Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT DOSE OF ZEOLITE (CLINOPTILOLITE) IN IMPROVING WATER QUALITY AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF RED HYBRID TILAPIA (Oreochromis sp.)

The optimum fish production is totally dependent on the physical, chemical and biological qualities of water. Optimal water quality varies by species and must be monitored to ensure fish growth and survival. The effects of different dose of zeolite to improve the water quality and growth performance of Red Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) were investigated in the present study. Twenty tilapia fry were placed in an aquarium with capacity of 30 litre of water. Natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) with different dose of 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, 20 g/L added into the water and the experiment was carried out in 60 days. The obtained result showed that ammonia, nitrite, and nitrite levels were significantly reduced in treated water compared with control. The lowest ammonia levels recorded in 15 g/L treatment of zeolite, consistent with nitrite and nitrate. However for total phosphorus and organic phosphorus (orthophosphates), the lowest concentration obtained was from addition of 10 g/L of zeolite. At the end of study, the growth performance of fish treated with addition of 20 g/L and 15 g/L of zeolite were significantly more compared to other groups. According to the results, it showed that optimum growth of fish can be obtained with a good water quality. In conclusion, the addition of zeolite is significant for the improvement of water quality and growth performance of Red Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis sp.).
PEDIATRIC DENTISTS' CHOICES OF RESTORATIVE MATERIALS FOR PRIMARY MOLARS

The aim of the study was to examine selection of various restorative materials in children; and the basis for the selection in a group of pediatric dentists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to obtain demographic information and present the respondents with six hypothetical clinical scenarios for selection of the restorative materials in primary teeth. A total of forty four pediatric dentists (52% males and 48% females) completed the questionnaire. Two-third of the respondents were seeing children between age 6 to 14 years. A great majority (89%) reported that a successful alternative of amalgam is available. More than two-third (68%) were using tooth-colored restorative materials more frequently than amalgam. Almost half (45%) of the respondents reported that the most influencing factor in the choice of restorative material for vital primary teeth is cavity design. The choice of restorative materials was discussed more with parents (84%) than children (43%). For Class I and II cavity preparations in primary molars; amalgam was used by 43% and 50% of the respondents respectively. For restoring two proximal lesions in primary molars; 66% preferred Stainless Steel Crown (SSC) followed by amalgam (29%). It can be concluded that amalgam is still popular for deep Class I and II cavities; whereas SSC is the most common choice for restoring primary teeth with multiple surfaces carious lesions.
Learning Present Continuous Tense Made Easy through “Son, Mummy and the -ing Cat” Module

Learning the grammar, particularly tenses of English language may be difficult or confusing to many second or foreign language learners whose mother tongue does not have a complex grammar system, such as Malay Language. This raises problems in constructing grammatically correct sentences; both in spoken and written work. Hence, there is a need to find means that would be easy and fun to help children learn the grammar of English. This paper presents and discusses a quasi-experimental study that aimed to test the effectiveness of an innovative module developed and named “Son, Mummy and the -ing cat” to aid students in constructing correct present continuous sentences. It integrates elements of storytelling, puppetry, role-play and word cards as an in-class intervention activity. 58 Year Six (age 12) pupils experienced using the module for 13 days and their writing performance was assessed in the pre-and post-tests of their sentence-production. Findings of the paired samples t-test show a difference of means between the two tests. The students constructed more and higher instances of correct present continuous tense sentences after the use of the module. This further implies that learning a concept, although complex and confusing as the English grammar, can be enhanced with creative teaching aids.
Systemic Sclerosis Serum Significantly Impairs the Multi-Step Lymphangiogenic Process: In Vitro Evidence

In systemic sclerosis (SSc), the possible involvement of lymphatic microcirculation and lymphangiogenesis has traditionally been overshadowed by the greater emphasis placed on dysfunctional blood vascular system and angiogenesis. In the present in vitro study, we explore for the first time whether the SSc microenvironment may interfere with lymphangiogenesis, a complex, multi-step process in which lymphatic microvascular endothelial cells (LMVECs) sprout, migrate, and proliferate to generate new lymphatic capillaries. Normal human adult dermal LMVECs from three donors were treated with serum from SSc patients (n = 8), serum from healthy individuals (n = 8), or recombinant human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C as a positive control for lymphangiogenesis. Cell proliferation, Boyden chamber Matrigel chemoinvasion, wound healing capacity, and lymphatic capillary morphogenesis on Geltrex were assayed. VEGF-C serum levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Gene and protein expression levels of the lymphangiogenic orchestrators VEGF receptor-3 (VEGFR-3)/Flt-4 and neuropilin-2 (NRP-2) were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Conditioning with SSc serum significantly inhibited LMVEC proliferation, Matrigel invasion, and wound healing capacity with respect to healthy serum. The ability of LMVECs to form lymphatic tubes on Geltrex was also severely compromised in the presence of SSc serum. VEGF-C levels were comparable in SSc and healthy sera. Treatment with SSc serum resulted in a significant downregulation of both VEGFR-3/Flt-4 and NRP-2 mRNA and protein levels. In SSc, the pathologic environment severely hampers every lymphangiogenesis step, likely through the reduction of pro-lymphangiogenic VEGFR-3/NRP-2 co-receptor signaling. The impairment of the lymphangiogenic process opens a new scenario underlying SSc vascular pathophysiology, which is worth investigating further.
Exploring the Promise of Information and Communication Technologies for Women Farmers in Kenya

