Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design of breeding strategies for energy maize in Central

In Germany, maize (Zea mays L.) is the most frequently use substrate for methane production in biogas reactors. Methane yield per area is determined by methane fermentation yield per unit of dry matter (MFY), but still little information is available on the latter trait. Our objectives were to investigate the kinetics of MFY during fermentation of maize, estimate quantitative-genetic parameters for different traits related to MFY and examine the relationship of MFY with chemical composition and silage quality. For this purpose, we analyzed methane production from whole-plant material of 16 inbreds and their 32 testcrosses during 35 days of fermentation using a discontinuous laboratory assay. The plant material was also analyzed for chemical composition and in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM). At early fermentation stages (up to 5 days), significant genotypic variances and high heritabilities were observed, most probably caused by different concentrations of easily degradable chemical components. However, complete or partial degradation of all chemical components with progressing fermentation reduced genotypic variances and heritability of MFY at later fermentation stages. Correlations of MFY with chemical components were strong at early, but not at later fermentation stages. Hence, MFY at later stages does not seem to be amenable to selection, although it is closer to potential MFY. IVDOM could be used for preliminary or indirect selection due to its high heritability and strong correlation with MFY in testcrosses. Besides MFY, dry matter yield (DMY) is the second component of methane yield. Since DMY showed much larger genetic variation than MFY, more emphasis on breeding for DMY seems appropriate.
Triaxial Testing of Unsaturated Agricultural Soils

Abstract In this paper, triaxial testing procedures and equipment as they have been applied to unsaturated soils are surveyed. Modifications to conventional triaxial apparatus and procedures for testing unsaturated soils based on principles of “unsaturated soil mechanics” are described in some detail. The modifications accommodate the independent measurement or control of pore-air and pore-water pressures and the resolution of both air and water components of volume change. This makes it possible to study the influence of soil suction on soil strength and volume change behaviour. To illustrate this approach, an agricultural soil was tested in a modified triaxial apparatus using independent stress state variables to describe stresses in the specimen. Matric suction, mean net stress and deviatoric stress were monitored or controlled in a series of constant water content tests. Volume change and shear strength behaviour were evaluated based on unsaturated soil mechanics principles. For low stress regimes, matric suction remained essentially constant under constant water content testing; however, as loading was increased matric suction varied significantly. The relevance of using matric suction as an independent stress state variable in fundamental studies of agricultural soil behaviour, as opposed to a total stress approach, is discussed.
An Econometric Estimation of Tax-discounting in Pakistan

The debt neutrality hypothesis which has been a source of major controversies in the theory of public finance, and macroeconomics has at the same time generated a vast literature on the implications of budgetary deficits and public debt on various subsectors/ variables of the economy, such as inflation, interest rates, current account deficit, etc. Tax discounting has been one of the fields of research associated with debt neutrality. The econometric estimation of some of the standard models of taxdiscounting has shown that consumer response to fiscal policy in Pakistan reflects neither the extreme Barro-like rational anticipation of future tax liabilities nor the Buchanan-type extreme fiscal myopia. It broadly follows a middle path between these extremes. The controversy relating to debt neutrality is quite old in economic theory. However, due to its serious and far-reaching implications for the formulation of fiscal policy and macroeconomic management, the issues of debt neutrality have assumed a foremost position in economic theoretisation and empirical testing.
Six month-duration Tephrosia vogelii Hook. f. and Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray planted-fallows for improving maize production in Kenya

Six mois de jacheres plantees de Tephrosia vogelii Hook.f. et Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A.Gray en vue de la production reguliere et performante du mais au Kenya. Une recherche portant sur les jacheres plantees de Tephrosia vogelii et Tithonia diversifolia ainsi que sur le recru naturel a ete menee a Maseno, Kenya, pour determiner si les jacheres installees sur une terre fatiguee pouvaient produire assez de biomasse en six mois, si la biomasse retenue sur place ou transferee dans une parcelle sous culture continue de mais et completee ou non par un apport de phosphore pouvait ameliorer le rendement de la culture et enfin s'il y a un avantage a repeter regulierement ces jacheres sur les memes parcelles. La premiere jachere etait installee en blocs complets aleatoires avec trois repetitions. A sa coupe, la biomasse etait quantifiee, puis soit incorporee dans la meme parcelle soit transferee dans une parcelle regulierement sous mais, ces parcelles etant alors divisees en deux, a savoir celles avec et celles sans addition d'engrais phosphate inorganique en vue de tester l'impact des fumures sur l'augmentation de rendement de mais. La culture de mais et la seconde jachere etaient ainsi conduites en parcelles divisees. Les jacheres de T. vogelii et T. diversifolia ont produit plus de 9 Mg de biomasse totale qui accumulait 154-234 kg N.ha-1, rendement superieur a celui obtenu dans le recru naturel. Les arbustes etaient egalement superieurs a la jachere naturelle quant a l'accumulation du phosphore (5-22 contre 2 kg.ha-1). La biomasse aerienne recoltee de ces deux arbustes de jachere a, une fois incorporee dans le sol ou transferee dans la parcelle sous culture continue, augmente le rendement de mais de 2,5 fois par rapport a la culture non fumee, le temoin. L'addition de 20 kg P.ha-1 a cette biomasse a augmente le rendement de la 1re culture de mais de pres de 40 %. La productivite des parcelles ou la biomasse aerienne de T. vogelii et T. diversifolia avait ete retiree etait basse pour le mais et la 2e jachere en comparaison avec la performance observee dans les parcelles ou cette biomasse avait ete retenue ou incorporee. Assurer une productivite durable dans les sols fatigues requiert la mise en jachere amelioree d'au moins une saison alternant avec une saison de culture de mais avec un apport complementaire de P inorganique.
Climate tipping as a noisy bifurcation: a predictive technique

