Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TIME-ACTIVITY BUDGET OF WILSON'S AND SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS IN A TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACr. -We compared seasonal variations in the daylight activity budget of Semipalmated (Charadrius semipalmatus) and Wilson's plovers (C. wilsonia cinnamominus) in northeastern Venezuela. The former are Nearctic migrants which use the area as a migratory stop-over and wintering area; the latter are residents and breed in the region. Feeding, resting, and aggressive manifestations are the three main activity categories. The seasonal activity patterns of the species differ. In both species, the seasonal pattern of time spent resting is the inverse of that for feeding. From October to April, Semipalmated Plovers fed during most of their daylight time in spite of a decrease in feeding in January and February. In contrast, Wilson's Plovers devoted more time to resting than to feeding from November to April (the non-breeding period). In both species, the seasonal variations in the time spent feeding during daylight can be explained by variations in their energetic needs, e.g., for molting and building fat reserves. Time devoted to aggression was very low in both species but increased in March-April for Wilson's Plovers, just before the beginning of reproductive activities. Daily energy expenditure and energy intake were estimated for Wilson's Plovers, supposing that they were resting from dusk to dawn. From November to March, daylight feeding alone was insufficient to counterbalance energy expenditure, indicating that they foraged primarily during nighttime. Received 14 Jan. 1991, accepted 6 June 1991.
Production Efficiency Analysis of the Hungarian Meat Processing Industry

This paper analyzes the performance of the Hungarian meat processing industry in the wake of the global financial crisis. Between 2011 and 2013 many high-capacity meat processors went bankrupt in Hungary. Possible reasons for that could be unfavorable market situation and inefficiency in production. In this paper, the latter hypothesis is examined. Two different types of production function estimation techniques are used to calculate firm-specific inefficiency estimates. Based on the estimation results, the lower bound of average firm-level efficiency is 0.50, while the upper bound is 0.88. Estimated firm-level inefficiencies are compared to the characteristics of the given firms. Pre-tax profit, company size and domestic ownership are associated with lesser inefficiency. On the other hand, time trend of inefficiencies indicate that the global financial crisis negatively affected the production efficiency of the meat processors. This can be a reason behind the bankruptcies happened. Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) codes: C33, L66
Berry Approach to Intrinsic Anomalous Hall Conductivity in Dilute Magnetic Semiconductors (Ga1−xMnxAs)

We develop a model Hamiltonian to treat intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity in dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) of type (III, Mn, V) and obtain the Berry potential and Berry curvature which are responsible for intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity in Ga1-x MnxAs DMS. Based on Kubo formalism, we establish the relation between Berry curvature and intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity. We find that for strong spin-orbit interaction intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity is quantized which is in agreement with recent experimental observation. In addition, we show that the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) can be controlled by changing concentration of magnetic impurities as well as exchange field. Since Berry curvature related contribution of anomalous Hall conductivity is believed to be dissipationless, our result is a significant step toward achieving dissipationless electron transport in technologically relevant conditions in emerging of spintronics.
Seasonal constraints and diet composition in Common hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) living in an urban environment