Access to information and the creation of knowledge are key drivers of social and economic transformation. In agriculture, new information and knowledge fuel innovation and increase productivity and competitiveness. The ability of farmers to participate in and benefit from growth in the sector is linked to their ability to adopt new practices, solve problems and embed themselves dynamically in agricultural value chains. Farmers, both men and women, need to be connected to the communication channels through which appropriate information is flowing. Farmers currently access information through a complex web of social networks that include other farmers, family members, extension agents and input supply dealers. Yet for many farmers, these networks lack the type of information that can help them to move confidently into more productive strategies.
Membrane Potential of Brown Adipose Tissue

Membrane potentials were recorded in isolated segments of interscapular brown adipose tissue from rats. After equilibration at 29°C in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer a mean value of -51 ± 4 mv (SD) was found. This level could be maintained for up to 5 hr. The mean effective membrane resistance was 1.35 ± 0.45 megohm. The membrane potential was a function of the extracellular potassium concentration. Ouabain (10-6-10-3 M) and incubation in K-free buffer produced progressive depolarization. Epinephrine and norepinephrine in concentrations as low as 10-8 g/ml produced a prompt depolarization. Cooling of the tissue and lowering of the oxygen tension caused a marked and reversible decrease in the membrane potential. In tissue obtained from cold-adapted rats, the membrane potential was considerably diminished. 6Assuming that the membrane potential is some function of the Na permeability of the plasma membrane it is suggested that an increase in the rate of active Na-K transport and ensuing ADP formation might contribute to the increase in respiration seen during exposure to thermogenic stimuli.
Lessons Learned from the Water Producer Project in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Forest and landscape restoration (FLR) is a powerful strategy for large-scale tropical forest recovery, and payment for ecosystem services (PES) is used to support FLR programs and projects on privately-owned land. In this article, we discuss the lessons learned from the Water Producer Project, a pioneer, multiple-stakeholder, and PES-supported FLR project in the Atlantic Forest, south-eastern Brazil. The project was implemented in four landscapes located in two municipalities. Altogether, 41 PES contracts with landowners were signed, resulting in various FLR practices being implemented in a total of 342.4 ha (64.2 ha for riparian forest restoration, 90.8 ha for soil conservation, and 187.4 for forest conservation) of land, which represents 39% of the project goal. As of the end of the project, only 50% (USD 49,250) of the available PES funds had been spent. However, funds spent on project planning, implementation, communication, and monitoring were 12 times greater than those spent on PES. Several challenges restricted the progress and monitoring of the project. The main issue was landowner participation and/or engagement. In terms of lessons learned, we highlight that PES schemes are more complex than initially thought, and that sufficient funding does not guarantee the success of FLR projects. It is essential to promote landowner participation and engagement by considering them key players in FLR projects. Finally, acceptance from landowners was higher and implementation was easier for forest conservation practices that required no land-use changes. Thus, we suggest that similar future projects should focus on targeting private properties in marginal agricultural lands with a high probability of natural regeneration. Alternatively, future projects could focus on lands with remnant forest cover of high conservation value.
The Formation and Application of Submicron Spherical BaTiO3 Particles for the Diffusion Layer of Medical Dry Films

Submicron spherical barium titanate (BaTiO3) was prepared by batch precipitation in an alkaline solution of a BaCl2–TiCl4–NaOH reaction system. The influence of various parameters on the morphology of BaTiO3 powders was investigated in this study. Spherical BaTiO3 particles can be obtained by reacting for 20 min, which was used to prepare the dry sheet of a medical dry chemical reagent. The morphology of the particles was affected by the stirring speed and the alkaline concentration; the particle size decreased as the stirring speed increased. The hydroxyl ion in the solution acts as a catalyst that can promote the formation of spherical BaTiO3. The formation mechanism of the BaTiO3 sphere is proposed to have three steps: the formation of a Ba–Ti gel and nucleation, self-combination/growth of the BaTiO3 crystal nucleus, and Ostwald ripening. In addition, it is feasible to apply the prepared BaTiO3 sphere to medical dry chemical detection reagents.
PRECIPITATION ASSESSMENT FROM THE VIEWPOINT DATA AVAILABILITY FOR PURPOSES OF FLOOD MODELLING