It is often known, from modelling studies, that a certain mode of climate tipping (of the oceanic thermohaline circulation, for example) is governed by an underlying fold bifurcation. For such a case we present a scheme of analysis that determines the best stochastic fit to the existing data. This provides the evolution rate of the effective control parameter, the variation of the stability coefficient, the path itself and its tipping point. By assessing the actual effective level of noise in the available time series, we are then able to make probability estimates of the time of tipping. This new technique is applied, first, to the output of a computer simulation for the end of greenhouse Earth about 34 million years ago when the climate tipped from a tropical state into an icehouse state with ice caps. Second, we use the algorithms to give probabilistic tipping estimates for the end of the most recent glaciation of the Earth using actual archaeological ice-core data.
Bacteriological profile and antibiotic resistance in cases of chronic otitis media and its clinical implications

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Chronic otitis media (COM) is the commonest otologic conditions worldwide with great risk of irreversible complications. Early bacteriological diagnosis is essential for appropriate effective therapy to reduce the disease burden. However in our clinical practice, it was noticed that the morbidity of the disease was mostly non responsive to standard antibiotic medical care. The poor response to routine treatment gave rise to suspicion of antibiotic resistance. This prompted us to undertake this study with the objective to isolate and identify the causative organisms in COM in our clientele and study their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern for a better analysis and institution of accurate therapy. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A prospective cross sectional analysis was performed using culture and antibiotic susceptibility test results of 500 patients who visited the ENT OPD at a tertiary care centre between July 2016 to June 2017. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> A positive culture was obtained in 466/500 (93.2%) of the samples. No growth was seen in 34 patients (6.8%). 454 samples showed single bacterium while 12 samples had mixed growth. <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> was the <em>predominant organism</em> (54%) followed by <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>. On antibiotic sensitivity, high resistance patterns to most common first line antibiotics used in COM was observed. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Irrational use of antibiotics for management of COM has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. Evaluation of micro bacterial growth and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in local area helps in prescribing empirical antibiotics for successful treatment of COM. </p><p class="abstract"> </p><p class="keywords"> </p>
Reconstruction of Oligocene and Neogene freshwater fish faunas—an actualistic study on cypriniform otoliths

Fossil utricular otoliths (= lapilli) from cypriniform fishes have long been recorded from European Oligocene and Neo− gene freshwater and oligohaline sediments. Until now, their determination was limited to the family level owing to the lack of morphological investigations on lapilli of Recent cypriniforms. The present study introduces a terminology for the lapillus morphology that is based on the lapilli of 134 specimens of 20 cyprinid and one balitorid species. It is demon− strated that the lapillus has valuable characters for taxonomic classification. As a result, fossil lapilli from Oligocene and Miocene continental deposits from the western Mediterranean, the Swiss and the South German Molasse Basin, the Mainz Basin, and additionally from Anatolia could be determined. Nine species were identified: aff. Abramis sp. vel aff. Alburnus sp. , aff. Alburnoides sp. , aff. Barbus sp. , cf. Leuciscus sp. , Palaeoleuciscus sp. , Palaeotinca moeddeni sp. nov., Palaeotinca sp. 1, aff. Phoxinus sp. , and aff. Rutilus sp. vel aff. Scardinius sp. Our study includes the oldest record of a Phoxinus−related and a Palaeotinca species from Europe. Additionally, aff. Abramis sp. vel aff. Alburnus sp. and aff. Alburnoides have been identified as fossils for the first time. The determination of the fossil lapilli has been supported by means of pharyngeal teeth, with the exception of aff. Abramis sp. vel aff. Alburnus sp. , whose lapilli were found together with pharyngeal teeth of Palaeocarassius sp. It is suggested that these so−called Palaeocarassius pharyngeal teeth do not belong to an ancestor of the Carassius lineage, but to a forerunner of the Abramis or Alburnus lineage. Our results support the previously described turnover in the Paratethys freshwater fish fauna about 17–18 Ma ago, when Palaeotinca spp. be− came extinct and the first appearance of Palaeoleuciscus sp. and Palaeocarassius sp. (= aff. Abramis sp. vel aff. Alburnus sp.) occurred. The Oligocene and Miocene cypriniform fishes did not evolve any provincialism from southern France throughout the Molasse Basin to the Mainz Basin.
A Comprehensive Approach to Improving Student Attendance

