Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Micronutrients in African Yam Bean-carrot Flours and Acceptability of Its Gruels for Complementary Food

Aims: To explore the benefits of the African Yam Bean (AYB) and carrot composite flour blend for combating the problem of micronutrient deficiency in Nigeria. Place and Duration of Study: Chemistry Department, Benue State University, Makurdi and Advance Animal Science Laboratory, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, between December, 2017 and April, 2018. Methodology: Production was done in three stages: first, AYB was processed into flour, carrots into powder and finally the blend formulation of the AYB and Carrot composites was prepared by material balancing in the ratio of 100:0, 80:20, 70:30, 50:50 and 0:100. Chemical and micronutrient evaluation was then carried out. Standard procedures of AOAC were then used to analyse the Original Research Article Kukwa et al.; AFSJ, 4(2): 1-9, 2018; Article no.AFSJ. 43536 2 micronutrients in the samples and the sensory qualities of the gruel was evaluated using nine-point hedonic scale. The data were subjected to one way ANOVA and Duncan Multiple Range Test to detect the significant differences. Results: The results obtained shows that beta carotene (vitamin A precursor), thiamine, vitamin B2, B6, and B12 content of formulations increased in the range from 10.26±0.04 102.19±0.00, 0.19±0.01 0.22±0.00, 0.05±0.00 0.95±0.01, 4.68±0.01 15.39±0.01 respectively with addition of carrot powder in a blend. The calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and sodium content of the flours ranged from 10.51±0.01 39.16±0.05, 1.26±0.01 10.94±0.02, 407.94±0.06 90.69±0.01, 49.24±0.03 70.33±0.00 and 86.23±0.02 106.31±0.02 respectively. The products were moderately liked by the panellist with the least sample 70:30 liked slightly. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that these composite flour blends could be considered as an alternative source for formulating products with high acceptability and micronutrient content especially vitamin A. However, the biological value of this composite flour needs to be known and reconciled with chemical composition before it could effectively be used in weaning children.
Spatial patterns and determinants of trait dispersion in freshwater fish assemblages across Europe

Editor: Fabien Leprieur Abstract Aim: Understanding how species assemble into assemblages and identifying the determinants of assembly processes remains a key challenge in ecology. Within assemblages, functional trait dispersion can be used to infer assembly processes, but this inference could depend on the trait considered. Here, using both single and multiple trait‐based approaches, we analysed dispersion patterns for alpha (i.e., related to niche partitioning) and beta (i.e., related to environmental tolerance) traits in freshwater fish assemblages and characterized how trait dispersion patterns vary along environmental gradients at large spatial scale. Location: Western Palaearctic, 290 river catchments. Time period: Contemporary. Major taxa studied: Freshwater fish. Methods: Based on freshwater fish occurrence records in 290 European river catchments, we computed dispersion indices (mean pairwise distance) using standardized effect sizes for each single trait and multiple traits. We then used linear models including climatic, geo‐morphological, biotic and human‐related factors to determine the key drivers shaping freshwater fish dispersion patterns across Europe. Results: We highlighted spatial variation in trait dispersion, with both underdispersion and overdispersion simultaneously observed for a given trait, but also distinct patterns of trait dispersion, even within beta and alpha traits. We provided evidence that elevation range and current and past climatic conditions mainly structured trait dispersion patterns. Finally, our results revealed that spatial patterns in trait dispersion based on multiple traits were less pronounced than those based on individual traits. Main conclusions: Our results highlighted that traits showed different spatial and environmental patterns, reflecting different ecological patterns. This could lead to potential problems when using functional indices computed on multiple traits and challenges their relevance to describe diversity patterns and to infer the assembly processes shaping community structure.
Entrepreneurship, identity, and their overlap in the slum: an ethnographic study of the Mukuru slum in Nairobi, Kenya

