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the importance of Ile as a limiting amino acid in diets fed to broilers up to heavy market weights (35-54 d). The first experiment compared a control diet formulated to meet all critical limiting amino acids vs. a diet that also met all limiting amino acid needs except for Ile (0.71 vs. 0.58% standardized ileal digestibility). Results from Experiment 1 showed poorer BW gain, feed conversion and feed cost/BW gain in birds fed the Ile-marginal diet when compared to the control. Experiment 2 evaluated the supplementation of three graded levels of Ile (0.58, 0.62 and 0.66% standardized ileal digestibility) to the Ile-reduced diet used in Experiment 1. Results for Experiment 2 showed that BW gain and feed conversion improved when L-Ile was supplemented to the lowest dietary Ile level fed. Supplementation with equal amounts of Arg did not alleviate the dietary Ile limitation, thus validating the essentiality and marginality of Ile in practical corn-soybean meal diets when at least 2% of meat-and-bone meal is present in diet formulation.
A multicenter study assessing uterine cavity width in over 150 nulliparous women with IUD or seeking IUD insertion using 3D sonography

Background: In the selection of an appropriate IUD little consideration is placed on adequacy of fit. Properly fitting IUDs will likely lead to less adverse effects or patient discomfort resulting in enhanced continuation of use. Methods: A multicenter study conducted at 3 centers in 152 nulliparous women, to measure the maximal width of the uterine cavity using 3D ultrasound. Results: Measurements were performed by experienced sonographists. The mean width of the uterine cavity in the fundus was 21.6 mm (range 6.0 40.0 mm). The median value was 22.0 mm and the IQR 18.0 24.8 mm, respectively. Eighty-two % of women had a uterine cavity width between 15 mm and 28 mm, 40% <20 mm and 6.6% <15 mm, respectively. Discussion: Uterine cavities in nulliparous women are narrow and rarely wide enough to fit conventional IUDs. Gross discrepancy between the IUD and the uterine cavity leads to side effects (e.g., expulsion, embedment, bleeding, pain) and early discontinuation. Historically, devices too large for the uterine cavity have been routinely inserted which may account for their 5 year continuation rates being only 40 to 50%. Our study suggests that 3D sonography is a precise method to measure the width of the uterine cavity (although 2D may also be suitable) and may result in the selection of a suitable IUD to maximize continuation of use. Measurement of the cavity width is not necessary with a frameless IUD. Correspondence to: Dr. Dirk Wildemeersch, MD, PhD, F. Rooseveltlaan 43/44, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, E-mail: dirk@wildemeersch.com
Auger-type granular fertylizer distributor: matemathical model and dynamic simulation

The objective of this study was to model mathematically and to simulate the dynamic behavior of an auger-type fertilizer applicator (AFA) in order to use the variable-rate application (VRA) and reduce the coefficient of variation (CV) of the application, proposing an angular speed controller θ' for the motor drive shaft. The input model was θ' and the response was the fertilizer mass flow, due to the construction, density of fertilizer, fill factor and the end position of the auger. The model was used to simulate a control system in open loop, with an electric drive for AFA using an armature voltage (VA) controller. By introducing a sinusoidal excitation signal in VA with amplitude and delay phase optimized and varying θ' during an operation cycle, it is obtained a reduction of 29.8% in the CV (constant VA) to 11.4%. The development of the mathematical model was a first step towards the introduction of electric drive systems and closed loop control for the implementation of AFA with low CV in VRA.
Substorms in space - The correlation between ground and satellite observations of the magnetic field

Satellite studies of magnetospheric substorms are necessarily statistical since there are few properly instrumented satellites in space at any one time. To carry out these studies, one selects an ensemble of similar substorms, determines an origin for substorm time, and performs an ensemble average to eliminate noise. Similarity between different substorms can be determined from contour maps of midlatitude magnetic perturbations as a function of longitude and universal time. The origin of substorm time can also be determined from midlatitude perturbations and is usually taken as the beginning of the positive bay near midnight. Use of these techniques has led to a phenomenological model of magnetospheric substorms that includes a growth phase. The controversy over the existence of the growth phase is at least partially a consequence of differing definitions of the origin of substorm time. Use of auroral zone magnetograms often gives an earlier onset than midlatitude magnetograms. However, midlatitude onsets do appear to order satellite data systematically. In this paper we illustrate the discrepancy between these two onset times and show how midlatitude onsets order satellite data in agreement with the growth phase model. Three events of increasing complexity are considered. Each has been previously reported in the literature and later criticized. We speculate that a polar magnetic substorm begins when a pair of X- and O-type neutral lines form on closed field lines within the plasma sheet. Subsequently, the midlatitude positive bay begins when magnetic merging first encounters open field lines in the lobe of the tail.
Nitra Slovakia Coping Strategies as a Measure of Personal Integration

Integrated person is defined by Rogers as being harmonized on all the levels. Personality is fully functioning when different aspects of personality are integrated. Fully functioning personality was studied mostly in the context of therapeutic changes. The article studies integrated personality in nontherapeutic context which contributes to positive psychology in Seligman ́s point of view which emphasizes development of individuals ́ strengths and competencies. We studied the relationship of coping strategies and the level of personality integration of helping professionals. We used the Interpersonal Adjective Scale (IAS) by Wiggins (1991) to measure personality integration and the Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI) by Greenglass et al. (1999) and the Coping Strategies Inventory (CSI) by Tobin et al. (1984) to measure preferred coping strategies. Results show that more integrated persons prefer using proactively oriented strategies. On the other side, level of personality integration is not in relation to emotion-focused and avoidance coping strategies. Results suggest that integrated individuals tend to act proactively and create life opportunities. They not only react and solve problems when they arise.