Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of a matrix-coated organic acids and medium-chain fatty acids blend on performance, and in vitro fecal noxious gas emissions in growing pigs fed in-feed antibiotic-free diets1

Abstract: This study evaluated the efficacy of a matrix-coated organic acids and medium-chain fatty acids blend (MCOFA) in growing pigs. Ninety six pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an average body weight (BW) of 47.71 ± 3.73 kg were used in a 6 wk experiment. Pigs were allotted to diets containing 0 or 2 g kg-1 of MCOFA, and 0 or 2.5 g kg-1 of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Pigs fed diets supplemented with MCOFA had improved growth efficiency compared with those fed a diet without MCOFA (P < 0.05). Pigs receiving the diets supplemented with both AGP and MCOFA had higher apparent total tract digestibility of crude protein, dry matter, fat, and gross energy (P < 0.05). Pigs fed AGP × MCOFA diet had increased serum urea nitrogen (P < 0.05). Pigs fed diets supplemented with AGP had reduced fecal ammonia (NH3) gas emissions compared with those fed without AGP (P < 0.05). Moreover, pigs fed diets supplemented with MCOFA had reduced fecal NH3 and acetic acid gas emissions compared with those fed without MCOFA (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with MCOFA improved performance in growing pigs.
Relationships in the Implementation of Conditional Cash Transfers: The Provision of Health in the Oportunidades-Prospera Programme in Puebla, Mexico

This article explores interactions between the front-line officers and recipients of Oportunidades-Prospera, a conditional cash transfer (CCT) in Mexico. Like other CCTs, Oportunidades-Prospera provided monetary transfers to families with the requirement of following certain conditions, including receiving preventive healthcare and workshops. This produced constant and compulsory physician-recipient interactions. This article examines these through observations of programme delivery and interviews with physicians at health centres of two localities of Puebla. The results show that officers’ strategies of implementation and attitudes towards recipients were influenced by the programme’s use of health services as conditionalities, promoting a relationship of authority and obedience. This, however, was exacerbated by the officer’s job position. Those with a permanent contract systematically fostered authoritarian interactions compared to officers with temporary contracts. Ultimately, this study reveals factors that influence officer-recipient relationships in CCTs and their centrality for programme delivery and for the success of social policies more broadly.
Effects of Surface Properties on Particle Capture by Two Species of Suspension-Feeding Bivalve Molluscs

Abstract: The capabilities of suspension-feeding bivalve molluscs to discriminately ingest particles are well known. Physicochemical properties of particles have been shown to play a role in mediating post-capture selection in these animals. In particular, particle surface charge and wettability, a proxy for hydrophobic-hydrophilic forces, can be used by different bivalve species as determinants of selection. How physicochemical factors of particles affect their capture, however, have been little studied. To investigate such interactions, a series of adhesion assays and particle capture experiments were designed. First, mucus from the gills of the blue mussel, Mytilus edulis (Linnaeus 1758), and the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians (Lamarck 1819), were isolated separately, adsorbed onto glass microscope slides, and incubated with polystyrene microspheres (10 μm) that were either untreated or covalently bound to different neoglycoproteins (NGP; N-acetyl-glucosamine, D-mannose), or bovine serum albumin (BSA). Adhesion of treated and untreated microspheres to slides with and without mucus was quantified and statistically compared. Secondly, untreated microspheres and spheres with covalently bound NGP and BSA (ranging from 2 to 10 μm in diameter) were directly delivered to the incurrent aperture of bivalves. The excurrent water was sampled, and capture efficiencies (CE) calculated. Results demonstrate that the presence of epiparticulate BSA and NGP can significantly change the surface characteristics of microspheres, but these differences had minimal effect on adhesion to mucus or CE. A notable exception was a significant reduction in CE of D-mannose-treated 2- and 3-μm diameter microspheres by mussels compared to the control spheres of the same size. Overall, results of this study suggest that mussels and scallops can efficiently capture particles with a range of physicochemical surface properties. These findings conform to previously reported effects of particle surface properties on CE of particles by suspension-feeding bivalve larvae, but not deposit feeders.
Simulation-based learning in the context of peer learning from the perspective of preservice teachers: a case study

ABSTRACT Recently, simulation-based learning (SBL) has become an inseparable part of teacher-education. This case study examined the learning processes that preservice teachers experienced while participating in SBL. The main goal of the study was to identify the aspects of peer learning inherent to SBL that are beneficial for the teacher-education process, to facilitate the development of effective teacher-education modules. Current research questions focus on SBL experiences and insights, as seen from the perspective of the preservice teachers regarding peer-learning patterns. Preservice teachers identified the following four benefits related to the implementation of SBL in the context of peer learning: Readiness to provide and accept feedback; The observers’ reflective analysis of the experience; Expanding one’s view of the situation; Collegial bonding. These findings are relevant to teachers around the world and provide evidence of the importance of SBL in the framework of teacher education and especially in the context of peer learning.
Feral Horses and Alien Plants: Effects on the Structure and Function of the Pampean Mountain Grasslands (Argentina)

