Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decoding the Role of Serum IL-12 as a Prognostic Biomarker in Pegylated IFN-Α-2a /Ribavirin-Treated Chronic Hepatitis C Patients Using Luminex Xmap Technology

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infects 3% of the world population. It leads to liver morbidity and transplantation. Various liver function tests are used to monitor the disease progression but they are not robust. Immune system of the host triggers when HCV invades the body. Proinflammatory cytokines like IL-12 may be a novel biomarker for the therapy outcome and for the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we have examined the role of IL-12 in HCV genotype 4 patients with interferon resistance and strong correlation was observed with the resistance.
The effect of nitrification inhibitors on nitrous oxide flux from haplic luvisol soil of DASA® 26/13 and ENSIN® fertilisers in a laboratory experiment.

The aim of the paper was to compare the effects of two very similar fertilisers on nitrous oxide (N 2O) flux from soil to the atmosphere in laboratory conditions. The following fertilisers were used: granulated nitrogenous fertiliser DASA® 26/13 with the nitrogen content of 26%, sulphur content of 13%, and nitrogen fertiliser ENSIN® with the nitrogen content of 26%, sulphur content of 13% and nitrification inhibitors dicyandiamide DCD and 1, 2, 4-triazole (TZ). Both fertilisers are produced by the same man ufacturer, DUSLO, Inc., Sala, Slovakia. For both fertilisers, there variants of experiments were carried out for application rates equivalent to 0, 250 and 500 kg ha -1 . The amount of the N 2O emissions released from soil to the atmosphere was measured by a photo-acoustic field gas monitor INNOVA 1412 connected to a multipoint sampler INNOVA 1309. The experiments were conducted for 30 days in laboratory conditions. The fertiliser was incorporated into the soil in sampling tubes to a depth of 80 mm after 24 hours of measurement. Subsequently, after every 24 hours of measurement, another 48 hours was carried out, and this measuring cycle was repeated 10 times. The results of our experiment have confirmed that the fertiliser application rate and type of the fertiliser used have a significant effect on N 2O flux and have confirmed the importance of accurate and uniform application of fertilisers in field conditions in order to eliminate the negative environmental effects.
Assessing the Relative Importance of Multiple Channels for Embodied and Disembodied Technological Spillovers

With ever increasing global integration, productivity improvements depend not only on in-house innovative efforts, but on those of international partners as well. This paper explores the impact of foreign R&D on productivity and technical efficiency of countries by considering three channels of embodied and disembodied spillovers, namely trade, foreign direct investment and patenting, and controlling for the direct licensing of foreign technologies. Furthermore, it contrasts these effects across 47 developed and transition countries between 1990 and 2009. Overall, I find that trade remains the dominant factor behind productivity and technical progress, while the effects of FDI- and patent-related spillovers are significantly smaller. The effect of foreign patenting is larger in developed nations while imports, inward FDI and foreign technology licensing are important sources of know-how for transition economies. The aggregate gains from spillovers appear larger for latter, confirming their significance in the process of development and catching-up.
Modularity of 2-dimensional Galois representations

Our aim is to explain some recent results on modularity of 2-dimensional potentially Barsotti-Tate Galois representations. That such representations should arise from modular forms is a special case of a remarkable conjecture of Fontaine and Mazur [FM]. One of its concrete consequences is that if A/Q is an abelian variety of GL2-type, then A is a subquotient of a product of Jacobians of modular curves. The first breakthrough in the direction of this conjecture was the work of Wiles and Taylor-Wiles [Wi], [TW], which established that (under mild hypothesis) the conjecture holds for 2-dimensional p-adic representations ρ which are Barsotti-Tate at p provided that the associated mod p representation ρ̄ is modular and irreducible. These results were extended by a number of authors [Di 1], [CDT], [BCDT], and a lifting theorem of this type for fairly general potentially Barsotti-Tate representations was proved in [Ki 1]. For ordinary representations with ρ̄ reducible, the conjecture was proved by Skinner-Wiles [SW]. The condition that ρ̄ was modular could be verified in certain special cases. The results mentioned in the previous paragraph were then sufficient to deduce the conjecture of Shimura-Taniyama-Weil that any elliptic curve over Q is modular. The case of semi-stable elliptic curves was established by Wiles [Wi] and the general case by Breuil-ConradDiamond-Taylor [BCDT]. However, Serre [Se 1] had conjectured that any two-dimensional mod p representation with odd determinant was modular. A few years ago Taylor established a weaker form of this conjecture [Ta 1], [Ta 2], which asserts that for some totally real field F in which p is unramified, ρ̄|F arises from a Hilbert modular form. Combining this with the kind
The effect of beef production system on proximate composition and fatty acid profile of three beef muscles

