Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of human disturbance on epiphyte assemblages in the Andes of Ecuador

The present dissertation aims at contributing to our understanding of the processes that determine epiphyte diversity in anthropogenic landscapes. At a dry forest site, epiphytic bryophytes responded sensitively to human disturbance, but vascular epiphytes did not. At a moist forest site, vascular epiphyte assemblages on isolated remnant trees were impoverished markedly and strongly biased to xerotolerant taxa. Field-experimental work at this site could show that this was related to 1) strongly increased mortality of established plants on isolated remnant trees following their isolation in clear-cuts, and 2) reduced and compositionally biased establishment on isolated trees. Evidence is presented to suggest that growth conditions (especially microclimate) are a more decisive predictor of epiphyte communities in disturbed habitats at these sites than dispersal constraints. The response of epiphyte communities to disturbance may further vary with mesoclimate.
Estimating population size by genotyping remotely plucked hair: the Eurasian badger

1. Size is a basic attribute of any population but it is often difficult to estimate, especially if the species under investigation is rare or cryptic. For example, there is currently no cheap and robust way of estimating the abundance of the European badger Meles meles, despite the species' role as an agricultural pest and carrier of bovine tuberculosis.
Propagation clonale de tecks matures par bouturage horticole

Les possibilites de propagation clonale massale par bouturage horticole de tecks âges de 5 a 15 ans ont ete etudiees en considerant les phases successives de mobilisation des genotypes, puis de manipulation des pieds-meres clones obtenus. La technique de mobilisation par troncons de branches s'avere particulierement interessante
RENDIMENTOS E CARACTERÍSTICAS DO CARVÃO VEGETAL EM FUNÇÃO DA POSIÇÃO RADIAL DE AMOSTRAGEM EM CLONES DE Eucalyptus

Wood presents great variation in longitudinal, transversal, radial and tangential direction. The variation in the radial direction is the most perceptible and important for wood uses. This research aimed at evaluating the influence of the wood radial sampling position in the charcoal quality of six Eucalyptus clones. For evaluating the experiment it was adopted the randomized design disposed in split plot, where clone represented the effect of the plot and radial position the effect of the split. The results indicated that the clone effect was significant for charcoal and fixed carbon yield, apparent relative density and fixed carbon content. The effect of radial position was significant for apparent relative density, volatile materials and fixed carbon content. The effect of clone x radial interaction position was significant for charcoal yield, volatile materials and fixed carbon content. The significance of the interaction indicates that the clone effect depends on the levels of the effect of the radial position, evidencing dependence between the two factors.
Modeling a Flow-Cell for Electrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Formate

Increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere due to over-dependence on fossil fuels is a growing concern. Its alarming impact on global climate has prompted the United Nations (UN) to set up its sustainable goal of carbon-neutrality. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 (ERC) is one of the solutions of carbon neutral cycle, which can be driven by renewable energy sources for utilizing CO2 to produce high energy density fuels/feedstocks. In this way, CO2 becomes a carbon source for the production of renewable fuels/feedstocks. However, ERC in aqueous solutions is a severely mass-transfer limited process, mainly due to low CO2 solubility in such solutions. Flow-cells have been found to be promising in mitigating this problem as compared to H-cells, making them more suitable for the commercial realization of ERC. Moreover, high pressures and continuous flow of electrolyte have been shown to lower the mass-transfer limitations. However, their simultaneous influence on ERC in flow-cells has not been explicitly analyzed. This work primarily focuses on ERC using tin (Sn) electrodes, in which formate is the main product of interest. During ERC in aqueous electrolytes, CO2 is known to undergo an electrode reaction as well as a homogeneous reaction. This dual action increases the modeling complexity. In this study, a simplified analytical 1D model is developed to find the conditions under which the previously mentioned CO2 homogeneous reaction can be safely neglected. It is found that CO2 can be assumed to undergo only the electrode reaction at low current densities (lower than 7 mA/cm2). However, the current densities for commercial realization are about 100- 200 mA/cm2, which therefore requires incorporating the CO2 homogeneous reactions in the model. Therefore, a multiphysics model of a flow-cell is developed. The model demonstrates how different pressures, velocities and cell potentials influence the current densities and the faradaic efficiencies of different products as well as pH near the cathode (surface pH). At atmospheric pressure, for a constant cell potential, increasing the velocity by an order of magnitude is observed not only to increase the faradaic efficiency of formate by about 20% but it is also found to lower the surface pH. In addition, at a fixed velocity, to maintain a constant faradaic efficiency of formate at high total current densities (for instance, 100 mA/cm2) requires using higher pressures. The results from this work will help future modeling studies to simplify their models when investigating low current densities, and it will guide the experimental studies on flow cells to select appropriate operating conditions.
The Influence des pratiques agricoles sur la teneur en argile et autres propriétés agronomiques d'un sol ferrallitique au sud Cameroon

