Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On-Farm Productive and Reproductive Performance of Local, Exotic and Crossbred Chickens in Southern Tigray, North Ethiopia

On-farm productive and reproductive performance of local, exotic and crossbred chickens in Southern Tigray, North Ethiopia was conducted to generate base line data that could be potentially used in the chicken selection, improvement program and strategy under typical farmers' management condition. For this purpose, semi-structured questionnaires, participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and field observation were employed. One hundred and eighty household chicken owner respondents (60 per district) were considered for semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and General Linear Model (GLM) of SPSS version 20 (2011) were used to analyze the data. Mean number of egg production was higher for exotic breed (235.86±3.02 egg/hen/year) than that of crossbred (51.09±1.97 egg/hen/year) and local breeds (44.71±0.87 egg/hen/year). Moreover, Significant difference (p 0.05). On the other hand, hatchability rate of local and crossbred chickens were (86.97%) and (80.46%) (p>0.05), respectively. Higher egg production and better reproductive life span is obtained from exotic chickens than local and crossbred ones. Moreover, overall survival rate of exotic and crossbred chickens are found comparable to local chicken. Therefore, introducing Bovans Brown chickens having better productive and reproductive performance is important to enhance productivity. Non-genetic factors should also be considered to improve the performance of existing local chicken population. Keywords: Productive performance, reproductive performance, local chicken, crossbred chickens, exotic chickens
A Web-based Tagging Tool for Organizing Personal Documents on PCs

Most desktop computer operating systems provide hierarchical folder mechanisms for managing electronic content, therefore hierarchies still dominate digital information management on PCs. Under certain circumstances, the properties of a folder system make it hard to locate and find specific files stored deep within a hierarchy, therefore researchers are currently studying new mechanisms for file storage, organization, and retrieval. Recently, non-exclusive and flat-network tagging mechanisms have gained popularity for managing online information and files. In this paper we discuss memory theories from cognitive psychology and their potential use in the form of tagging mechanisms for storing and retrieving personal information. Next, we propose a webbased file-tagging tool that allows users to manage files stored on their PCs from remote computers or mobile devices and describe an experiment designed to compare it with a traditional hierarchical folder system. Author
Source attribution of black carbon and its direct radiative forcing in China

Abstract. The source attributions for mass concentration, haze formation, transport and direct radiative forcing of black carbon (BC) in various regions of China are quantified in this study using the Community Earth System Model (CESM) with a source-tagging technique. Anthropogenic emissions are from the Community Emissions Data System that is newly developed for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). Over north China where the air quality is often poor, about 90 % of near-surface BC concentration is contributed by local emissions. Overall, 35 % of BC concentration over south China in winter can be attributed to emissions from north China, and 19 % comes from sources outside China in spring. For other regions in China, BC is largely contributed from nonlocal sources. We further investigated potential factors that contribute to the poor air quality in China. During polluted days, a net inflow of BC transported from nonlocal source regions associated with anomalous winds plays an important role in increasing local BC concentrations. BC-containing particles emitted from East Asia can also be transported across the Pacific. Our model results show that emissions from inside and outside China are equally important for the BC outflow from East Asia, while emissions from China account for 8 % of BC concentration and 29 % in column burden in the western United States in spring. Radiative forcing estimates show that 65 % of the annual mean BC direct radiative forcing (2.2 W m−2) in China results from local emissions, and the remaining 35 % is contributed by emissions outside of China. Efficiency analysis shows that a reduction in BC emissions over eastern China could have a greater benefit for the regional air quality in China, especially in the winter haze season.
Understanding data and information needs for palliative cancer care to inform digital health intervention development in Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe: protocol for a multicountry qualitative study

Introduction Palliative care is a clinically and cost‐effective component of cancer services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite the significant need for palliative cancer care in SSA, coverage remains inadequate. The exploration of digital health approaches could support increases in the quality and reach of palliative cancer care services in SSA. However, there is currently a lack of any theoretical underpinning or data to understand stakeholder drivers for digital health components in this context. This project addresses this gap through engaging with key stakeholders to determine data and information needs that could be supported through digital health interventions. Methods and analysis This is a multicountry, cross-sectional, qualitative study conducted in Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe. In-depth interviews will be conducted in patients with advanced cancer (n=20), caregivers (n=15), health professionals (n=20) and policy-makers (n=10) in each of the three participating countries. Data from a total of 195 interviews will transcribed verbatim and translated into English before being imported into NVivo software for deductive framework analysis. The analysis will seek to understand the acceptability and define mechanisms of patient-level data capture and usage via digital technologies. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approvals have been obtained from the Institutional Review Boards of University of Leeds (Ref: MREC 18–032), Research Council of Zimbabwe (Ref: 03507), Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (Ref: MRCZ/A/2421), Uganda Cancer Institute (Ref: 19–2018), Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (Ref: HS325ES) and College of Medicine University of Lagos (Ref: HREC/15/04/2015). The project seeks to determine optimal mechanisms for the design and development of subsequent digital health interventions to support development, access to, and delivery of palliative cancer care in SSA. Dissemination of these findings will occur through newsletters and press releases, conference presentations, peer-reviewed journals and social media. Trial registration number ISRCTN15727711
Insight into the relationship between aryl-hydrocarbon receptor and β-catenin in human colon cancer cells