This study explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and collective identity in an informal, or ‘slum’, community in Nairobi, Kenya. In Nairobi, as in cities across the Developing World, slum communities stand out as islands of poverty and neglect amidst increasingly cosmopolitan urban surroundings. Extant research, much of which centres on the so-called ‘Base of the Pyramid’ (BoP), has shown that where social groups experience levels of social and economic disadvantage which are far in excess of comparable groups, entrepreneurship is often underpinned by a strong collective orientation. This can have a profound and wide-ranging bearing on the venturing process. Slum communities, however, have yet to be considered in this research and, moreover, they remain largely neglected within the broader literature on entrepreneurship at the BoP. Drawing on ethnographic data collected during four-and-a-half months of fieldwork, I observed that collective identity was closely tied up with economic informality. Entrepreneurs believed that their community’s marginal status afforded them a de facto right to circumvent the costs of registration and taxation, considerably reducing the barriers to market entry in an environment characterised by widespread and acute resource deprivation. However, for most entrepreneurs this was the only facet of the venturing process that was permeated by collective identity. Navigating the many challenges of their market context was seen as an individual rather than a collective concern. This was observed to differ, however, among the slum’s younger generation, who, for the most part, had grown up there or moved there as adolescents. This cohort exhibited a stronger proclivity towards collaboration in entrepreneurial venturing, and their ventures were firmly rooted in dense, close-knit friendship networks. This study extends current understandings of how entrepreneurship is affected by social-group membership, particularly in a BoP context.
Effects of Promolux Platinum LED on Shelf-life of Ground Beef Patties

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of three light sources, Promolux platinum LED (PPLED), fluorescent (FLS) lighting, and no light (control), on shelf-life properties of ground beef patties. Treatments were evaluated for % drip loss, pH value, % moisture content, visual and instrumental color (L*, a* and b* values), lipid stability (TBARS), aerobic plate count, yeast/mold, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. every 3 days for 9 days. At day 9, drip loss was lowest (P
Diffusion and Solid State NMR Studies of Structures in Model Biological Membranes

We studied the structures in model biological membranes using solid state NMR and NMR diffusion microscopy. We have created a stable bicelle system containing cholesterol, unsaturated and saturated lipids, capable of forming micron-scale lipid domains and suitable for structural biology studies of membrane proteins. The domains were observed by measuring time-dependent diffusion constants reflecting restricted diffusion of the lipids within micron-scale regions of the bicelles. We observed the correlation of bilayer structure of diverse bicelle systems with their alignment capability, using 31P NMR to measure the density of perforations in the bilayer as a function of bicelle alignment. We found a critical density for optimal bicelle alignment, applicable to bicelles of different lipid compositions. We were able to measure the effect of the perforation density on micron-scale domain formation in lipid bilayers. The perforations redistributed line active lipids within the bilayer, affecting the bulk line tension of the lipid domain. This work demonstrated that membrane topology can control domain formation.
Potato genotypes differentially alter the expression of Phytophthora infestans effectors during PAMP-mediated resistance induction

Pathogen recognition by plants via pathogen-associated molecular patterns leads to PAMP-triggered immunity. However, pathogens can modulate it via the secretion of effectors. We hypothesize that in potato, induced defense triggered by a Phytophthora infestans concentrated culture filtrate (CCF) could alter both effector expression and disease severity. CCF was sprayed onto three potato genotypes with different resistance levels, before inoculation with P. infestans. Symptoms were scored visually at 1-4 dpi, while the expression of defense and effector genes was assessed by qRT-PCR. CCF induced most defense genes in Désirée (PRs, EIN3) and Bintje (PRs, PAL and POX), but repressed most defense genes in Rosafolia. On the contrary, CCF induced most effector genes in Rosafolia (Pi03192, Avrblb2, Avr3a, EPIC2B and SNE1). INF1 was over-expressed in Bintje, despite its earlier expression in both Désirée and Rosafolia compared to unsprayed controls. Pi03192 was repressed in Désirée, and was expressed earlier in Rosafolia than in controls. However, induced defense responses by CCF significantly reduced lesion areas at 3 dpi only in Désirée. The effectiveness of induced defense thus depends on host genotypes. It results from differential interactions and kinetics of defense and effector genes expressions.
Testing mechanisms of compensatory fitness of dioecy in a cosexual world