In this study the effects of animal age combined with feeding regime and the utilisation of a beta-agonist (within a grain-fed system) on proximate composition and fatty acid profile of M. longissimus lumborum (LL), M. biceps femoris (BF), and M. semitendinosus (ST) were determined. Eighty Bonsmara steers consisting of A-age (0 permanent incisors) grain-fed (AC) and grain-fed supplemented with a beta-agonist, zilpaterol (AZ) (n = 20) grass-fed AB-age (1 - 2 permanent incisors; AB) (n = 20), and B-age (3 - 6 permanent incisors; B) (n = 20) animals were used. These four groups are representative of cattle slaughtered in South Africa and were treated as four production systems. The chemical composition of all three muscles showed that zilpaterol increased protein and reduced muscle fat contents of meat. All the muscles of both grass-fed groups (AB and B) had significantly higher content of certain desirable fatty acids (FAs) such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), omega-3 (n-3) FAs, branched chain saturated phytanic acid, and a lower omega-6/omega-3 (n-6/n-3) ratio than the two grain-fed groups (AC and AZ). The FA composition of grain-fed beef muscle was generally not influenced by the use of zilpaterol except for a tendency towards higher n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in beta-agonist produced beef. This was mainly due to higher levels of linoleic acid in LL and ST muscles and higher CLA in BF muscle of AZ animals. Phytanic acid was also higher in BF muscle of the AZ group compared to AC. Differences in animal age among grass-fed animals (AB vs. B) had minimal effect on FA composition of grass-fed beef. We can conclude that differences in FA composition of the three muscles are influenced mainly by feeding regime and less by differences in production factors within feeding regimes. Keywords: Animal age, grain feeding, grass feeding, zilpaterol
Production and quality of Jiggs bermudagrass forage on Holstein cow milk production and quality parameters under an intermittent grazing system

Complete List of Authors: Brandstetter, Eduardo ; Instituto Federal de Educacao Ciencia e Tecnologia Goiano Campus Rio Verde, Department of Animal Sciences Costa, Kátia Aparecida; Goiás Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano – IF Goiano, Campus Rio Verde), Department of Animal Sciences da Silva, Marco Antônio; Instituto Federal Goiano, Zootecnia de Araújo Neto, Francisco ; Instituto Federal de Educacao Ciencia e Tecnologia Goiano Campus Rio Verde, Department of Animal Sciences da Silva, Valdevino ; Instituto Federal de Educacao Ciencia e Tecnologia Goiano Campus Rio Verde, Department of Animal Sciences Neves, Rodrigo; Universidade Federal de Goias, Laboratório Controle de Qualidade do leite de Souza, Wender; Instituto Federal de Educacao Ciencia e Tecnologia Goiano Campus Rio Verde, Department of Animal Sciences de Oliveira, Itamar; Instituto Federal de Educacao Ciencia e Tecnologia Goiano Campus Rio Verde, Department of Animal Sciences
The Relationship between Resilience and Body Image in College Women

Possessing a negative body image is associated with unhealthy eating habits and eating disorders in college women and has been linked to depression and negative feelings of self worth. Limited research exists on protective factors that have the potential to mitigate body image dissatisfaction. This paper examines the relationship of resilience to body image dissatisfaction in college women. Female, undergraduate college students were studied using previously validated measures. Results indicate that increased resilience is associated with improved body image.
What Scenarios for the Euro-Mediterranean in 2030 in the Wake of the Post-Arab Spring?