β-Catenin is a multi-functional protein involved in cell adhesion and signal transduction and has a critical role in colorectal cancer development. β-Catenin positively regulates the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediated signal by both induction of AhR expression and enhancement of AhR-dependent gene induction. Conversely, it was reported that AhR negatively regulates the β-catenin signal via ubiquitination and subsequent degradation in a ligand dependent manner. However, there have been conflicting data among previous studies regarding the relationship between these two proteins. In this report, we conducted confirmatory studies dissecting the relationship between AhR and β-catenin. We did not observe β-catenin degradation by AhR ligands in several colon cancer cell lines. Reporter assays revealed that the AhR ligand did not alter TcF/β-catenin dependent transcription. Yeast and mammalian two-hybrid assays failed to reconstruct the interaction of β-catenin and AhR even when other factors, Arnt, CUL4B, and DDB1, were co-expressed additionally. Independently to induction of AhR expression, β-catenin enhanced AhR-dependent transcriptional activation via the xenobiotic response element (XRE). Coimmunoprecipitation detected the formation of a β-catenin and ligand-activated AhR complex, which was thought to reflect the β-catenin mediated enhancement of the AhR signaling. Overall, we could only confirm unidirectional interaction, which is positive regulation of the AhR signal by β-catenin. These results suggested that data from previous reports on the degradation of β-catenin via liganded AhR warrants further investigation to yield clarity in the field.
Delay-Dependent Anti-Windup Loops for Enlarging the Stability Region of Time Delay Systems With Saturating Inputs

This paper addresses the problem of the determination of regions of stability for linear systems with delayed inputs and subject to input saturation through anti-windup strategies. Differently of the most anti-windup techniques, where the design of the anti-windup loop is introduced with the objective of minimizing the performance degradation, we are particularly interested in the synthesis of anti-windup gains in order to guarantee the stability of the closed-loop system for regions of admissible initial states as large as possible. With this aim, due to the presence of delay in the input we propose delay dependent results.
Dominance of particle-attached bacteria in the Columbia River estuary, USA

Particle-attached bacteria are a central component of the detrital food web of many turbid coastal and estuarine ecosystems. The Columbia River estuary, at the terminus of a 660000 km 2 water­ shed in northwestern North America, is a turbid, partially mixed system that has a flushing time of 1 to 3 d. Several large, well-defined estuarine turbidity maxima (ETM) extend the residence time ot both mineral and organic pcuticles transported through the estuary. Water samples collected in the North Channel of the estuary every 2 h for 148 h (6 tidal cycles) in May 1995 were analyzed to determine the concentration and production of particle-dttached and free-living bacteria, extracelluldr enzyme activ­ ity, turbidity, salinity, and particulate orgdnic carbon (POC) concentration. The concentration ot parti­ cle-attdched bdcteria, defined as those caught by a 3 pm filter, averaged 1.02 x lOG (SD = 1.00 x 10") cells ml-( and correlated with turbidity dnd POC, and thus to some extent with the tiddl cycle that main­ tains the ETM. The concentration of free-living bacteria was more constant, averaging 1.25 x 10" (SD = 0.4 x 10h) cells ml- 1 Particle-attdched bacterial cdrbon production, cdlculated from the rate of incorpo­ ration of1H-thymidine, dveraged 1.61 (SD = 1.10) ~lg 11 h- I , dccounted for 90 'Yo (SD = 9 %,) of total bdc­ lerial carbon production, and correlated with turbidity and POe. Extracellular enzyme dCtivity, mea­ sured as the rate of hydrolysis of fluorescently labeled compounds, increased with turbidity and was predominantly associated with particles. Particle-dttached bacteria probably dccount for most of the bacterial degradation of particulate orgdnic material in the estudry, and the transfer of that materidl into the detrital food web. The hydrodynamics of the estuary contribute to the dominance of Pdrticle­ attached bacteria by extending the residence time of pdrticles in the ETM, and by quickly flushing free­ living cells through the estudry, perhaps preventing the development of an estudrine population of free-living bacterid.
Mycolic acid composition of Corynebacterium grutarnicurn and its cell surface mutants : effects of growth with glycine and isonicotinic acid hydrazide