Author(s): Wang, Y; Mazer, SJ; Freckleton, RP; Yuan, Z; Wang, X; Du, Y; Lin, L; Wang, X; Sang, W; Liu, X; Hao, Z | Abstract: © 2019 International Association for Vegetation Science Questions: All else being equal, populations of dioecious species with a 50:50 sex ratio have only half the effective reproductive population size of bisexual species of equal abundance. Consequently, there is a need to explain how dioecious and bisexual species coexist. Increased mean individual seed mass, fecundity, and population density have all been proposed as attributes of unisexual individuals or populations that may contribute to the persistence or resilience of dioecious species. To date, no studies have compared sympatric dioecious and cosexual species with respect to all three components of fitness. In this study, we sought evidence for these compensatory advantages (higher seed mass, greater seed production per unit basal area, and higher population density) in dioecious species. Location: Five 20–25 ha forest dynamic plots spanning a latitudinal gradient in China, including two temperate, two subtropical, and one tropical forest. Methods: We used a phylogenetically corrected generalized linear modelling approach to assess the phylogenetic dependence and joint evolution of sexual system, seed mass and production, and ecological abundances among 48–333 species and 32,568–136,237 individuals per forest. Results: Across all five forests, we detected no consistent advantage for dioecious relative to sympatric cosexual species with respect to mean individual seed mass, seed production or the density of stems in any size class. Conclusions: Our study suggests that seed traits may provide compensatory mechanisms in some forests, but most often the coexistence of sexual systems cannot be explained by advantages of dioecy related to seed quality and demographic parameters. Future investigations of the factors that promote coexistence may increase our understanding by expanding the search to include attributes such as lifespan and tolerance or resistance to herbivores.
An Assessment of Women Entrepreneurship Performance in Nigeria

Entrepreneurial activities are important factors in creating and increasing employment opportunities and fuelling economic growth. Entrepreneurship is an important source of job creation and opening career opportunities for both women and men. However, women are less likely to have successful enterprises or businesses than men. This paper is aimed at assessing women entrepreneurship in Nigeria: their present state of involvement in comparison to the male entrepreneurs, their challenges, contributions and performance in the formal and informal business sector of the economy. The paper employed the descriptive method of analysis. An inductive methodology involving observation, collection of secondary data and the analysis of such data was employed. To this end, a lot was devoted to the presentation and analysis of data obtained from the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics and the Federal Office of Statistics. It was discovered that women participate more in the micro business (informal sector) constituting 42.1% of the ownership structure. Their performance constitutes 13.57% in the formal sector as against the male entrepreneurs at 86.43%. Their poor performance and contribution are a result of the constraints they face. It was also discovered that their performance was higher in the Trade and Agricultural Sector in 1997 but higher in the Education and Service Sector by 2012. Among others, it is recommended that good practice in supporting women entrepreneurship should be initiated by the government in the form of training courses, advisory services or creating awareness campaigns.
An endophytic fungus interacts with crown level and larval density to reduce the survival of eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), on white spruce (Picea glauca)

A two-year field study was carried out to determine whether inoculating white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss, with a native endophytic fungus, Phialocephala scopiformis DAOM 229536 Kowalski & Kehr (Helotiales, Ascomycota), decreased the performance of eastern spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens, developing on these trees. Second instars were reared at three densities in the mid crown and at one density in the lower, mid, and upper crown. Larval survival (i.e., survival of larvae to pupation) was lower on endophyte-inoculated trees than on control trees in the mid crown and especially the upper crown but was similar in the lower crown, resulting in a significant interaction between endophyte and crown level. A similar but marginally insignificant interaction was observed for overall survival up to adult emergence (i.e., total survival). Larval survival and total survival were approximately 22% and 19% lower, respectively, when developing in the upper crown of endophyte-inoculated trees than in control trees. Larval survival remained relatively constant, with increased density on control trees but decreased with density on endophyte-inoculated trees, resulting in a significant interaction between endophyte and larval density. Sex ratios of emerged adults and wing lengths of emerged females were not influenced by the endophyte. Our results suggest that endophytic fungi could be useful additions to integrated pest management programs.
Perceptions of social workers on their role to advocate for social justice of sexual minorities