Clay particle distribution of an oxisol was measured along a chronosequence of shifting cultivation systems in Southern Cameroon. The influence of clay content variation on other soil characteristics was also evaluated. The chronosequence was made up of two treatments derived from mixed cropping system, three from fallows of different durations, one old cocoa plantation, and virgin forest used as control. A synchronic approach that analyses simultaneously in space crop fields and fallow of various durations was combined to diachronic observations on food crop plots. Three soil depths (0-0.1, 0.1-0.2, 0.3-0.5 m) were used for the study. The analysis of variance and mean separation (Tukey’s HSD) were used to evaluate changes in clay content. Multilinear regression analyses allowed to evaluate relationships between clay content and other soil properties. Compared to virgin forest, clay content decreased considerably by 40%, 20% and 12% respectively in the three layers after three to four cycles of cropping and fallowing, and by 20%, 10% and 4% in the cropping period when compared to the preceding fallow. During the fallow period, clay content tended to increase, but remained lower than the value obtained under the virgin forest, even with longer fallow duration. Leaching and sheet erosion due to heavy rainfall on bare soil at the beginning of the cropping season may be responsible for this situation, and need future investigation. This process itself is probably facilitated by a solubilisation of clay silicate and oxyhydroxide particles due to pH increase by burned vegetation biomass. The consequences of the losses of soil fine particles as deducted from highly significant correlations (p= 0.000) with other soil properties, are: the irreversible increase in bulk density, the degradation of the structural stability of soil aggregates, the decrease of soil porosity, and the loss of soil absorption power.
A note of ruminal in situ degradability and in vitro gas production of some West African grass species and multipurpose legume tree leaves

Samples of two grass species (Pennisetum purpureum, Trypsacum laxum) and four multipurpose tree leaves (Leucaena leucocephala, Calliandra calothyrsus, Sesbania sesban, Gliricidia sepium) from the Western Highland of Cameroon were tested using nylon bag and in vitro gas production techniques. The two grasses were of similar chemical composition and degradation characteristics. Leucaena leucocephala and Sesbania sesban had the highest potential in sacco degradability and Calliandra calothyrsus the lowest. Although the in vitro fermentation failed to rank the browse species in the same order, there was a high positive correlation (r = 0.74) between the 48 h nylon bag degradation and the 48 h gas production. The in vitro degradation of Calliandra calothyrsus was unexpectedly low as compared to the in sacco potential degradability of the plant.
Delayed visual maturation in infants

Delayed visual maturation (DVM) is the condition wherein infants who appear blind at birth regains normal or near normal vision with time. We describe the modes of presentation along with an approach to the visually inattentive child and a differential diagnosis of the condition. We discuss the electrodiagnostic findings and indications for further investigation. The pathophysiology of DVM is not known, but it may be due to a fault of the sensory, motor, or visual attention systems, and these hypotheses are described in detail. Finally, the term “temporary visual inattention” is proposed as a more accurate term that best describes our current understanding of DVM.
Effect of Financial Transparency on Financial Performance of Companies Listed in East Africa Securities Exchanges

