Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Curcumin in Amelioration the Toxic Effects in Aflatoxicated Rabbits

ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 5 Number 12 (2016) pp. 795-818 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com As the first step in this direction; biosynthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and their use to ameliorate the toxic effects of aflatoxicosis in rabbit in comparison with curcumin were studied. Thirty-five healthy New Zealand rabbits were divided into 5 groups, each including 7 rabbits. Group 1 was kept as negative control without any treatment. Rabbits in the groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were given AFB1 orally at a dose of 50 ug dissolved in 0.5 ml of olive oil/ animal daily, for 4 weeks. On day one following the administration of AFB1, curcumin was orally administered at a dose of 15 mg/kg b.w. for group 3. While, animals of Group 4, were orally administered AFB1 + ZnO-NPs (25 ug / kg of B.W. of animal /0.2 mL of buffer/day)( low dose). Animals of Group 5, were orally administered aflatoxins + ZnONPs (50 ug / kg of B.W. of animal /0.2 mL of buffer/day) ( high dose). The biochemical evaluation of rabbit sera after experimental study showed that AFB1 increased the concentration of NO and MDA, while decreased the level of GSH and activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-PX. Significant decreased values in plasma total protein, albumin, alpha globulin, beta globulin, and gamma globulin. Decrease in serum globulin in toxin fed group might be due to the adverse effect of aflatoxin B1 on synthesis of total proteins and globulin. The AFB1 had a drastic effect on liver and kidneys with marked genotoxic effect and inhibition of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis. These changes were improved by administration of ZnO-NPs or curcumin to aflatoxicated animal through the immune strengthening effect and protection of lipid and protein from oxidative damage. It is concluded that the addition of ZnO-NPs and curcumin to animal feed possesses hepato-protective effect through scavenging of free radicals, or by enhancing the activity of antioxidant, which then detoxify the free radicals. These factors protect hepatic cells from the damaging effect by AFB1 that could be progress to hepatocarcinmoa. K e y w o r d s Aflatoxicosis, Rabbits, ZnO-Nps, curcumin, GSH, Hepatoprotective effect, anti-hepatocellular carcinoma, Antioxidant, Fibrosis, Apoptosis. Accepted: 28 November 2016
The Stratiform and Convective Components of Surface Precipitation

One year of precipitation records taken from a subset of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) global rain gauge network has been analyzed. This analysis has shown that the distribution of accumulation of precipitation with the rainfall rate is characterized by an exponential law. This relationship seems to be universal and is present regardless of the averaging interval considered. The data structure suggests that this exponential distribution can be used as a basic state to partition surface precipitation into stratiform and convective components. The physical basis of this approach is investigated and discussed using Monte Carlo simulations based on a simple cloud model. The methodology is validated using a Fourier analysis in time, and average global monthly maps of convective and stratiform precipitation are presented to illustrate the feasibility of the technique.
Antifouling effect of bioactive compounds from marine sponge Acanthella elongata and different species of bacterial film on larval attachment of Balanus amphitrite (cirripedia, crustacea)

The antifouling activity of bioactive compounds from marine sponge Acanthella elongata (Dendy) and five species of bacterial biofilm were studied. Larvae of Balanus amphitrite (Cyprids and nauplii) were used to monitor the settlement inhibition and the extent to which inhibition was due to toxicity. The crude extract and partially purified fractions of A.elongata showed significant inhibition over the settlement individually, and with the interaction of bacterial species. No bacterial film stimulated the barnacle settlement. The high but variable levels of antifouling activity in combination with less amount of toxicity showed the potential of these metabolites in environmentally-friendly antifouling preparations.
Changing Exchange Rate Pass-Through in Japan: Does It Indicate Changing Pricing Behavior?

This paper empirically explores recent changes in the exchange rate pass-through in Japan. We take a two-pronged approach. First, we estimate the exchange rate pass-through into domestic prices using time-varying parameter estimation. Second, we decompose the estimated exchange rate pass-through into the responsiveness of marginal costs to the exchange rate and the responsiveness of inflation to marginal costs. The estimation results show that the rates of exchange rate pass-through into the Producer Price Index and the Consumer Price Index have been increasing since the late 2000s. Evidence from international input-output tables suggests that the import-intensity of Japan's manufacturing sector has increased considerably over the last decade. We find that although the increasing dependence on imports in production (as well as in the retail sector) accounts for part of the rise in exchange rate pass-through, a larger part of the rise is due to greater responsiveness of inflation to marginal costs. This finding hints at a structural change in firms' pricing behavior since the late 2000s.
Skills and Attributes Needed for Success in Accounting Career: Do Employers' Expectations Fit with Students' Perceptions? Evidence from Tunisia