Die von uns in einer Langzeitstudie untersuchte Feldhamsterpopulation nutzt die Grunflachen einer Wiener Wohnhausanlage. Die Tiere leben hier auf einer kunstlich angelegten und somit eher artenarmen Wiese, umgeben von Baumen und Strauchern. Dieses stark anthropogen beeinflusste Habitat zeichnet sich durch eine relativ hohe Populationsdichte aus. Neu errichtete Strasen und Gebaude konnten allerdings die Zu- und Abwanderung einzelner Individuen und damit den genetischen Austausch mit anderen Populationen unterbinden. Ziel dieses Langzeitprojektes war es daher, die Entwicklung der Bestande zu dokumentieren und zu untersuchen wie Feldhamster mit urbanen Gegebenheiten zurechtkommen. Die Tiere wurden mit Lebendfallen gefangen, untersucht, individuell markiert und anschliesend wieder freigelassen. Der besonders kalte Winter 2005/06 ermoglichte es uns klimatische Einflusse auf saisonale Aktivitaten sowie den Fortpflanzungserfolg weiblicher Feldhamster zu untersuchen. Die wahrend der Saison 2006 gewonnen Daten wurden dazu mit Ergebnissen aus fruheren Jahren (2003-05) verglichen. Die ungunstigen Wetterbedingungen fuhrten zu zeitlichen Verschiebungen des Jahreszyklus und dadurch zu niederen Fortpflanzungsraten. Die Ergebnisse zeigen auserdem, dass Feldhamster auch im urbanen Habitat opportunistische Reproduktionsstrategien aufweisen. Ein weiterer Aspekt dieser Arbeit war es, erste Einblicke in die von Hamstern benotigten Nahrungsressourcen bzw. die im Untersuchungsgebiet genutzten Nahrungsquellen zu gewinnen. Da die Tiere den Inhalt ihrer Backentaschen oftmals in den Fallen entleerten, war es moglich, die Nahrungsbestandteile einzusammeln und auf die darin enthaltenen Pflanzenarten und -bestandteile (Blatter, Wurzeln, Samen, Beeren, Knospen oder Bluten) zu bestimmen. Dabei konnte gezeigt werden, dass Feldhamster mit dem anthropogen beeinflussten Nahrungsangebot im urbanen Lebensraum gut zurechtkommen, auch wenn sich dieses stark von den ursprunglichen genutzten Habitaten unterscheidet.
Suffering Familial lack of concern and dependence Proximity of death Existential pain Prospect of own aging Elder abuse Discrimination Elder abuse practices

Purpose: To describe the care relationships between caregivers and elderly people in Uruguayan nursing homes. Design: A qualitative study with an ethnographic approach conducted at nine nursing homes for elderly people located in four Uruguayan departments. Twenty-three purposively and theoretically selected participants were interviewed and observed between January 2011 and January 2012. Results: Study of relationships among caregivers, managers, and residents revealed a number of issues: perception and experience of elder abuse, suffering when faced with death, and existential pain. Conclusion: A cultural context of discrimination against the elderly and other factors converge to perpetuate elder abuse and suffering in care homes: the lack of adequate regulations covering safety and quality of care, lack of a care model and regular inspections, absence of minimum training requirements for caregivers, and lack of support in situations that have psychic and spiritual repercussions. The inclusion of nurses could promote the development of educational interventions to modify abusive conduct. Nursing home managers need knowledge, skills, and communication strategies to identify and manage inappropriate behavior. An urgent review of nursing home regulations is required to protect elderly people’s rights.
Mucilage extract of Coccinia indica fruit as coagulant-flocculent for turbid water treatment

Lab scale experiments were conducted of mucilage isolated from fruits of Coccinia indica as flocculent for the treatment of turbid water samples containing synthetic turbidity of kaolin. Jar test experiments at optimum pH and time were carried out for 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 (NTU) levels of turbidity, 0.4 mg/l at different pH range, 6.0 to 9.0. At all the experimental turbidity levels, the increased flocculent pH increased the percentage of turbidity removal up to a certain level, beyond which further increase in pH shows a decreasing trend in the removal. The optimum dose of the flocculent in the present study was found to be at pH 7.5. C. indica mucilage has higher efficiency in removing high turbidity in comparison with low turbidity. Highest turbidity removal (94%) was obtained with very high i.e. 100 NTU initial turbidity.
Does Greece learn from Germany, technological catch-up and the channels of productivity growth in the Greek manufacturing sector.

The paper examines the determinants of productivity growth in Greece; a country that falls behind the international technological frontier. We set as a benchmark technological leader, the German manufacturing sector, posing the question whether technological transfer from Germany to Greece can generate productivity gains in the latter country. Within this framework, technological transfer can boost productivity growth autonomously but it can also interact with other certain factors such as trade and R&D in improving laggard country’s absorptive capacity. The puzzle of productivity growth in the Greek Manufacturing sector is completed with the consideration of factors related to the general business and institutional environment of the country.
Nest-site selection in the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica: What predicts seasonal reproductive success?