Financial performance is normally viewed as how best managers have been able to utilize the resources available to the firm to enhance value. The main goal of shareholders in any company is to maximize their wealth which is enabling when a firm is performing well from time to time. The current sought to examine the effect of financial transparency on financial performance of companies listed in East Africa. Specifically, the study sought to find out the effect of financial policy, investment policy and liquidity disclosures on financial performance. Correlation research design and purposive sampling was used to select 73 which were listed from 2006 to 2015. Descriptive, correlation and regression analysis were used to analyse secondary data. Results of the study revealed positive and significant relationship between financial policy, investment policy, financial liquidity and financial performance. Keywords: Financial Transparency, Financial Policy, Investment Policy, Financial Liquidity, Financial Performance.
The Relative Risk Performance of the Islamic Sukuks over the Conventional Bonds: New Evidence from Value at Risk Approach

Sukuk are financial instruments similar to bonds that are compliant with Shari’ah (Islamic law). Since their inception in 2002, sukuk markets have experienced dramatic growth rates, attracting the attention of investors, analysts, and researchers alike. Despite Islamic bonds (thereafter termed sukuk) successfully holding their place in the international bond markets, this dissertation’s literature survey reveals that few empirical studies have undertaken a risk analysis of sukuk markets from the investors’ perspectives. Conventional bonds and sukuk as financial instruments are both exposed to various types of financial and market risks. This dissertation’s purpose is to engage in a risk analysis of sukuk markets compared with conventional bonds. Using a value at risk (VaR) approach, we examine whether sukuk are exposed to higher market risks than conventional bonds. In addition, we investigate whether the inclusion of sukuk in investment portfolios provides a diversification benefit to individual investors. We find that, for a given issuer, a conventional bonds’ VaR is significantly higher than that of sukuk, indicating that sukuk are less risky. We also find evidence of persistent sukuk illiquidity. We further show that introducing a sukuk allocation to a bond portfolio improves the risk–return trade-off. This dissertation’s findings have important policy implications for investors and Islamic bond issuers. Moreover, they are of particular importance to policy makers.
Development of in-vitro model of inorganic phosphorus deficiency in buffalo plasma.

In the present investigation, successful effort was made to develop an invitro model of inorganic phosphorus deficiency in buffalo plasma by adding aluminium oxide powder in different doses viz. 5, 10 and 15 mg / ml plasma followed by its incubation at 37 o C for 48 h and centrifugation at 1400 g for 20 minutes. The findings revealed that the inorganic phosphorus was reduced by 97.74% when aluminium oxide was added at the rate of 15 mg / ml plasma.
Perceived Audit Quality, Earnings Management and Cost of Debt Capital: Evidence from the Energy Listed Firms on Vietnam’s Stock Market

This study examines the impact of perceived audit quality and accrual-based earnings management on cost of debt capital of the energy listed firms on Vietnam’s stock market. Our data set includes 29 energy companies on Vietnam stock markets (HNX and HOSE) in the period from 2010 to 2016. We used FEM and REM estimator to test our hypotheses. The results confirm that there is no significant statistical association between accrual-based earnings management and cost of debt. There is a negative association between audit quality, firm size, return on assets and cost of debt while firm leverage and the tangible asset has a positive association. Moreover, global financial crisis has no statistically significant influence on the cost of debt capital. The research results have implications for regulators and investors about the stability of the economy in emerging markets.
Phylogeographical analysis of two aristed shrimps, Aristeus antennatus and Aristaemorpha foliacea (Crustacea: Aristeidae), with implications for resource conservation