Purpose – The aim of this article is to examine perceptions and expectations of two major stakeholders: students and employers of the importance of skills and attributes for securing entry-level employment in accounting. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct an empirical study using a list of 78 items, starting by comparing employers’ expectations with students’ perceptions concerning the set of technical and non technical skills required from accounting graduates to pursue a career in the accounting profession This study involving data collection from 81 accounting students in five business schools in Tunisia and 48 practitioners. Findings – Findings indicate that employers are seeking graduates who possess a diverse range of non-technical skills. However, accounting students perceive that it is rather technical skills which determine their abilities to pursue a career in the accounting profession. Practical implications – The paper’s findings are of interest to several different parties, primarily the professional accounting body, universities and students. Originality/value – The paper describes an empirical study, conducted on a developing country, which provides a better understanding of new skills expected for future accountants in this changing business environment. The paper constitutes also a meaningful contribution to the accounting education literature, as it examines an interesting subject that has not yet been investigated in the Tunisian context.
The Effect of Academics ’ Gender and Experience on Students ’ Performance

This study examines whether factors identified in the literature as influencing students’ performance explain students’ performance. Specifically, this study focuses on academics’ gender and experience to examine their effect on students’ performance. Using content analysis on 893 students’ result, this study found both academics’ gender and experience influence students’ performance. The results of this study show that academics influence students of the opposite gender more than the same gender and the relationship is negative. This study also shows that academics’ experience influences students’ performance and the relationship is positive. Such results indicate that academics that have longer working experience in the academic line would influence their students’ performance. The findings in this study also provide further understanding to the academics, faculties and universities on the importance of these factors on students’ performance in designing well-targeted policy interventions.
Identifying young stellar objects in nine Large Magellanic Cloud star-forming regions

We introduce a new set of selection criteria for the identification of infrared bright young stellar object (YSO) candidates and apply them to nine Hii regions in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), focusing particularly on lower mass candidates missed by most surveys. Data are from the Spitzer Space Telescope legacy program SAGE (Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution; Meixner et al. 2006, AJ, 132, 2268), combined with optical photometry from the Magellanic Clouds Photometric Survey (MCPS; Zaritsky et al. 1997, AJ, 114, 1002) and near-infrared photometry from the InfraRed Survey Facility (IRSF; Kato et al. 2007, PASJ, 59, 615). We choose regions of diverse physical size, star formation rates (SFRs), and ages. We also cover a wide range of locations and surrounding environments in the LMC. These active star-forming regions are LHA 120-N 11, N 44, N 51, N 105, N 113, N 120, N 144, N 160, and N 206. Some have been well-studied (e.g., N11, N44, N160) in the past, while others (e.g., N51, N144) have received little attention. We identify 1045 YSO candidates, including 918 never before identified and 127 matching previous candidate lists. We characterize the evolutionary stage and physical properties of each candidate using the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitter of Robitaille et al. (2007, ApJS, 169, 328) and estimate mass functions and SFRs for each region.
Leaf content of macronutrients in Tabebuia aurea seedlings grown on different substrates and luminosities

Taking into consideration that species react differently to the substrate and luminance variations, this study aimed to evaluate the leaf content of some macronutrients and dry matter in Tabebuia aurea seedlings through the hypothesis that the growth environment can alter the concentration of chemical elements in the species. The study was conducted in a greenhouse, in randomized blocks, factorial 2 × 3 (two light intensities and three types of substrates). The first greenhouse was covered with shade cloth, with maximum flow of 950 µmol m-2 s-1 radiation, and the second was 750 µmol m-2 s-1. The substrates were: 1) Cerr. Savannah soil, 2) Ca-Mg – Savannah soil with calcium carbonate and magnesium and, 3) OM – Savannah soil with organic matter (2/1), with samples taken after 230 days of experiment. The data obtained indicated that T. aurea species has better development when grown in brighter locations in OM soils, which would be expected due to its higher nutritional content. However, when the seedlings were placed in soils with low nutrient content (Ca-Mg and Cerr.) and similar levels of potassium, plants maintained in soils with higher amounts of calcium and magnesium obtained higher growth, with greater accumulation of dry matter in leaves and total. This could indicate that the difference in growth should be related to increased amount of these Ca-Mg elements of treatment and the calcicole characteristic of the species tested. Key words: Greenhouse, seedling formation, dry matter, ipe.
Wage Effects of Firm Size : Evidence from Linked Employer-Employee Panel

This study explores the relationship between wages and firm size using large registered data and different identification strategies. We find that the effect of firm size on wages is negligible when worker and firm characteristics are accounted for. The findings are robust across identification strategies and numerous covariates. The findings are also consistent with the view that coordinated wage-setting systems narrow wage distributions.
VARIATIONS IN THE CRUSHING STRENGTH OF PAPER HONEYCOMB