Despite hundreds of studies, we know very little about the causes and fitness-related consequences of nest-site selection. For example, it is not typically known whether the rarely reported fitness consequences of site selection are the result of nest, individual, or nest-site variables or combinations of these factors. Reuse of previously constructed nest sites is a prevalent behavior in many animals and offers the opportunity to experimentally tease apart whether seasonal reproductive success is a function of nest, individual, or nest-site characteristics. I used observational and experimental data to test three hypotheses related to these factors in association with barn swallow (Hirundo rustica L., 1758) nest reuse. While both nest and individual characteristics explain variation in seasonal reproductive success, nest location per se is not an important factor defining the outcome of nest-site selection. Whereas traits related to habitat and individual characteristics are likely confounded in correlat.
Effect of growth arrest on carotene accumulation and photosynthesis in Dunaliella

The halotolerant green alga Dunaliella bardawil is known to accumulate β-carotene in response to stress factors such as high light intensity, high salt concentrations and nutrient limitation. In this report, the accumulation of βcarotene was studied in cells from nitrate-limited chemostat cultures, in comparison with those of D. salina, a strain that does not accumulate β-carotene under stress conditions. D. bardawil responded to growth arrest by accumulating β-carotene and, to a lesser degree, lutein and zeaxanthin. A substantial fraction of β-carotene and all the lutein and zeaxanthin was associated with the thylakoid fraction. The accumulation of carotenoids in D. bardawil occurred only in the light, but the light intensities were far below those where the photosynthetic rate is maximal. After growth arrest, the amount of chlorophyll (Chi) decreased in both strains. However, in D. bardawil Chi a decreased to a lesser extent in comparison with Chi b, which resulted in an increased Chi alb ratio. The maximum photosynthetic capacity declined rapidly in both strains after growth arrest. In contrast, the photosynthetic efficiency showed a temporary increase in D. bardawil and a decrease in D. salina. This increase did not occur when carotenogenesis was inhibited by diphenylamine, implying a causal relationship between enhanced carotenogenesis and increase of photosynthetic efficiency. The possible involvement of stress-accumulated carotenoids in photosynthetic activity is discussed.
Plant Growth Promoting of Endophytic Sporosarcina aquimarina SjAM 16103 Isolated from the Pneumatophores of Avicenniamarina L . S .

Endophytic Sporosarcina aquimarina SjAM16103 was isolated from the inner tissues of pneumatophores of mangrove plant Avicennia marina along with Bacillus sp. and Enterobacter sp. Endophytic S. aquimarina SjAM16103 was Gram variable, and motile bacterium measured 0.6–0.9 μm wide by 1.7–2.0 μm long and light orange-brown coloured in 3-day cultures on tryptone broth at 26◦C. Nucleotide sequence of this strain has been deposited in the GenBank under accession number GU930359. This endophytic bacterium produced 2.37 μMol/mL of indole acetic acid and siderophore as it metabolites. This strain could solubilize phosphate molecules and fixes atmospheric nitrogen. Endophytic S. aquimarina SjAM16103 was inoculated into four different plants under in vitro method to analyse its growth-promoting activity and role inside the host plants. The growth of endophytic S. aquimarina SjAM16103 inoculated explants were highly significant than the uninoculated control explants. Root hairs and early root development were observed in the endophytic S. aquimarina SjAM16103 inoculated explants.
On the identity of Ischyropsalis dentipalpis Canestrini, 1872 and description of Ischyropsalis lithoclasica sp. n. (Opiliones: Ischyropsalididae)