The conservation of species relies on a deep knowledge of biology of the species concerned, as well as on the identification of reproductively isolated units, which are genetically different from one other (genetic stocks). Red shrimps, Aristeus antennatus and Aristaeomorpha foliacea, are commercially important decapods with a large distributional range in the Mediterranean Sea (MED), Atlantic Ocean (AO) and Mozambique Channel (MOZ). The genetic analysis of harvesting grounds of A. antennatus and A. foliacea has allowed identify four genetic stocks within each species and sampled area. The Strait of Gibraltar, the Strait of Sicily and the Peloponnesian gyre were identified as major barriers to gene flow within the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent waters. Furthermore, A. antennatus was identified as a monophyletic species whilst in A. foliacea three genetic lineages were detected, one of which presented multilocus support, so as to be considered a different genetic species.
Investigating the Roles of Executive Functioning and Self-Regulation in Gambling

The purpose of this study was to investigate a self-regulation model of gambling in which the mood regulation function of gambling was examined in the context of deficits in executive functioning and mood dysregulation. It was predicted that deficits in executive dysfunction would be associated with increased emotion regulation difficulties, greater use of gambling to regulate emotions and, in turn, more problematic gambling patterns, particularly during states of increased negative affect. To test this hypothesis, two research questions were investigated. The first question used path analysis to evaluate direct and indirect relationships between executive dysfunction, emotion dysregulation, gambling motives (coping and enhancement), and gambling frequency and problems. Difficulties in executive functioning was associated with emotion dysregulation, which in turn was associated with both coping and enhancement motives. In addition, emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between executive dysfunction and these motives. In terms of gambling motives, enhancement motives mediated the relationship between emotion dysregulation and gambling behaviour and problems, whereas coping motives mediated the relationship between emotion dysregulation and gambling problems only. In addition, the relationship between coping motives and gambling problems was stronger than enhancement motives-gambling relationship. Regarding the second research question, a mood induction was used to prospectively examine whether mood condition (i.e., negative mood versus
Specification and regulation of mammalian extraembryonic and pluripotent embryonic lineages in vivo and in vitro

Author(s): Blij, Stephanie | Advisor(s): Ralston, Amy | Abstract: Pluripotency establishment and maintenance are critical for both the development of mammalian embryos and the production of pluripotent stem cells. Investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying pluripotency have revealed multiple signaling networks that generate diverse pluripotent states. The relationship between these networks, their upstream transcription factors, and their associated pluripotent states is complex and poorly understood in both pluripotent stem cells and embryos. In this thesis I examine three aspects of pluripotency regulation: the role of maternal transcription factors in embryogenesis, novel effects of genetic background and naivety on differentiation to placental stem cells, and the contribution of known stem cell factors to regulation of pluripotency in vivo.
Proteins of the Spore Core and Coat

Abundant proteins found within the spore core (the small, acid-soluble proteins, or SASP) as well as surrounding the spore (the coat proteins) help to protect the spore from these assaults such as extremes of temperature, radiation, desiccation, and attack by a wide variety of toxic molecules. The SASP and coat proteins have been studied for many years, and much is known about their roles in resistance. The predominant proteins of the spore core are the SASP, making up as much as 20% of total spore protein. YrbB, which has been localized to the cortex and to the inner coat, and SspG , which is synthesized in the mother cell, may also be coat proteins. Measuring the effects of the loss of a single protein might require highly sensitive and specific assays. Given their unique roles in spore dormancy and survival, it will be of great interest to compare SASP and coat protein genes of the various spore-forming bacteria as their genome sequences become available. At the moment, relatively little information is available, making a detailed comparative analysis difficult. Homologues of CotE are encoded in three of the genomes of endospore-forming bacteria (Bacillus anthracis, B. stearothermophilus, B. subtilis) for which data are available, and homologues of SpoIVA are encoded by these genomes as well as those of two Clostridium species (C. acetobutylicum and C. difficile). Therefore, it is tempting to speculate that the formation of a basement layer by SpoIVA is a universal early step in coat assembly.
Recycling of vitamin B12 and NAD+ within the Pdu microcompartment of Salmonella enterica