ABSTRACT Disturbances can affect the biotic resistance of plant communities and alterations could take place in the system, such as the appearance or increase in abundance of new components. To characterize the resistance to disturbance and the aptitude to limit the establishment of alien plants, it is necessary to know the functional and specific diversity of plant communities. The objective was to evaluate the effects of grazing by feral horses on the resistance of natural grasslands of Argentina to alien plant invasion by means of specific composition and functional structure. Two grasslands under continuous grazing by feral horses and two exclosures were studied. Species composition and functional structure were characterized using species richness, Shannon's diversity index, functional richness, functional evenness and functional divergence. Alien plant richness and abundance, as well as alien:native plants ratio were determined. Specific composition and functional structure were negatively affected by feral horse grazing and the distribution of alien species in the different functional groups differed in areas with contrasting grazing histories. The activity of feral horses can modify the abundance of dominant plants and functional diversity, thus providing niche opportunities for the establishment of alien plants, in turn affecting the function and structure of the system.
Prevalence of enterotoxemia and antibiogram of Clostridium perfringens isolated from diarrheic goat in the vicinity of district Tharparkar, Sindh, Pakistan

Goat is amongst the earliest small ruminant species to be domesticated and have been reared for meat and milk purpose. Enterotoxemia is a bacterial disease, also said to be pulpy kidney disease or over-eating disease, occurs in sheep and goat throughout the world. In Caprine this disease is caused by a bacteria called Clostridium perfringens type D, which is a gram positive, spore forming, anaerobic, and rod shaped. 100 faecal samples were obtained from diarrheic goats from four Taluka of District Tharparker Sindh, Pakistan. These samples were collected aseptically in ultra violet treated contamination free polyethylene bags which were contained double volume of phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and samples were brought to the laboratory (Sindh Poultry Vaccine Centre Korangi, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan), in portable cooler containing an ice pack, then samples were refrigerated at 4C until being processed. A chain of laboratory techniques, including colony characteristics, biochemical analysis, gram staining and growth on Robertson cooked meat (RCM) media was performed. Furthermore, all positive samples were subjected to check their antibiogram through 2-fold Micro Broth Dilution Method by using Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) method. Among 100 diarrheic samples the percentage of positive cases was (44.44%) in Talulka Dahali followed by Chachro (26.67%), Islamkot (17.78%) and Mithi (11.11%). Among 45 samples, a total of 01 sample was shown their resistant at the concentration of 16µg/ml against Amoxicillin. Although for Chloramphenicol, a total of 01 sample was shown their resistant at the concentration of 16µg/ml and 01 samples was shown their resistant at 32µg/ml concentration. Furthermore, there was no any sample show its resistant at the different concentration of Trimethoprim/Sulphamethaxzol used in this study. Keywords: Antibiogram; Antibiotic; Clostridium perfringens; Enterotoxemia; Prevalence http://dx.doi. org/10.19045/bspab.2021. 100044
A new hope for europhiles? The 2017 German federal elections and the revenge of the pro-European mainstream

ABSTRACT The rise of the right-wing populist and eurosceptic party, Alternative für Deutschland, in Germany, represents a significant shake up of the country’s pro-EU consensus. Spatial models of partisan behaviour predict that mainstream parties are likely to react to eurosceptic challenges by veering towards a more critical European position. A comparison of the politicisation of European integration in party programmes between the 2017 federal elections and those held previously shows that the reverse is true. In the face of a eurosceptic challenger, mainstream parties have adopted an adversarial rather than accommodating response, becoming more pro-European and increasingly vocal in their support for the EU. I argue that the europhile fight-back of mainstream parties is likely driven by increases in europhilia amongst mainstream parties’ supporters who move to rally around the EU when the polity is under attack from a eurosceptic threat.
The cyst nematodes Heterodera and Globodera species in Egypt

A survey was conducted in three governorates Alexandria, El Behera and Sohag of Egypt during 2012-2016 and one hundred seventy-eight soil and root samples were collected for the detection of cyst nematodes. The results showed the prevalence of nine cyst nematode species associated with different crop plants: Heterodera avenae on wheat, H. daverti and H. trifolii on Egyptian clover, H. leuceilyma on Bermuda grass, H. lespedezae on lentil, H. goldeni on qasabagrass, H. schachtii on cabbage and sugar beet, H. zeae on corn and wheat and Globodera rostochiensis on potato. The cyst nematodes H. leuceilyma and G. rostochiensis are new records of the country and H. lespedezae on lentil is a new host plant record in Egypt.
Exploring subgrid-scale variance models in LES of lab-scale methane fire plumes

Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of the lab-scale methane fire plumes investigated experimentally by McCaffrey is performed using the steady laminar flamelet/presumed beta filtered density function model on grids of different resolution ranging from the Taylor length scale to about six times the Kolmogorov length scale. This work focuses on investigating existing subgrid (SGS) mixing models for mixture fraction variance prediction. Three different models based on the local equilibrium assumption, the variance transport equation (VTE) and the second moment transport equation (STE) are assessed. In the non-equilibrium modelling (VTE and STE), the scalar dissipation rate is modelled with an algebraic expression involving an SGS mixing time-scale. The comparison of the solutions is based on the convergence properties of LES statistics for mixture fraction, temperature and axial velocity with respect to the filter width. The simulations show that the equilibrium algebraic model is not suitable for purely buoyant flows. On the other hand, simulations performed with the transport models show that grids coarser than 1 cm cannot resolve adequately the natural laminar instability near the edge of the plume that governs the formation of large-scale vortex and, therefore, underestimate the mixing process, especially in the lower part of the continuous flame. For grid resolutions finer than 1 cm, the STE model is less sensitive to grid refinement than the VTE formulation and differences between the two models are reduced with grid refinement. The STE model predicts also a stronger mixing, resulting in a slightly larger lateral expansion of the fire plume. Predicted solutions by the two models are in quantitative agreement with the experimental data in terms of axial temperature, velocity and temperature fluctuations.
Studies on the Influence of Stirrer Blade Design on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of a Novel Aluminum Metal Matrix Composite

In the present work, the influence of stirrer blade design on the dispersion of reinforcement particles in the aluminum metal matrix was studied extensively through experiments and also simulated them using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the produced metal matrix composites (MMCs) were studied. The analysis of the microstructure was performed using an optical microscope to visualize the reinforcement distribution and binding within the matrix. Further, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the MMCs. The experimental density was assessed using the Archimedes method, and the theoretical density was determined using the mixture law to determine the percentage of porosity in the MMCs. Hardness, compression, and tensile testing were performed on the produced samples. A three-dimensional computational method was used to predict the flow field of aluminum melt and study the influence of the blade design on the distribution of the reinforcement. Experimental results validated the CFD recommendation on the blade design. The CFD recommendation was based on the structure, power number, and the number of blades, and accordingly, the four-blade flat stirrer (B4) design was the best. The experimental results also corroborated the CFD recommendation with the four-blade flat stirrer design achieving the highest compressive strength (642 MPa), highest hardness (45 HRB), and highest tensile strength (206 MPa) among the five different blade designs investigated.
Phosphorus Uptake and Growth of Wild-Type Barley and Its Root-Hairless Mutant Cultured in Buffered-and Non-Buffered-P Solutions

Root hairs play an important role in phosphorus (P) nutrition of plants. To better understand the relationship between root hairs and P acquisition efficiency (PAE) in barley, experiments were conducted with the wild-type barley (cv. ’Pallas’) and its root-hairless mutant (brb). A hydroponic split-root system was used to supply P as Ca3(PO4)2 (tri-calcium phosphate, TCP) to one-half and other nutrients to the other half of the root system. Using TCP as a sole P source can simulate a soil solution with buffered low P concentration in hydroponics to induce prolific root hair growth. Root morphology, plant growth, and P uptake efficiency were measured with 50 mg L−1 TCP supplied to the roots in the split-root system and 0, 35, or 1000 μM NaH2PO4 in a non-split-root hydroponic system. The wild-type plants developed root hairs, but they did not contribute to the significant genotypic differences in the P uptake rate when a soluble P source was supplied in the non-split root system, indicating that root hair formation does not contribute to P uptake in a non-split root solution. On the other hand, when grown in a split-root system with one-half of the roots supplied with TCP, the wild-type showed 1.25-fold greater P uptake than the root hairless mutant. This study provides evidence that root hairs play an essential role in plant P uptake when P bioavailability is limited in the root zone.
Habitat structure modulates nestling diet composition and fitness of Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus in the Mediterranean region