Ischyropsalis dentipalpis Canestrini, 1872 is re-defined, and a neotype from the type locality in the Aosta Valley, Italy, is assigned. I. helvetica Roewer, 1916 (sensu Martens 1978) is shown to be conspecific and therefore is synonymised with I. dentipalpis. A population from Bergamo Province, Italy, formerly assigned to I. dentipalpis (sensu Martens 1978), is here regarded as a different species and described under the name Ischyropsalis lithoclasica sp. n. Discrimination of males is possible by genital characters and by the shape of the cheliceral and pedipalpal apophyses. Females are distinguished by peculiarities of cheliceral spination. The distribution of I. lithoclasica n. sp. is allopatric to that of I. dentipalpis.
Selected Not selected Trihalomethanes a Bromodichloromethane Dibromochloromethane Bromoform Chloroform Haloacetic Acids a Monobromoacetic acid Monochloroacetic acid Dibromoacetic acid Dichloroacetic acid Trichloroacetic acid Tribromoacetic acid Bromochloroacetic acid Dibromochloroacetic acid Bromodi

a National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA b Chemical, Biological and Environmental Center, SRC, Inc., Syracuse, NY 13212, USA c National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA d Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
Design of a Compact and High Selectivity Tri-Band Bandpass Filter Using Asymmetric Stepped-impedance Resonators (SIRs)

In this article, a compact tri-band microstrip bandpass fllter (BPF) using asymmetric stepped-impedance resonators (SIRs) is proposed. Only one set of asymmetric SIRs are used in designing this fllter to achieve triple passband response with high selectivity and band-to-band isolation level. By properly selecting the impedance and electrical length ratios of the asymmetric SIRs, the tri-band BPF is designed. By using a cross-coupled conflguration and 0 - feed structure, high selectivity frequency responses with six transmission zeros are achieved. The three bands of the proposed tri-band fllter are located at 1.57/3.9/7GHz, respectively, and the circuit size is much smaller in comparison with previous works using the same substrate. Measured results are in good agreement with electromagnetic (EM) simulation.
Sexual Reproduction in the Mediterranean Endemic Orange Coral Astroides Calycularis (Scleractinia: Dendrophylliidae)

Astroides calycularis (Pallas, 1766) is a common endemic azooxanthellate scleractinian coral living in the southwestern Mediterranean Sea, generally in shaded habitats, below overhangs, or at cave entrances, from the surface to 50 m depth. The annual reproductive cycle of A. calycularis (gamete development in relation to environmental parameters, planulation timing, size at sexual maturity, fecundity, and sex ratio) was studied at Palinuro in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) from April 2004 to September 2005. Colonies were gonochoric, were mature at 3-4 cm2 in area, and had a sex ratio of 1:1. Polyps were sexually mature at 3-4 mm length (maximum diameter of the oral disc), and the females brooded their larvae. The maturation of spermaries took 7 mo and that of oocytes took over 12 mo. The rate of gamete development increased significantly from November to March. Fertilization occurred from April to May, with planulation in June. Mature oocytes ranged from 400 to 1590 ? m and planulae size was 1850 ? m (oral-aboral axis). Seasonal variation in seawater temperature and photoperiod likely play an important role in regulating reproductive events. The amount of energy devoted to male gametogenesis (quantified by gamete index) was significantly higher than female gametogenesis. in relation to other dendrophylliids, A. calycularis presents an intermediate reproductive strategy on the r-K continuum.
Control of CFTR membrane trafficking: not just from the ER to the Golgi

Biogenesis of CFTR starts with its co-translational insertion in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and core-glycosylation. These initial events are followed by a complex succession of steps with the main goal of checking the overall quality of CFTR conformation in order to promote its exit from the ER through the secretory pathway. Failure to pass the various checkpoints of the ER quality control targets the most frequent disease-causing mutant protein (F508del-CFTR) for premature degradation. For wt-CFTR which exits the ER, traffic through the Golgi, is major site for glycan processing, although non-conventional traffic pathways have also been described for CFTR. Once at the cell surface, CFTR stability is also controlled by multiple protein interactors including Rab proteins, Rho small GTPases and PDZ proteins. These regulate not only anterograde traffic to the cell surface, but also its endocytosis and A cc ep te d A rt ic le
Intra-metropolitan Housing Supply Elasticity in Australia: A spatial analysis of Adelaide