Biomolecular Engineering, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia 3 CSIRO Division of Auxotrophic mutants of Corynehcterium g/utamicum strain ATCC 13059 (parent of AS01 9, a rifampicin-resistant variant), which were morphologically distinct from the parent and formed protoplasts more readily, had been isolated previously. Mutants MLB130-133 and MLB194 were more sensitive to growth inhibition by isonicotinic acid hydrazide (INH) and glycine, which caused branching and budding. Fatty acid and mycolic acid (MA) profiles were determined after growth in LBG (Luria broth plus glucose), LBG-glycine (LBG-G) and LBG-INH (LBG-I). The fatty acid profiles of all strains were similar, except that mutant MLB133 showed some increase in stearic acid (ClaEO), normally a minor component, late in the growth cycle and oleic acid proportionately decreased. All strains had five major types of MAS (C32:V CU:,, CUil, C36:1, c36:2) but the relative proportion of each varied with the strain, age of culture and medium composition. Mutants MLB133 and MLB194 showed slightly higher levels of non-covalently bound MAS than the parent and normally showed a higher proportion of longer-chained, unsaturated MAS. The proportion of extracellular MAS increased with culture age for these mutants. Typically, by late stationary phase, mycolic acids in culture fluids increased to 65% of the total MAS for MLB194 and 79% for MLB133 compared with 35% for the parent strain grown in LBG. The main effect of glycine (2%, whr) addition was to increase the proportion of mycolic acids found in extracellular fluids (164 O h for AS019 and 31 YO for MLB133). The most significant effects of INH were seen when strains were cultured in LBG with 8 mg INH m1-l. When harvested at late stationary phase, strains MLB133 and MLB194 had 188% and 21.2 O/ O extracellular mycolic acids respectively, with a significant increase in the relative proportion of unsaturated mycolic acids. This effect was not as marked for AS019, which also showed a similar decrease in C12:0 relative to increases in the proportion of CU:, and CMtt, plus a corresponding increase in the overall proportion of unsaturated mycolic acids and increased extracellular mycolates (85 YO). These results suggest that the mutations in strains MLB133 and MLB194 are associated with synthesis of specific mycolic acids (e.g. C3*:O) and attachment of mycolic acids to the cell surface, both of which are likely target sites for glycine and INH action for cell-surface modifications. In addition to previously reported targeting of the peptidoglycan cross-linking, these results show that glycine affects mycotic acid attachment to the cell surface of C. g/utamicum.
The Effect of Thematic Clustering on Enhancing Monolingual and Bilingual EFL Learners' Vocabulary Acquisition

The present study intended to compare the effect of thematic clustering on learning English vocabulary among monolingual and bilingual EFL learners. It examined if the use of meaningful context or thematic grouping facilitates vocabulary learning. It was also transmitted to spread knowledge on their effectiveness in helping more bilinguals or monolinguals. The study consisted of 166 intermediate female EFL learners from two branches of Tehran institutes in Bandar Abbas, 74 bilingual Arabic EFL learners and 92 monolingual EFL learners. Before starting the main study, a pilot test was carried out to assess the feasibility and usefulness of data collection methods and the procedures. Each group of bilingual and monolingual were divided into two groups in which one group studied thematic clustering and another group was regarded as control group. A one - way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical test was used to analyze the quantitative data collected. The results showed that thematic clustering of English vocabulary can play a significant role in enhancing both monolingual and bilingual EFL learners’ vocabulary acquisition. Finally, bilinguals had better performance when they learned new words, based on thematic clustering, in comparison to monolinguals. The result of this study can help language educators and administrators to decide about the most effective vocabulary instruction programs to improve second language vocabulary learning.
Influence of Tax Shield on Capital Structure of Private Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