ii OPSOMMING . iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . v LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES . xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 PRELIMINARY STUDY AND RATIONALE . 1 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT . 4 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION . 5 1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES . 5 1.5 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK . 6 1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . 6 1.6. 1 Research approach . 6 1.6. 2 Research design . 7 1.6. 3 Sample . 7 1.6. 4 Instrument for data collection . 9 1.6. 5 Data analysis . 10 1.6. 6 Data verification . 10 1.6. 7 Ethical clearance . 11 1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY . 13 1.8 STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY . 13 1.9 CONCLUDING REMARKS . 14 CHAPTER 2: NATURE AND TYPES OF SERVICES PROVIDED TO SEXUAL MINORITIES BASED ON ADVOCACY THEORY . 15 2.
Pick-an-object Mechanisms

We introduce a new family of mechanisms for one-sided matching markets, denoted pick-an-object (PAO) mechanisms. When implementing an allocation rule via PAO, agents are asked to pick an object from individualized menus. These choices may be rejected later on, and these agents are presented with new menus. When the procedure ends, agents are assigned the last object they picked. We characterize the allocation rules that can be sequentialized by PAO mechanisms, as well as the ones that can be implemented in a robust truthful equilibrium. We justify the use of PAO as opposed to direct mechanisms by showing that its equilibrium behavior is closely related to the one in obviously strategy-proof (OSP) mechanisms, but includes commonly used rules, such as Gale-Shapley DA and Top Trading Cycles, which are not OSP-implementable. We run laboratory experiments comparing truthful behavior when using PAO, OSP, and direct mechanisms to implement different rules. These indicate that individuals are more likely to behave in line with the theoretical prediction under PAO and OSP implementations than their direct counterparts.
Outliers in L2 Research in Applied Linguistics: A Synthesis and Data Re-Analysis

Abstract Data from self-paced reading (SPR) tasks are routinely checked for statistical outliers (Marsden, Thompson, & Plonsky, 2018). Such data points can be handled in a variety of ways (e.g., trimming, data transformation), each of which may influence study results in a different manner. This two-phase study sought, first, to systematically review outlier handling techniques found in studies that involve SPR and, second, to re-analyze raw data from SPR tasks to understand the impact of those techniques. Toward these ends, in Phase I, a sample of 104 studies that employed SPR tasks was collected and coded for different outlier treatments. As found in Marsden et al. (2018), wide variability was observed across the sample in terms of selection of time and standard deviation (SD)-based boundaries for determining what constitutes a legitimate reading time (RT). In Phase II, the raw data from the SPR studies in Phase I were requested from the authors. Nineteen usable datasets were obtained and re-analyzed using data transformations, SD boundaries, trimming, and winsorizing, in order to test their relative effectiveness for normalizing SPR reaction time data. The results suggested that, in the vast majority of cases, logarithmic transformation circumvented the need for SD boundaries, which blindly eliminate or alter potentially legitimate data. The results also indicated that choice of SD boundary had little influence on the data and revealed no meaningful difference between trimming and winsorizing, implying that blindly removing data from SPR analyses might be unnecessary. Suggestions are provided for future research involving SPR data and the handling of outliers in second language (L2) research more generally.
Genome‐Wide Association and Genomic Prediction Models of Tocochromanols in Fresh Sweet Corn Kernels

Extensive natural variation exists for tocochromanols in fresh sweet corn kernels. vte4 controls the levels of α‐tocopherol, which has the highest vitamin E activity. vte1 and hggt1 contribute to the genetic control of tocotrienols. Sweet corn lines possessing sh2 have the highest levels of ς‐ and γ‐tocotrienols. Prediction abilities were highest for tocotrienols relative to tocopherols.
Behavioral and physiological response of male Callisphyris apicicornis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to virgin con-specific females’ extracts