This article estimates the supply elasticity of new housing for local government areas (LGAs) within Adelaide in South Australia by employing the urban growth model developed originally by Meyer and Somerville. In particular, we extend Gitelman and Otto's subsequent work in several ways. We employ narrower time intervals and consider different types of residential accommodation. Moreover, we include other geo-economic variables that potentially affect new supply, such as a spatially lagged dependent variable that assesses how supply conditions in one suburban region may subsequently influence supply in adjoining locations. Our findings suggest that the elasticity of new supply is up to 15 per cent over 10 quarters and thus sensitive to price changes, albeit lagged. Furthermore, we find that an LGA's land area and proximity to the coast are positively correlated with new housing supply, while its residents' average incomes and the level of building approval activity in neighbouring LGAs are negatively correlated with new supply. These findings have several potential implications for Metropolitan planning strategies.
Registered in England and Wales Registered Number : 1072954 Registered

Objective The aim was to evaluate the outcome of body weight loss consulting in an outpatient nutrition clinic. Methods Forty-five adult females attended 10 individualized treatment one-to-one sessions. Weight and height were measured and the body mass index was calculated. Triceps, biceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thickness were measured and the fat percentage was calculated. A hypocaloric diet was given to the women; the percentages of carbohydrate, protein and fat in the diet were kept between 50 and 55% for carbohydrates, between 15 and 20% for protein, and 530% of fat. Results Average weight loss was 7.4 kg, which was 8.4% of initial. Class III obese subjects achieved the highest weight loss ( 9.4 kg). Weight loss was statistically significant after week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 (PB0.001). The body mass index was significantly decreased (PB0.001). The mean fat percentage was not significantly different. Conclusions The results indicate the increasing importance of nutrition counselling in Jordan.
Econ om ics Self-Fulfilling Credit Cycles

In U.S. data 1981–2012, unsecured firm credit moves procyclically and tends to lead GDP, while secured firm credit is acyclical; similarly, shocks to unsecured firm credit explain a far larger fraction of output fluctuations than shocks to secured credit. In this paper we develop a tractable dynamic general equilibrium model in which unsecured firm credit arises from self-enforcing borrowing constraints, preventing an efficient capital allocation among heterogeneous firms. Unsecured credit rests on the value that borrowers attach to a good credit reputation which is a forward-looking variable. We argue that self-fulfilling beliefs over future credit conditions naturally generate endogenously persistent business cycle dynamics. A dynamic complementarity between current and future borrowing limits permits uncorrelated sunspot shocks to unsecured debt to trigger persistent aggregate fluctuations in both secured and unsecured debt, factor productivity and output. We show that these sunspot shocks are quantitatively important, accounting for around half of output volatility. JEL classification: D92, E32
Shared evolutionary origin of MHC polymorphism in sympatric lemurs

Genes of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) play a central role in adaptive immune responses of vertebrates. They exhibit remarkable polymorphism, often crossing species boundaries with similar alleles or allelic motifs shared across species. This pattern may reflect parallel parasitemediated selective pressures, either favouring the long maintenance of ancestral MHC allelic lineages across successive speciation events by balancing selection (‘trans-species polymorphism’), or alternatively favouring the independent emergence of functionally similar alleles post-speciation via convergent evolution. Here we investigate the origins of MHC similarity across several species of dwarf and mouse lemurs (Cheirogaleidae). We examined MHC class II variation in two highly polymorphic loci (DRB, DQB) and evaluated the overlap of gut-parasite communities in four sympatric lemurs. We tested for parasite-MHC associations across species to determine whether similar parasite pressures may select for similar MHC alleles in different species. Next, we integrated our MHC data with those previously obtained from other Cheirogaleidae to investigate the relative contribution of convergent evolution and co-ancestry to shared MHC polymorphism by contrasting patterns of codon usage at functional versus neutral sites. Our results indicate that parasites shared across species may select for functionally similar MHC alleles, implying that the dynamics of MHC-parasite co-evolution should be envisaged at the community level. We further show that balancing selection maintaining trans-species polymorphism, rather than convergent evolution, is the primary mechanism explaining shared MHC sequence motifs between species that diverged up to 30 million years ago.