Student attendance is one of the most important steps to a student’s academic success. Student absenteeism is defined as a student missing 20 or more school days within one academic school year. When students miss school on a consistent basis, they are identified as chronically absent. Chronic absenteeism can lead to a wide variety of issues ranging from tobacco use to alcohol consumption to substance abuse. This study investigated the root causes that impact student attendance in an urban elementary school district from parents’ perspectives. Using qualitative methods, interviews were conducted with parents of students who attended schools within a city school district. They provided insight into both the obstacles and solutions that families face regarding attendance. Findings revealed several hindrances and solutions that school districts may want to consider when seeking to improve their daily student attendance rates. Barriers that parents revealed were lack of transportation support and lack of knowing how to access resources and childcare before and after school. Solutions that parents consistently reported were additional transportation support, increased parental involvement, and enhanced communication between home and school. Recommended future studies would include interviewing parents whose child has poor daily attendance rates from the same school but from single-parent households to compare their responses to two-parent households in order to identify the barriers and potential solutions for both groups. The findings would provide districts with a better vii understanding of the needs to remedying student attendance issues from both types of households. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Education (EdD) Department Executive Leadership First Supervisor Susan Schultz Second Supervisor Ruth Harris Subject Categories Education This dissertation is available at Fisher Digital Publications: http://fisherpub.sjfc. edu/education_etd/225 A Comprehensive Approach to Improving Student Attendance
Ethnopharmacological evaluation of Trichilia hirta L. as anticancer source in traditional medicine of Santiago de Cuba

Trichilia hirta L. (Meliaceae) is traditionally used as antitumor source in Santiago de Cuba. Therefore, the aim of this study was to document and analyze the traditional medicinal use of this plant by cancer patients in Santiago de Cuba and to evaluate its antiproliferative activity on human normal and cancer cells. Cancer patients consuming Trichilia hirta extracts (Jubaban) were randomly selected and interviewed. The antiproliferative activity of a polysaccharide-rich fraction from leaves was evaluated against normal (MRC-5) and cancer cells (A-549, HeLa and Hep-2) by MTT assay. The study revealed that Trichilia hirta extracts are mainly used as anticancer source (46%). Moreover, the majority of cancer patients consuming Trichilia hirta extracts had carcinoma (86%). In particular, the most frequent were lung (26%) and prostate (18%) carcinoma. The majority (90%) of patients were consuming the extracts simultaneously, or after the chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. The polysaccharide-rich fraction showed antiproliferative activity against human lung cancer cells (A549) and human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cancer cells. However, no toxicity was observed in human normal fibroblasts (MRC-5). These results suggest that polysaccharide-rich fraction from Trichilia hirta contribute to the antitumor properties of this specie.
Methanogenic community composition in an organic waste mixture in an anaerobic bioreactor

Abstract The aim of the study was to elucidate the substantial relationship between the compositions of methanogen community that assembles in the anaerobic digester mass and link it to methane production activity. The results of the metagenomic studies were used to evaluate how the methanogen structure changes during an anaerobic digestion process under various waste retention times (21, 23, 25, 29, 33, 39, 47 and 61 days). Phylogenetically coherent populations of methanogens were assessed by 16S rRNA gene next-generation sequencing and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of a specific molecular marker, the mcrA gene. The results indicated multiple phylogenetically diverse methanogen populations associated with the various steps of anaerobic digestion. The stages of the anaerobic digestion process and waste retention times determine the microbial composition. The most dominant and acclimated microbial communities in all samples belonged to the genera Methanosaeta and Methanobacterium. The methane yield was consistent with the results of the microbial community structure, which indicated that acetotrophic Methanosaeta was the most active and most important during the methanogenic stage.
The Byzantine Generals Problem

Reliable computer systems must handle malfunctioning components that give conflicting information to different parts of the system. This situation can be expressed abstractly in terms of a group of generals of the Byzantine army camped with their troops around an enemy city. Communicating only by messenger, the generals must agree upon a common battle plan. However, one or more of them may be traitors who will try to confuse the others. The problem is to find an algorithm to ensure that the loyal generals will reach agreement. It is shown that, using only oral messages, this problem is solvable if and only if more than two-thirds of the generals are loyal; so a single traitor can confound two loyal generals. With unforgeable written messages, the problem is solvable for any number of generals and possible traitors. Applications of the solutions to reliable computer systems are then discussed.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRUST, TURNOVER INTENTIONS AND EMOTIONS: AN APPLICATION