The application of rainfall-runoff models for purposes of flood modelling is widely used either for assessment of past events or for prediction of further discharge development within warning systems. The results are highly dependent on correct precipitation input data. Floods in small to medium catchments for the conditions of Czech Republic are usually caused by summer precipitation events which are typically characterised by high intensities and totals. These events usually have high spatial variability and therefore it is crucial to involve as much information describing this variability as possible. In this paper, the differences in total precipitation for two selected events on the catchment are assessed using data measured in a number of meteorological stations. The events were selected which caused significant raise of the discharge at the outlet of the catchment. Presented study was carried out for the catchment of Blanice River (Southern Bohemia). Data used for this purpose have hourly time step. The total catchment precipitation was calculated using Thiessen polygons based on station data and the exclusion of single stations was assessed. This analysis was carried out in order to demonstrate the influence of missing data from one station which can be caused for example by station failure. Furthermore, the analysis was focused on the variation of precipitation volumes when considering only single stations. The results show in general high spatial variability of rainfall but the influence of missing data from one station is not crucial when the network of gauging stations is dense enough. Analysis was performed by calculating the total volumes of precipitation on the catchment for different combinations of observed data which were compared to the volume of precipitation using all of them. Results demonstrate the difference in calculated volumes in case of leaving out one of the precipitation stations but this difference is not very high. On the contrary, there are high differences in case of considering only one station which means that in this case the uncertainty of modelled discharges would be too high for both analysed events.
Approximate Mortality Risks between Hyperuricemia and Diabetes in the United States

Aim: This study aimed to compare mortality risks across uric acid (UA) levels between non-diabetes adults and participants with diabetes and to investigate the association between hyperuricemia and mortality risks in low-risk adults. Methods: We analyzed data from adults aged >18 years without coronary heart disease and chronic kidney disease (n = 29,226) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2010) and the associated mortality data (up to December 2011). We used the Cox proportional hazards models to examine the risk of all-cause and cause-specific (cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer) mortality at different UA levels between adults with and without diabetes. Results: Over a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 2069 participants died (495 from CVD and 520 from cancers). In non-diabetes adults at UA ≥ 5 mg/dL, all-cause and CVD mortality risks increased across higher UA levels (p-for-trend = 0.037 and 0.058, respectively). The lowest all-cause mortality risk in participants with diabetes was at the UA level of 5–7 mg/dL. We set the non-diabetes participants with UA levels of <7 mg/dL as a reference group. Without considering the effect of glycemic control, the all-cause mortality risk in non-diabetes participants with UA levels of ≥7 mg/dL was equivalent to risk among diabetes adults with UA levels of <7 mg/dL (hazard ratio = 1.44 vs. 1.57, p = 0.49). A similar result was shown in CVD mortality risk (hazard ratio = 1.80 vs. 2.06, p = 0.56). Conclusion: Hyperuricemia may be an indicator to manage multifaceted cardiovascular risk factors in low-risk adults without diabetes, but further studies and replication are warranted.
Effects of Eutectic Modification and Grain Refinement on Microstructure and Properties of PM AlSi7 Metallic Foams

For AlSi7 foams, microstructure modification by variation of solidification rates and addition of Sr, B and TiB2/TiAl3 was investigated and its transfer to powder metallurgical metal foaming processes demonstrated. Microstructural characterization focused on grain size and morphology of the eutectic phase. Cooling rates during solidification were linked to secondary dendrite arm spacing, establishing a microstructure-based measure of solidification rates. Effects of refining and modification treatments were compared and their influence on foam expansion evaluated. Studies on foams focused on comparison of microand pore structure using metallographic techniques as well as computed tomography in combination with image analysis. Reference samples without additives and untreated as well as annealed TiH2 as foaming agent allowed evaluation of pore and microstructure impact on mechanical performance. Evaluation of expansion and pore structure revealed detrimental effects of Sr and B additions, limiting the evaluation of mechanical performance to the TiB2 samples. These, as well as the two reference series samples, were subjected to quasi-static compression testing. Stress-strain curves were gained and density-dependent expressions of ultimate compressive strength, plateau strength and tangent modulus derived. Weibull evaluation of density-normalized mechanical properties revealed a significant influence of grain size on the Weibull modulus at densities below 0.4 g/cm3.
Determinants of Economies of Scope in Retail Florin Maican and Matilda Orth Determinants of Economies of Scope in Retail

This paper studies the determinants of economies of scope in retail using a dynamic framework and novel product and store data. We estimate store productivity and consumers’ perceived shopping quality and analyze their relationship with intensive and extensive product margins, performance and welfare. We find that high productivity stores offer more products and sell more of each product. High quality stores offer fewer products and sell more of top products. Counterfactual experiments show that productivity innovations increase product variety, especially when demand uncertainty is low and in the long run. Higher shopping quality increases consumer surplus even if stores specialize.
Analyzing a panel of seasonal time series: Does seasonality converge across Europe?