The main objective of the study was to determine the influence of tax shield on capital structure of private manufacturing firms in Kenya. The measure of tax shield for this research is corporation tax on interest on debt. Ascertaining and attaining an optimal capital structure for many firms is not an easy task. In Kenya many manufacturing firms are struggling to operate while others have been compelled to shut down. This study used descriptive survey design on a population of 853 firms as per KAM members’ directory of 2015. Using simple random sampling a sample of 208 CFOs of private manufacturing firms were selected from a target population of 455 CFOs of firms situated in Nairobi and its surrounding areas. The researcher collected primary data using self-administered questionnaire to obtain financial measures from the chief finance officers (CFOs) of these firms and secondary data was collected through a data survey sheet and document review form. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Under descriptive statistics percentages of responses and means of items was computed. In quantitative analysis Karl Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, ANOVA and E -Views were used. The study concluded that high debt tax shield cause increase in debt. The results also revealed that the higher debt tax shield the higher tax advantage from debt interest to the firm. In addition, the results revealed that with high tax rate, the firm uses more debt and has more income to shield from tax.
Change in Control and Firm Performance

Whether firms that experienced change in control perform better or worse than before the change remains a puzzling issue. In this study we investigate the firms that experienced change in control and find that poor performing firms tend to be the takeover targets; however, these firms performed even worse after change of control. We find that corporate governance dictates the post-change performance measures. The proportion of directors controlled by the controlling shareholder is negatively related to the post-change performance measures. In contrast, the proportion of directors controlled by the second controlling shareholder is positively related to the post-change performance measures. Furthermore, the performance measures of the targets improved when the controlling shareholder entitled high cash flow rights. Finally, the change-in-control firms are more likely to be trapped in financial distress when the controlling shareholders deeply involved in the board.
Target-Dependent Sentiment Classification With BERT

Research on machine assisted text analysis follows the rapid development of digital media, and sentiment analysis is among the prevalent applications. Traditional sentiment analysis methods require complex feature engineering, and embedding representations have dominated leaderboards for a long time. However, the context-independent nature limits their representative power in rich context, hurting performance in Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks. Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), among other pre-trained language models, beats existing best results in eleven NLP tasks (including sentence-level sentiment classification) by a large margin, which makes it the new baseline of text representation. As a more challenging task, fewer applications of BERT have been observed for sentiment classification at the aspect level. We implement three target-dependent variations of the $\mathrm {BERT_{base}}$ model, with positioned output at the target terms and an optional sentence with the target built in. Experiments on three data collections show that our TD-BERT model achieves new state-of-the-art performance, in comparison to traditional feature engineering methods, embedding-based models and earlier applications of BERT. With the successful application of BERT in many NLP tasks, our experiments try to verify if its context-aware representation can achieve similar performance improvement in aspect-based sentiment analysis. Surprisingly, coupling it with complex neural networks that used to work well with embedding representations does not show much value, sometimes with performance below the vanilla BERT-FC implementation. On the other hand, incorporation of target information shows stable accuracy improvement, and the most effective way of utilizing that information is displayed through the experiment.
Northern grazing carbon farming - integrating production and greenhouse gas outcomes 1

On-farm practices with potential to reduce methane emissions from cattle and increase carbon stored in soil and vegetation were demonstrated and evaluated in three regions across Australia’s northern grazing land. This project (short name Climate Clever Beef) was supported by the Queensland and Northern Territory governments, regional natural resource management groups, 11 grazing businesses and the Australian Government’s Action on the Ground program. This project targeted three large and diverse regions across northern Australia: the Queensland Gulf, the Queensland Fitzroy Basin and the Northern Territory (Victoria River District, Douglas Daly and Barkly Tableland regions).
HRM Practices and Employees' Rentention: The Perspective of Job Embeddedness Theory

In the current study several HRM practices (performance appraisal, promotional opportunities and job security) have been suggested to explain its impact on employees retention. Previously, other studies have endeavored to consider the impact of HRM practices and employees retention but their results are mostly conflicting, therefore further investigation is needed. Moreover, mediating effect of job embeddedness on the relationship between HRM practices and employees retention has been suggested to be investigated. Furthermore, the use job embeddedness theory may help to better understand the relationship.
A Note on a Weighted Voting Experiment: Human Mistakes in Cooperative Games

We conducted a sensitivity analysis of results in weighted voting experiments by varying the following two features of the protocol by Montero et al. (2008): (a) the way subjects' roles are reassigned in each round (random versus semi-fixed roles) and (b) the number of proposals that subjects can approve simultaneously (multiple versus single approval). We found that the possibility of simultaneously approving many proposals (multiple approvals) may result in more confusion and mistakes by subjects than the case without such a possibility (single approval). We also found that frequencies of minimal winning coalitions (MWCs) observed under the protocol with semi-fixed roles and single approval are consistent with our hypothesis: each subject prefers a MWC in which his or her relative weight is larger, and the probability of each MWC occurring depends on a score in the social ordering determined by the Borda count, when there is no veto player.