Managerial leaders and directors are required to succeed the method of “sense” and “emotion” very well, to achieve organizational aims (Lee, 2002). Organizations need to manage all the emotions and feelings and concepts that affect persons health and performance (Gross, 1999). Business life dealing with this issue has increased in seriousness because, the effect of emotions in decision making cleared with academic studies. There is a need to find the path to the correct leadership of emotions. Emotions in the organization help to identify thoughts about the presence and desire to work (Jackson, 2006). Emotions provide information on what causes, and how it is done. The main purpose of this study, which should be considered a descriptive survey in the general sense, is to investigate the relationship between emotional expressions, trust and turnover intentions. It is hypothesized that the use of emotional expressions will affect the trust and turnover intentions. Two different surveys were used in order to measure and assess the emotions expressions, trust and turnover intentions. The survey conducted on 200 employees of the public sector institution. Data, obtained from questionnaires analyzed through the SPSS statistical packaged software. The results show that, there is a positive correlation between positive expressions and trust and turnover intentions. In addition, we couldn’t found any relation between trust and turnover intentions.
External Liabilities, Domestic Institutions and Banking Crises in Developing Economies

We investigate the impact of foreign equity and debt on the occurrence of banking crises in 61 lower-income and middle-income economies during the 1984-2010 period. We also focus on the effects of domestic institutions on banking crises and whether they mitigate or exacerbate the impact of the external liabilities. We find that FDI liabilities lower the probability of a crisis, while debt liabilities increase their incidence. However, institutions that lower financial or political risk partially offset the impact of debt liabilities, as does government stability. A decrease in investment risk directly reduces the incidence of banking crises.
Supply of Cellulosic Biofuel Feedstocks and Regional Production Patterns

This paper uses a dynamic, multi-market, nonlinear mathematical programming model, Biofuel and Environmental Policy Analysis Model (BEPAM) to first examine the economically viable supply of agricultural biomass at various biomass prices and the mix of cellulosic feedstocks that will be produced at these prices. It also examines this relationship under alternative assumptions about costs of production of these feedstocks, productivity of perennial grasses and the availability of land. Second, it examines the regional pattern of production of various cellulosic feedstocks and the spatial mix of feedstock production. Our analysis shows that 617-923 MMT of biomass can be produced in 2030 at a price of $140/MT depending on residue collection technology, costs of producing bioenergy crops and their yields and land availability. At that price, it would lead to the use of about 18 M ha of idle cropland or cropland pasture for perennial grasses.
Southern Ocean biological impacts on global ocean oxygen

Southern Ocean (SO) physical and biological processes are known to have a large impact on global biogeochemistry. However, the role that SO biology plays in determining ocean oxygen concentrations is not completely understood. These dynamics are investigated here by shutting off SO biology in two marine biogeochemical models. The results suggest that SO biological processes reduce the ocean's oxygen content, mainly in the deep ocean, by 14 to 19%. However, since these processes also trap nutrients that would otherwise be transported northward to fuel productivity and subsequent organic matter export, consumption, and the accompanying oxygen consumption in midlatitude to low‐latitude waters, SO biology helps to maintain higher oxygen concentrations in these subsurface waters. Thereby, SO biology can influence the size of the tropical oxygen minimum zones. As a result of ocean circulation the link between SO biological processes and remote oxygen changes operates on decadal to centennial time scales.
Characterization and Physicochemical Evaluation of Molecular Complexes Formed Between Umifenovir and Dicarboxylic Acids

Abstract The paper reports the investigation of three umifenovir molecular complexes with dicarboxylic acids, prepared to improve the bioavailability of this drug. All three molecular complexes were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The solubility and thermal properties were determined as well. Polymorph and solvate screening of umifenovir molecular complexes were performed by recrystallization from various solvents, as well as neat and solvent-drop grinding Kopsavilkums Apskatīti trīs umifenovira un dikarbonskābju veidotie molekulārie kompleksi, kas iegūti, lai uzlabotu zāļu biopiejamību. Visi trīs iegūtie savienojumi pētīti ar pulveru rentgendifraktometriju, infrasarkano spektroskopiju un cietvielu magnētiskās rezonanses spektroskopiju, kā arī noteikta šo savienojumu šķīdība un termiskās īpašības. Veikti polimorfo un pseidopolimorfo formu meklējumi, kristalizējot molekulāros kompleksus no dažādiem šķīdinātājiem un tos kopsamaļot gar ar, gan bez šķīdinātāja piedevas