iv Chapter 1. General introduction. 1 1.1. Vitamin B12.1 1.1.1. Discovery and structure of vitamin B12.1 1.1.2. Biosynthesis of vitamin B12.3 1.1.3. Absorption, transport and cellular uptake of vitamin B12.7 1.1.4. Function of vitamin B12.9 1.1.5. Vitamin B12-related diseases . 17 1.2. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) . 19 1.2.1. Discovery and structure of NAD . 19 1.2.2. Biosynthesis of NAD.19 1.2.3. Function of NAD . 21 1.2. 4. NAD-related diseases . 24 1.3. AdoCbl-dependent 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD) degradation . 25 1.3. 1. Source of 1,2-PD.25 1.3. 2. 1,2-PD utilization . 26 1.3. 3. The pdu locus in S. enterica . 27 1.3. 4. Control of the pdu/cob regulon . 28 1.3. 5. Pathogenesis.30 1.4. Bacterial microcompartment . 31 1.4. 1. Discovery and diversity.31 1.4. 2. Component and architecture.34 1.4. 3. Function and mechanism.38 1.5. Research overview . 41 1.6. Thesis organization . 42 Chapter 2. Characterization of the PduS cobalamin reductase of Salmonella and its role in the Pdu microcompartment . 43 2.1. Abstract . 44 2.2. Introduction.45 2.3. Materials and methods . 48
Regulation of breast cancer biomarkers by intrinsic and extrinsic factors

Cancer metastases are accountable for almost 90% of all human cancer-related deaths including breast cancer (BC). BC is the most common cancer among Canadian women, with one in four women diagnosed per year. BC is a heterogenous disease and is broadly classified into Luminal A (estrogen/progesterone receptor (ER/PR)⁺), Luminal B (ER/PR⁺ and human epidermal growth receptor 2⁺ (HER2⁺)), HER2⁺, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC, ER-/PR-/HER2⁻). BC heterogeneity and progression are primarily dependent on intrinsic factors such as genetic or epigenetic changes to genes that regulate cell growth and proliferation. In addition, extrinsic factors such as, the extracellular matrix and adipocytes in the surrounding microenvironment contribute to cancer progression and initiation of metastasis. Therefore, the main aim of this thesis was to analyze the contribution of some of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate BC progression. One known intrinsic factor is CD24; a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored surface glycoprotein that can regulate proliferation and apoptosis of various cell types. Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), which can initiate tumor formation, maintain tumor heterogeneity, have high invasive properties, and favor metastasis, have low CD24 expression. Moreover, drug treatment of TNBC tumors can cause a switch from CD24⁺ to CD24⁻ and vice versa exhibiting differential drug resistance in these patients. In order to better understand the role of CD24, I first analyzed the CD24 gene, and found that the sequence of the mature peptide, but not the genomic structure is conserved over 200 million years. Next, I studied the regulation of CD24 expression by the oncogenic Ras pathway and found that Ras is essential for suppression of CD24 surface expression. Extrinsic factors, such as adipocytes, can also contribute to BC progression and metastasis. To study this, I developed a 3-dimensional co-culture system to mimic the in vivo interactions between BC cells and adipocytes. I found that adipocytes promote a mesenchymal-to-epithelial-like transition in BC cells suggesting that secondary tumour formation might be promoted by adipocytes. Overall, these data will aid in understanding the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that should be considered in the future development of combination drug treatments to successfully cure BC.
Does Judge Turnover Affect Judicial Performance? Evidence from Italian Court Records

ABSTRACT Italy is among the countries with the highest litigation rate and those with the highest duration of trials. This article shows that judge turnover contributes negatively to delays in Italian courts and outlines possible policies for improvement. In Italy, judges can voluntarily move from one office to another after three years of mandate, and the law prescribes their transfer after ten years to guarantee their independence. Flaws in the process managing the backlog of outbound judges and the existence of asynchrony between outbound and inbound transfers produce a chain of delays to the disposition of court cases. Using a novel dataset on Court of Appeal Districts in Italy (2008–2012), we provide evidence of a strong negative relation between high turnover rates and judicial performance. We find that marginal increases in judge turnover rates lead to a statistically significant decrease in judicial performance over two years of time.