In the wake of the unprecedented uprisings that brought to an end decades of repressive authoritarian rule, the Southern Mediterranean region has reached a turning point in its history, presenting many opportunities and challenges for the EU. In this MEDPRO Policy Paper, Rym Ayadi and Carlo Sessa explore various possible scenarios that could play out in EU-Mediterranean relations over the next two decades but find, lamentably, that the EU has set itself on a ‘business as usual’ course, leaving the region open to further polarization and the involvement of other external players.
Early immunocastration of male pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prepubertal or early pubertal vaccination against GnRH using Improvac® (Pfizer Ltd.) on boar taint, reproductive organs, anabolic hormones, cytochrome P450 enzymes, performance and behaviour. Crossbred male pigs (n=192) were randomly allocated to four groups: one group surgically castrated without anaesthesia, a second group receiving early vaccination (at ages 10 and 14 weeks), a third standard vaccinated group (at ages 16 and 20 weeks), and a fourth group of entire male pigs. After the second injection, antibody titres increased rapidly and testicular steroids decreased to the low levels of castrates. Reproductive organs were small in vaccinated pigs and smaller after early vaccination. Spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis were disrupted with a more severe, possibly irreversible effect after early vaccination. Oestradiol was suppressed for castrated and vaccinated pigs. IGF-1 was lowest for castrates and highest for entire male pigs, with vaccinated pigs at an intermediate level. Hepatic CYP450 mRNA expression was highest for castrated and early vaccinated pigs, and lowest for entire male pigs, suggesting suppression at the transcriptional level of CYP1A2, CYP2A and CYP2E1 by testicular steroids. This did not correspond exactly with protein expression and activities, suggesting other regulations for some CYP450s. The levels of skatole and androstenone in adipose tissue were low in castrated and vaccinated pigs, whereas entire male pigs had elevated levels. Daily weight gain and feed conversion did not differ between groups and income per carcass did not differ between castrated or vaccinated pigs. The income was lower for entire male pigs, due to the additional cost for boar taint analyses and reduced payment for tainted carcasses. After vaccination, the frequency of interactions, both problematic and non-problematic, decreased from the levels of entire males to those of surgically castrated pigs. Under these conditions, early vaccination with Improvac can be used to control boar taint, testicular function and behaviour with unaffected profitability. Thus, the flexi¬bility of vaccination may be extended, implying advantages in terms of animal welfare and sustainability.
Living Arrangements and Aging in Mexico: Changes in Households, Poverty and Regions, 1992-2009

This paper analyzes diverse socio-demographic variables in living arrangements among older people at national and regional levels in Mexico. Using the National Survey of Demographic Dynamics for 1992, 1997, 2006 and 2009, we develop two levels of analysis, household and individual, in order to show trends and changes in composition of households in Mexico focusing on those including elderly people. A multinominal logistic model was used to determine the effect of diverse variables on living arrangements. The findings show an increase in the percentage of households with elderly people living alone; at a regional level, the Yucat¨¢n Peninsula has the lowest percentage of elderly households; old men are more likely to live in nuclear and extended families than women; people aged 80 and older currently employed have greater probabilities of living alone.
The Mediating Effect of Quality and Prestige on the Relationship between Brand Globalness and Purchase Likelihood of HTC Mobile Phone

Perceived brand quality (PBQ) and perceived brand prestige (PBP) have been considered very important mechanisms to predict the direct as well as indirect relationship between perceived brand globalness (PBG) and consumer purchase likelihood (CPL) in many studies. However, almost all studies focused on direct influence of PBQ and PBP on CPL, neglecting the mediating role of them. This study, therefore, aims at filling this research gap by investigating the mediating effects of PBQ and PBP on the relationship between the PBG and CPL in the mobile industry applied to the HTC Company. In doing so, this study used the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to analyze a total sample of 439 college student consumers in central Taiwan. Results indicated that PBG and BPQ have positive effects on CPL while PBP did not. These findings are different from the literature that both PBQ and BBP showed significant influences on CPL. In other words, when it comes to HTC mobile phone, only PBQ could be considered as a mediating variable through which PBG indirectly affects CPL. Generally, this study opens the doors to new empirical studies in the mobile phone industry whereby readers and practitioners would understand the importance of mediator role in consumer purchase intention.
Quality Assurance in Virtual Learning Environments for Open Distance Learning