In this paper we consider deterministic seasonal variation in quarterly industrial production for several European countries, and we address the question whether this variation has become more similar across countries over time. Due to economic and institutional factors, one may expect convergence across business cycles. When these have similar characteristics as seasonal cycles, one may perhaps also find convergence in seasonality. To this aim, we propose a new method, which is based on treating the set of production series as a panel. By testing for the relevant parameter restrictions for moving window samples, we examine the hypothesis of convergence in deterministic seasonality while allowing for seasonal unit roots. We derive the estimation bias, and show that it is very small for samples of more than three years of quarterly observations. Our main empirical finding is that there is almost no evidence for convergence in seasonality. ∗Corresponding author. Correspondence to Robert M. Kunst, Department of Economics, University of Vienna, BWZ, Bruenner Strasse 72, A–1210 Vienna, Austria; e-mail address: robert.kunst@univie.ac. at.
Information and Sentiment in CDS Markets

We investigate the evidence for an information channel in credit default swap (CDS) markets in Europe and the United States. Recent literature has suggested that investor sentiment signals future downturns in real activity, operating through the external finance premium and a credit supply channel. Our paper shows that measures of financial spreads from CDS contracts across various maturities and sectors also anticipate economic downturns. The most liquid and heavily traded CDS contracts (and indices) provide the strongest signals as theory would predict. We also show that endogenous liquidity in CDS markets increases around credit events and these are conditions where information flow increases. In these periods of high liquidity driven by informed traders in the secondary market there is a strong relationship with real activity. These results support the information channel, and imply sentiment can be picked up in CDS markets through movements in spreads and liquidity, even when we control for tightening credit standards.
Characterization Of Cellulolytic Multi-Enzymatic Complexes From Filamentous Fungi By Solid-State Fermentation Using Wheat Straw As Carbon Source

The aim of the present study is to identify thermostable and halostable enzymes from filamentous fungal strains. Trichoderma harzianum, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus show the highest cellulolytic enzyme activity. The cellulolytic enzyme activities of these species were characterized using filter paper, carboxymethyl cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose. The optimum temperature range for the activity of endoglucanase, a component of the enzymatic complexes, is 65–70 °C, whereas the optimum range for exoglucanase is 55–70 °C. All the enzymes are thermostable at 40–70 °C. At a temperature of 60 °C, for all three species, the optimal pH for endoglucanase and exoglucanase activity is 6 and 5.5 respectively. The results of a saline stability test indicate that more than 80% of the enzyme activity is retained for 1 h in 25% sodium chloride. Using carboxymethyl cellulose as substrate, T. harzianum exhibits a Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of 19.53 mg.mL (the lowest) and maximum velocity (Vmax) of 0.4 μmol. min.mL. The high halostability and thermostability of the cellulases produced by these fungal strains point to their potential use in harsh industrial processing conditions.
The Effect of Perceptions Regarding Festivals on Festival Loyalty: The Case of Ayder Kardan Adam Festival

-Festivals contribute to cities, regional development in cities and their recognition and branding. Festivals which are organized regularly become traditional and thus, cities where these festivals are held become more popular and gain economic and social benefits. Also festivals are powerful instruments to attract tourists in low seasons, to raise awareness regarding destinations and create positive images regarding destinations. However, it is supported with much research that festival satisfaction is an important factor on festival loyalty. With this regard, the aim of this research is to determine the relationships between perceptions of festival participants,their perceived value, satisfaction and festival loyalty in the context of the Ayder Kardan Adam Festival. For this purpose, face to face surveys have been conducted with 219 festival participants who participate in the 9th Kardanadam Festival at Ayder, Rize. First, validity and reliability tests wereconducted and then correlation and regression analyses were conducted. According to results of the analyses, statistically significant relationships between the perceptions of the participants regarding Ayder Kardan Adam Festival, the perceived festival value, satisfaction and festival loyalty. These findings can contribute to the researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding of festival participants’ behaviours and designing future festivals more effectively.