Abstract : To determine why paper honeycomb pads, in which variables such as paper weight, cell size, cell shape, and glue line widths are ostensibly constant, sometimes vary rather widely in crushing strength, thirty one precisely controlled samples were fabricated in the laboratory and crushed under dynamic loading. Results of these tests are compared in variation with corresponding results of tests of commercial honeycomb. It appears that crushing failure is governed by random processes having to do with buckling patterns, and blowout. Studies are also reported of the air pressure developed in the cells during crushing, the effect on crushing strength of specimen size and the ratio of crushing area to total specimen area, and the crushing strength at very low crushing rates.
Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) induces resistance against Fusarium wilt and improves lycopene content and texture in tomato

Plant growth promoting Bacillus subtilis (BS2) was found effective against tomato wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f sp. lycopersici under field conditions. Pretreatment of tomato plants with B. subtilis BS2 significantly induced the activities of defense related enzymes viz., peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, chitinase and phenylalanine ammonialyase and phenolics when challenged with the pathogen. Apart from disease control, BS2 improved the fruit quality with high lycopene (76.30 mg/kg against control, 40.34 mg/kg) and texture (90.5 Fmax against control, 56.35 Fmax) during harvest and even 15 days after harvest similar trend was maintained unequivocally indicating that plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can improve the nutritional quality as well as shelf life of the fruits.
Influence of different methods of cropping and weed control on the content of Cu and Zn in fodder maize (Zea mays L.) and on their uptake by maize

Strip intercropping is the practice of growing two or more species of plants in strips wide enough for independent mechanical cultivation, yet narrow enough to allow interaction between the species. This can affect not only crop yield but also competition in the uptake of nutrients and thus the chemical composition of the plants. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of strip intercropping and three methods of weed control on the content of zinc and copper in maize and on uptake of these components by maize. The study was conducted in 2004-2006 on a private farm located in the village of Frankamionka in the administrative district (powiat) of Zamoœæ. It was based on a field experiment conducted on clayey silt soil with grain-size distribution of clay and a moderate Zn and Cu content. The experiment design was a split-plot randomized complete block in four replications. The factors taken into account were two methods of cultivation: sole cropping and strip cropping (common bean, dent maize, and spring wheat in adjacent strips) and three methods of weed control: mechanical – weeding of interrows twice; mechanical-chemical – the herbicide Gesaprim 90 WG 1.5 kg ha–1 + weeding of interrows once; and chemical – the herbicides Gesaprim 90 WG 1.5 kg ha–1 + Milagro 040 SC 1.5 L ha–1. Fodder maize was grown for silage and harvested during milky-wax maturity. The content of copper and zinc in the dry matter of maize was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) after digestion in HNO3 (extra pure) in accordance with PN-EN ISO 6869:2002. On average for the experiment, strip cropping of maize with common bean and spring wheat reduced zinc content in maize, but in successive years of the study, the impact of the cultivation methods was varied. Strip cropping significantly increased the copper content in the plants in comparison with sole cropping. Zn and Cu content varied depending on the location of a row in strip cropping.
Focus of attention distance estimation in a saliency-controlled stereo moving camera setup

This report describes the design of a vision system which is used to control a pair of cameras to move in a way like humans move their eyes. An existing algorithm has been used to give a value of ‘interestingness’ to each region in the image. This algorithm was extended to work in a moving-camera setup. It has been used to control the cameras to attend interesting targets in its environment in a human-looking way. A stereo matching algorithm has been designed to let the two cameras converge such that the attended target is in the center of both camera images, enabling target depth estimation. These two algorithms have been combined resulting in a setup that scans its environment for salient targets and determines their distance.
SONOHYSTEROGRAPHY VERSUS LAPAROSCOPIC CHROMOPERTUBATION FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF TUBAL PATENCY IN INFERTILE WOMEN.

Results:-patients with HSG findings are21of fallopian tube occluded(42.0%) and 29 patent(58.0%). Fifty patients underwent SHG. In 34 patients (68%), at least 1 fallopian tube was patent, and 6 patients (12%) were reported to have bilateral tubal obstruction. All 50 patient underwent laparoscopic evaluation its finding is 32of fallopian tube are patent(64%) and 18 of fallopian tube are blocked( 36%) 7of patient of bilateral block and1of unilateral block
Piano Technique and Fingering in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries: Bringing a Forgotten Method Back to Life