Quality assurance, as the fundamental pillar of higher education development, contin‐ ues to remain an integral part of the e‐learning process. Most importantly, it influences reforms in higher education institutions globally. This chapter departs on the assump‐ tions that (1) quality assurance, as power relations construct, is not free from cultural hegemony and (2) quality assurance in virtual learning environments should be guided and informed by Paulo Freire's humanizing pedagogy. In this chapter, we shall argue that quality assurance is both a philosophical problem and a policy imperative that is critical for the internationalization and globalization of higher education, more specifi‐ cally virtual learning environments. We will further argue that the emphasis placed on the importance of quality assurance in virtual learning practices has been blind‐spotted by the fact that quality assurance can be viewed as agent of cultural hegemony and cultural reproduction of capitalist societies. While we agree with all the positive ele‐ ments attributed to quality assurance in virtual learning, we argue that they should be characterized by humanizing pedagogy and the international dimension (exchange of knowledge and interactive networking) and cultural hybridity. cultural hegemony; (4) critique quality assurance as an ideologi‐ cal state apparatus (ISA); (5) present Paulo Freire's humanizing pedagogy; and (6) propose a rethinking of quality assurance in VLEs through the lens of humanizing pedagogy. world‐medi-ated;
Monitoring Hydration In Lime-Metakaolin Composites Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy And Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Abstract This paper describes a study of the hydraulic reactions between metakaolin (MK) and air lime using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Tests were carried out at 20, 25 and 30°C on lime-MK pastes with 10:1 w/w ratio. Tests over 28 days allowed identification of relevant changes in the EIS signals and characterization of pastes using thermal analysis (TGA/DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and uni-axial compressive tests. Tests over shorter periods of time (up to 42 h) allowed more detailed studies of the hydraulic phases formed at the very beginning of the reactions. Results of thermal analyses demonstrate formation of hydraulic compounds such as CSH, C4AH13 and C3ASH6 and show their evolution over time. MIP analysis demonstrates changes in pore size distribution related to the formation and trasformation of hydraulic phases. Variations of impedance response with time are shown to be associated with reaction kinetics. Changes in the NMR signal within the first 42 h of reaction are shown to be associated with the dissolution of calcium hydroxide in the pore solution. Overall, this paper demonstrates the importance of NMR in the study of hydraulic reactions in lime based materials and the ability of EIS to detect the formation of hydraulic compounds and the end of the calcium hydroxide dissolution process.
Spectral measure at zero for self-similar tilings

The goal of this paper is to study the action of the group of translations over self-similar tilings in the euclidian space $\mathbb{R}^d$. It investigates the behaviour near zero for spectral measures for such dynamical systems. Namely the paper gives a Holder asymptotic expansion near zero for these spectral measures. It is a generalization to higher dimension of a result by Bufetov and Solomyak who studied self similar-suspension flows for substitutions. The study of such asymptotics mostly involves the understanding of the deviations of some ergodic averages.
The Relationship of Industry Evolution to Patterns of Technological Linkages, Joint Ventures, and Direct Investment Between U.S. and Japan

Although economic activity between the U.S. and Japan has skyrocketed in the last decade, there are few large sample, cross-industry studies analyzing multiple forms of investment by the Japanese in the U.S. This study analyzes the key characteristics of each stage of industry evolution and the costs and benefits of each form of resource investment to predict the patterns of technological linkages, joint ventures, and direct investment of Japanese companies in the U.S. The results find support for a model predicting a predominance of technological linkages in emerging industries, joint ventures in growing industries, and direct investment in maturing industries. Technological linkages are most attractive in emerging industries as firms struggle to acquire technology, information and expertise and share cost and risk, yet retain flexibility. Joint ventures proliferate in growing industries because they offer a means of acquiring and expanding customer bases, yet reducing vulnerability. In maturing industries, where firms' key competencies are more developed, direct investment allows the company to generate demand in new markets without the disadvantage of joint governance.
Biochemical Properties Of Y-Glutamyl Transpeptidase From Onchocerca Volvulus

γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) from Onchocerca volvulus is involved in the oxidative stress. The enzyme catalyzes the breakdown of glutathione (GSH) and thus provide the parasite with cysteine for the synthesis of GSH and other amnio acids. The enzyme, which was highly purified from Onchocerca volvulus, is found to be membrane-bound with a specific activity of 100 U mg-1 and a molecular mass of 68 KDa. The apparent Km-values for the γ- glutamyl donor L-glutamic acid γ-(4-nitroanilide) is 0.023 ± 0.013 mM. The data presented in this study showed that various amino acids and dipeptides served for the γ-glutamyl moieties of the enzyme reaction products and showed Km values in the mM range. Acivicin was an irreversible inhibitor of the enzyme with a pseudo-first-order kinetics (kmax) of 0.34 ± 0.004 min−1 and KI = 0.59 ± 0.04 mM. These finding indicate the physiological role of the GGT of this parasite nematode in the catabolism of GSH. Further studies are required to investigate the use of this enzyme as a potential target for the development of chemotherapy against O. volvulus. المسبب لداء (Onchocerca Voluulus) من طفيل (γ-glutamyl transpeptidase ) تمت دراسة أنزيم المنتشر في عدة مناطق من العالم وخاصة في إفريقيا وأمريكيا اللاتينية. هذا الأنزيم يلعب (Onchocerciasis) العمى الليلي وهو مركب عضوي يحافظ على درجة اختزال الخلية، حيث أنه (Glutathione) دورا مهما في المحافظة على الجلوتاثيون الأنزيم المسؤول عن تحطيم الجلوتاثيون في الخلية إلى عناصره الأساسية وبالتالي إعطاء الخلية مصدر للأحماض الأمينية مثل لقد أظهرت الدراسة أن هذا الأنزيم مرتبط غشاء الخلية عند الطفيل وقد تم تنقية الأنزيم إلى درجة عالية . Cysteine ال واستعمل هذا المستخلص في تحديد ميزات البروتين ومن تلك الميزات أنه يستقبل عدة أحماض أمينية وثنائي الببتيدات من أجل لتلك المركبات في نطاق (Michalis-Menten) ربطها بالمركب العضوي جاما جلوتاميل وقد وجد أن قيمة ميكاليس له كفاءة عالية في وقف عمل الأنزيم بقيمة عامل مثبط "acivicin " وقد وجد أيضا أن المثبط . (mM) الميليمولار وبالتالي يمكن أن يكون هذا الإنزيم مرشح لأن يكون هدفا لتطوير أدوية ضد تلك الطفيليات. (ki= 0.59±0.04 )
MULTILEVEL GREEN'S FUNCTION INTERPOLATION METHOD SOLUTION OF VOLUME/SURFACE INTEGRAL EQUATION FOR MIXED CONDUCTING/BI-ISOTROPIC OBJECTS

This paper proposes a multilevel Green's function interpolation method (MLGFIM) to solve electromagnetic scattering from objects comprising both conductor and bi-isotropic objects using volume/surface integral equation (VSIE). Based on equivalence principle, the volume integral equation (VIE) in terms of volume electric and magnetic ∞ux densities and surface integral equation (SIE) in terms of surface electric current density are flrst formulated for inhomogeneous bi-isotropic and conducting objects, respectively, and then are discretized using the method of moments (MoM). The MLGFIM is adopted to speed up the iterative solution of the resultant equation and reduces the memory requirement. Numerical examples are presented to show good accuracy and versatility of the proposed algorithm in dealing with a wide array of scattering problems.
Digestibilidade de dietas contendo resíduo úmido de mandioca em substituição ao milho para tourinhos em terminação

Twenty crossbred bulls (1/2 and 3/4 Bos taurus x Bos indicus) averaging 24 months of age and 532 kg of body weight at the beginning of the experiment were used. Animals were randomly assigned to five treatments (four replicates/treatment) in a completely randomized design to evaluate the effect of replacing corn grain with a wet byproduct of cassava starch extraction on apparent digestibility of nutrients. Bulls were fed diets containing sorghum silage and one of the following levels of cassava byproduct in the concentrate: 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100%. No significant differences were observed for apparent digestibility of nutrients that averaged: 65.42% (dry matter), 68.30% (crude protein), 67.72% (ether extract), 49.58% (neutral detergent fiber), 50.71% (acid detergent fiber), and 81.79% (nonfiber carbohydrates). The contents of TDN (65.47%) and ME (2.36 Mcal/kg) also did not differ among diets. Only apparent digestibility of total carbohydrates differed across diets: Y= -0.0684N + 0.0015N2 + 63.756; R2 = 0.9122. Replacing corn grain with cassava byproduct did not change apparent digestibility of nutrients, except for total carbohydrates.