ABSTRACT Capsule: The nestling diet of Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus is influenced by parental effort and habitat type, and consequently has an impact on breeding success. Aims: In a three-year study, we compared the nestling diet of Blue Tits in two Mediterranean forests (pinewood and oakwood) and tested its implications for breeding success. Methods: Adults were captured at the nest to obtain morphological measurements, and provisioning behaviour was recorded when chicks were 11 days old. Nestling tarsus length and body mass were measured on day 13 after hatching. Results: Caterpillars constituted the largest proportion of nestling diet in both habitats, however, higher numbers and biomass of noctuid, as well as higher numbers of tortricid larvae, were provided to nestlings in the pinewood. Furthermore, females provided tortricids more often than males, whereas males supplied more geometrid larvae and spiders. We found a more generalist diet for nestlings raised in the pinewood. Also, a greater number of young fledged when their diet included more tortricids and was more generalist, and Blue Tit nestlings raised on a diet with a higher number of spiders were in better body condition. Conclusion: Differences in nestling diet between habitat types contribute to explain variance in breeding performance and therefore demonstrate diverse foraging behaviour strategies among populations.
VIDEOCONFERENCING FOR SPEAKING ASSESSMENT MEDIUM: ALTERNATIVE OR DRAWBACK?

The urgency of technology integration has arisen due to the current pandemic break. With a sudden shift from conventional learning to virtual learning, less proper preparation on utilizing the technology integration may occur. The present study aimed at unraveling the perception and obstacles faced during the implementation of videoconferencing as a speaking assessment medium. By applying qualitative research with a snapshot case study design in a vocational education institution, this study gained the data through questionnaires, focus group discussion, and an interview. As a result, the majority of the students perceived negatively toward the implementation of videoconferencing as a speaking assessment medium. These negative reactions occurred due to the nervousness and anxiety along the online speaking assessment process. Moreover, the obstacles faced, such as bad internet connection, technical problems, and surrounding disturbance, also contributed an impact on studentsâ€™ language production and the sound heard by the students during the online speaking assessment. From the results of the present study, the application of videoconferencing as a medium in assessing studentsâ€™ speaking ability needs to be reappraised to preview its function whether it can be used as an alternative way or it contributes a drawback effect during the assessment process.
INVESTIGATING DYNAMIC EFFECT OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION, FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH ON CO2 EMISSIONS BETWEEN OMAN AND UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: EVIDENCE FROM CO INTEGRATION AND CAUSALITY TESTS

The main objective of this paper is to examine the dynamic impact of energy consumption, foreign direct investments, and economic growth on carbon emissions by employing dynamic estimation techniques of co-integration for Oman and the United Arab Emirates. This study used quarterly panel data of Oman and UAE over the period 1991-2018. Generalized method of moments (GMM), Granger causality test is applied to perform causal relationships among the constructs. The empirical econometric results revealed that there is a strong co-integration of the variables in the case of Oman but not for the United Arab Emirates. In other words, there is a strong positive effect of energy consumption and foreign direct investment on CO2 emission in Oman and the United Arab Emirates; whereas economic growth possesses a strong negative effect on CO2 emissions. The estimation did not support the EKC hypothesis and was found to be not applicable in Oman and UAE. Further discussions on the implications of the results are provided.
Review of Artificial Downwelling for Mitigating Hypoxia in Coastal Waters

Hypoxia is becoming a serious problem in coastal waters in many parts of the world. Artificial downwelling, which is one of the geoengineering-based adaptation options, was suggested as an effective means of mitigating hypoxia in coastal waters. Artificial downwelling powered by green energy, such as solar, wind, wave, or tidal energy, can develop a compensatory downward flow on a kilometer scale, which favors below-pycnocline ventilation and thus mitigates hypoxia in bottom water. In this paper, we review and assess the technical, numerical, and experimental aspects of artificial downwelling all over the world, as well as its potential environmental effects. Some basic principles are presented, and assessment and advice are provided for each category. Some suggestions for further field-based research on artificial downwelling, especially for long-term field research, are also given.
Organizing principles of pulvino-cortical connectivity in humans

The pulvinar regulates information transmission to cortex and communication between cortical areas. The way the pulvinar interacts with cortex is governed by its intrinsic organization. Here, we show using fMRI that the human pulvinar is functionally heterogeneous, broadly separated into dorsal and ventral subdivisions based on characterization of response properties and functional connectivity with cortex. These differences mirrored the organization of the dorsal and ventral streams of visual cortex. The ventral subdivision of the pulvinar was functionally coupled with occipital and temporal cortex. The dorsal subdivision of the pulvinar was functionally coupled with frontal and parietal cortex. The dorsal subdivision was also coupled with the human-specific tool network and to the default mode network. The spatial organization of pulvino-cortical coupling reflected both the functional similarities and anatomical distances between cortical areas. Together, the human pulvinar appears to represent the entire visual system and the principles that govern its organization, though in a spatially compressed form. Author Contributions MA, MP, and JC collected data; MA and JC analyzed the data; MA, MP, JC, and SK wrote the paper.