We develop a creative method for teaching and learning piano technique which motivates students to devote more time and energy to technical exercises. First, we describe the approach to technical exercises of pianists and piano students of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Second, we address a central feature of technical practice from earlier periods: fingering rules and systems. Third, we discuss whether and how older methods might be reintroduced to contemporary piano pedagogy and practice.
MINIMAL NON-INTEGER ALPHABETS ALLOWING PARALLEL ADDITION

Parallel addition, i.e., addition with limited carry propagation has been so far studied for complex bases and integer alphabets. We focus on alphabets consisting of integer combinations of powers of the base. We give necessary conditions on the alphabet allowing parallel addition. Under certain assumptions, we prove the same lower bound on the size of the generalized alphabet that is known for alphabets consisting of consecutive integers. We also extend the characterization of bases allowing parallel addition to numeration systems with non-integer alphabets.
Magnetically coupled magnet–spring oscillators

A system of two magnets hung from two vertical springs and oscillating in the hollows of a pair of coils connected in series is a new, interesting and useful example of coupled oscillators. The electromagnetically coupled oscillations of these oscillators are experimentally and theoretically studied. Its coupling is electromagnetic instead of mechanical, and easily adjustable by the experimenter. The coupling of this new coupled oscillator system is determined by the currents that the magnets induce in two coils connected in series, one to each magnet. It is an interesting case of mechanical oscillators with field-driven coupling, instead of mechanical coupling. Moreover, it is both a coupled and a damped oscillating system that lends itself to a detailed study and presentation of many properties and phenomena of such a system of oscillators. A set of experiments that validates the theoretical model of the oscillators is presented and discussed.
Abundances and search for vertical stratification in the atmospheres of four HgMn stars

Using high resolution, high-S/N archival UVES spectra, we have performed a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 4 chemically peculiar HgMn stars (HD 71066, HD 175640, HD 178065 and HD 221507). Using spectrum synthesis, mean photospheric chemical abundances are derived for 22 ions of 16 elements. We find good agreement betwee n our derived abundances and those published previously by other authors. For the 5 el ements that present a sufficient number of suitable lines, we have attempted to detect vertical chemical stratification by analyzing the dependence of derived abundance as a function of optical depth. For most elements and most stars we find no evidence of chemical stratification w ith typical 3σ upper limits of Δ log Nelem/Ntot ∼ 0.1− 0.2 dex per unit optical depth. However, for Mn in the atmosphere of HD 178065 we find convincing evidence of stratification. Mode ling of the line profiles using a two-step model for the abundance of Mn yields a local abundance varying approximately linearly by ∼ 0.7 dex through the optical depth range log τ5000 = −3.6 to ‐2.8.
Deodorization of Pig Feces by Fungal Application

This study was carried out to screen yeasts effective in reducing odor from pig feces. Three isolates from soil and compost sources were selected to treat pig feces. On the basis of morphological and biochemical characteristics, one isolate from compost was Candida rugosa, and two isolates from soil were Candida rugosa and Candida maris. These isolates showed deodorizing activity by reducing the concentration of NH3 and R-NH2. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) are the specific malodorous compounds of pig feces, and the Candida maris from soil showed a 100% reduction of butyric, iso-butyric, and iso-valeric acid in 10% pig slurry medium. However, the Candida rugosa from compost showed a 100% reduction of butyric and iso-butyric acid while that from soil showed a 100% reduction of propionic, butyric acid and iso-valeric acid in the medium. Also, these yeasts were effective in reducing NH4-N, soluble-N, and biological oxygen demand (BOD). (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 9 : 1286-1290)
Focus and Phrasing in French

The present paper addresses the phonological realization of focus in French and claims that this language uses a single strategy to signal focus, namely phrasing. A second, associated claim is that the tonal variation accompanying focus is due to boundary tones, and not to pitch accents. As a correlate, it is postulated that the different syntactic strategies, often used in French to identify a focussed constituent like clefting and fronting have a phonological motivation: they enhance the phrasing. Prosodic phrasing is highly sensitive to focus structure, not only in French, but probably in all languages, judging from the large amount of literature on the subject (to cite a few examples, see Gussenhoven 1984 on English, Beckmann & Pierrehumbert 1986 and Kanerva 1990 on Chichewa). Different languages use different methods to signal phrasing, like segmental alternations (see below for French), tones (Chinese is well studied, especially w.r.t. the third tone sandhi phenomenon, see Shih 1990, among others), lengthening or absence of shortening (as in Kimatuumbi, see Odden 1997), and, of course, intonational structure. However, phrasing is just one way to express focus domains. Beside phrasing, stress is widely used, as in all Germanic and most Romance languages, but some languages also use morphological markers: Wolof, as described in Rialland & Robert (2000), is one example, Swahili another. Finally, the order of constituents is also crucial in many languages, as for example in Hungarian (see Kenesei 1986). These methods can also be combined.