Callisphyris apicicornis (Fairmaire & Germain) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Necydalinae) is a native, xylophagous, and polyphagous longhorned beetle, currently having the status of an increasing pest in some fruit orchards in Chile which needs a control strategy. However, no efficient methods have been developed against C. apicicornis. Since pheromone- based strategies are promissory against these types of pests, it is necessary to understand the chemical communication within this species in order to collect and identify the pheromonal compounds as the first step to develop pheromone- based control tactics. The objectives of this work were to study behavioral and electrophysiological responses of males to con-specific females and its extracts, to seek out evidence of chemical communication in the intraspecific relationship of C. apicicornis. In field, we collected 112 males using 8 baited traps with alive females in two separate experiments. However, neither males nor headspace (HS) extracts were attractive for either sex in field, no males were captured in those treatments (16 traps). On the other hand, in laboratory bioassays males showed significant electroantennographic responses to females’ volatiles extracts (1.46 mV) and gland extracts (1.15 mV). Likewise, behavioral bioassay showed significant olfactometric preference for females’ volatiles and gland extracts. Our results strongly suggest a female- produced sex attractant occurs within this species, so further studies should attempt to identify and quantify the chemicals compounds with this role
P2.0.5 Studies of Hydrogen Gas Sensing Properties of Anatase TiO2 Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

Titanium dioxide thin films were deposited on sapphire substrates by reactive dc magnetron sputtering method. The prepared thin films were then annealed in air at various temperatures (600 – 800 °C) to achieve crystalline thin films having anatase phase. The comb-like Pt electrodes, with a distance of 10 μm, were prepared on the top of the films to measure the electrical and gas sensing properties. The films prepared in this work showed high electrical response for various concentrations of H2/air, ranging from 20 to 10 000 ppm. The response was tested in the working/operating temperature range 150 – 350 °C and it was observed that these thin films are the most sensitive at temperatures below 200°C.
Isolation and Identification of Saprolegnia Parasitica and Other Fungi from Farms Fishes in the Province of Wasit / Iraq

Background: Fungal infections are one of the main factors responsible for mortality and economic losses among the ornamental and food fish farming industries . The most commonly identified fungal pathogens of fish are water molds of Saprolegnia genus. Objective: The goal of this study was to determine the presence of Saprolegnia species in the fish farm by utilizing traditional and molecular strategies and contribute to the knowledge of fungal biodiversity in the province of Wasit. Methods: This study included a total of one hundred samples were collected during the six months from September -2016 to February -2017 from fish culture ponds. in the province of Wasit , Iraq. After isolation of fungi by culturing and examination under microscopic by used special stains was showed 42 (42%) samples were positive for fungal growth. Out of 42 fungal growths; 13 (31%) isolates were identified as Saprolegnia species were identified in this study. Also other fungi were isolated; 11(26.2%) isolates were identified as Aspergillus sp. ; 8 (19%) isolates were identified as Penicillium sp. ; 6 (14.3%) isolates were identified as Alternaria sp. ; 4 (9.5%) isolates were identified as Fusarium sp. and used specific primers sequences (ITS1 and ITS4) to detection Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene of Saprolegnia parasitica were used in conventional PCR. The results of the PCR amplification of (ITS) gene showed that, 8 samples out 13 samples Saprolegnia species were positive to Saprolegnia parasitica with a PCR product size of approximated 750 bp, while 5 samples out 13 samples Saprolegnia species showed negative results for the presence of this gene as indicated by the absence of the PCR products in their relevant lanes. In conclusion, the cultured fishes frequently suffer from fungal disease, especially during the months from early December to late February when water temperature falls below 10°C and several species of Saprolegnia cause several damages in fishes and economic losses for the aquaculture industry. However, with early diagnosis by culturing and molecular technique and appropriate management, has a good prognosis. Keywords: Saprolegnia species , Saprolegnia parasitica, fish culture ponds, Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene .