Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Scanning Electron Microscopy to Detect the Ultrastructural Variations in Eggshell Quality of Fayoumi and Dandarawi Chicken Breeds

An experiment was conducted to evaluate egg quality and ultrastructural measurements of eggshell in two Egyptian local breeds of chicken (Fayoumi and Dandarawi). A total of 162 females representing the two breeds were randomly assigned to the current experiment. They were housed in individual cages placed in an open-sided house under the same environmental, managerial and hygienic conditions. Maturation measurements including body weight and age at sexual maturity were determined. Also, egg production (number and weight) was recorded for the first 3 months of production cycle to calculate egg mass. To as sess egg quality parameters (internal and external), a total of 90 eggs were randomly collected from each breed at 26 weeks of age. In addition, eggshell samples were prepared to investigate ultrastructural variations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The current results revealed that Fayoumi breed had a better performance at sexual maturity compared to Dandarawi one. Inferior egg production parameters during the first 3 months of laying cycle were associated with Dandarawi breed. With respect to internal egg quality, there were no significant differences between Fayoumi and Dandarawi breeds for liquid components as a percentage of egg weight. In addition, Haugh unit and yolk index as indicators to the quality of albumen and yolk, did not exhibit a difference between breeds. Regarding eggshell quality traits, it could be noticed that Fayoumi breed significantly increased specific gravity and eggshell strength compared to Dandarawi one. In terms of ultrastructural measurements of eggshell, SEM inspection revealed that eggshell of Fayoumi breed had a higher effective thickness (palisade layer) compared to Dandarawi one. On the other hand, the length of mammillary layer (absolute or relative) was significantly lower in eggshells of Fayoumi hens compared to those of Dandarawi counterparts. Type B bodies, which are rounded and located among mammillary caps, were more frequent in eggshell of Dandarawi breed resulting in poor shell quality. However, Fayoumi breed had good rounded caps and early fusion as compared to Dandarawi one. The incidence of mammillary alignment and erosion were more common in eggshell of Dandarawi breed suggesting poor shell strength. In conclusion, Fayoumi breed had genetically not only better egg production and egg quality but also good ultrastructural formation of eggshell compared to Dandarawi breed.
Human genetic factors involved in immunity to Plasmodium falciparum infection

This study aimed to assess correlations between anti-malarial antibody levels and differences in malariometric characteristics, seen between two sympatric ethnic groups, the Fulani and the Dogon, living in Mali. Plasma levels of anti-malarial IgE, IgG. IgG1-4 and total IgE were determined in asymptomatic individuals, of the above mentioned groups, and were correlated to malariometric indexes. Significantly higher levels of anti-malarial IgE, IgG, IgG1-3 and total IgE were detected in the Fulani individuals as compared to the Dogon. No difference in plasma levels of malaria specific IgG4 was noted between the two groups. Within the Fulani, an increase in total IgE levels was associated with the presence of infection. As the IgG4 level increased, the number of clones decreased in the Fulani individuals. A positive correlation between elevated levels of anti-malarial IgG and IgG3 and splenomegaly was noted only within the Fulani group. No other correlations between antibody levels and parasite prevalence, clone numbers or spleen rates were observed in any of the communities. These results suggest that the magnitude of antibody response against Plasmodium falciparum may not be as important as it is believed to be. Instead, the fine specificity or function of the response might be more critical in protection against malaria disease.
Allelopathic Effect of Acacia Raddiana Leaf Extract on the Phytochemical Contents of Germinated Lupinus termis Seeds

2 Abstract: There are some f oods that contain m utagenic or carcinogenic agent s, some o f which o ccur naturally and other t hat may b e fo rmed during preparation o r co oking. Several foods, such as Legumes, also co ntain nat ural antimutagens and / or anticarcinogens. Lupine i s one such legume t hat contains high amouts of protein (40%) and oi ls (14%). However, the use of this crop as a s ource of food has been limited by t he presence o f antinutritional agents such as phenolic compounds and alkaloids. It has also been suggested that consuming these c ompounds ca n a ffect human health a nd may ev en reduce the risk of disease. The objective of this work was to de termine the effect of Acacia raddiana leaf extract on alkaloid, f lavoniod, o ligosaccharides, to tal tocopherol an d phytosterol co ntents o f Lupinus te rmis. The present stud y a ims a t i nvestigation of t he response of ge rminated seeds o f Lupinus te rmis to ef fect allelopathic of Acacia leaf extract (control, 2% and 4%) for a period of 2 days. â-OH- lupanine and D-iso- lupanine were more abundant of alkaloids in germinated seeds of lupinus under two different concentrations of leaf extract of Acacia. Moreover, X-iso- sparteine and sparteine were decr eased un der both c oncentrations, a lso, O H- sp arteine and termisine were decreased only a t 2 % concentration, w hile increased at 4% concentration. The treatment of Acacia leaves resulted in accumulated amount of lupinisoflavone, parvisoflavone, kaempferol, quercetin a nd epi genin i soflavonoid cont ents of germinated seeds of lupinus, but declined 2- hydroxygenisteine and wighteone at both concentrations. Oligosaccharide and t otal tocopherol contents of germinated lupinus were accumulated at 2% but reduced a t 4% concentration. Meanwhile, total phytosterol of germinated seeds of lupinus were increased under bo th co ncentrations of A cacia leaves e xtract.
Incorporation Choice and Implied Cost of Equity

Prior studies document a Delaware incorporation effect on firm valuation, generally using Tobin’s Q, but the directional effects are mixed and inconclusive. Our study uses implied cost of equity to assess valuation, and we find consistent evidence that firms incorporated outside of their home state, either in Delaware or in other states, have a cost of equity that is 40 to 100 basis points higher than firms incorporated in their home state (depending on the model). Importantly, there is no statistical difference between Delaware incorporation and other non-home states of incorporation, which suggest the more important distinction is home state versus non-home state, rather than a Delaware effect. These findings are robust to controls for risk factors that affect the cost of equity including market beta, market value of equity, book to market ratio, analyst forecast dispersion, long-term growth in earnings, and industry membership. Results are consistent in yearly estimations for the sample period 1990-2006, and robust across the spectrum of firm size, different measures of cost of equity, and to control for endogeneity of the firms’ incorporation choice.
Monitoring Terrestrial Salamanders: Biases Caused by Intense Sampling and Choice of Cover Objects

Abstract Arrays of wood cover boards are useful tools for studying and monitoring plethodontid salamander populations. However, little is known about the biases inherent in monitoring data collected from such arrays. We used Red-Backed Salamanders, Plethodon cinereus, to test for two potential biases associated with use of wood cover board arrays. First, we tested whether frequent sampling of arrays can cause reduced counts of salamanders, resulting in the appearance of population declines where none exist. Second, we tested whether salamanders found under wood cover boards differed from salamanders found under natural cover objects in terms of sex ratios, stage class ratios, and snout–vent length. We found that sampling cover boards daily substantially reduced salamander counts under cover objects and that this result was pronounced for adults but not for juveniles. We found no decrease in counts with sampling cover boards weekly as compared to sampling every three weeks. With respect to differences between salamanders found underneath cover boards versus natural cover objects, we found that samples from under cover boards contained higher proportions of adults and lower proportions of juveniles and hatchlings than did natural cover objects. This was true in both the spring and fall. There were no differences in sex ratios or in snout–vent length within stage classes for salamanders in cover boards versus natural cover objects. These results suggest that cover boards used for monitoring or for studies of ecology and behavior should be sampled no more than once per week if natural levels of movement and territoriality are desired. Additionally, although cover board arrays may be suitable for tracking relative changes in overall population size, bias among size classes may make cover boards less than ideal tools for studies of salamander demography.
Origins of avian flight - a new perspective

The discovery of a primitive bird-like dromaeosaur (Microraptor) with four functional wings vindicates Beebe's suggestion that birds went through a tetrapteryx stage in the origin of flight. Flight originated from an arboreal glid - ing ancestor and Longisquama may be more central to understanding how this came about than previously supposed.
A Morphological and Physiological Study of Jatropha curcas Linn. Propagated from Seeds in Bangladesh

2 Abstract: Pot experiments were carried out in Dhaka, Bangladesh to evaluate the morphological and physiological parameters of Jatropha, a second generation energy crop propagated from seeds. The leaves and petioles of Jatropha curcas plants were collected from the earthen pot to determine the leaf and petiole nutrient contents. So this study provides a reliable account of the endogenic concentrations of nutrients present in petiole and their content in leaves including the morphological parameters such as plant height, leaf growth, fresh and dry weight of leaves, petiole and root length of the plant at 2 vegetative growth stages grown in Silty clay loam soil were attempted. The experiment revealed that the morphological parameters responded better in mature plant compared to young plant but the physiological parameter showed variations at 2 growth stages.
Development and characterization of microsatellite markers for turmeric (Curcuma longa)

With 1 figure and 1 table Abstract Curcuma longa L. is a sterile, triploid, vegetatively-propagated crop cultivated mainly in Southeast Asia. When dried rhizomes are ground, the resulting yellow powder is used by the food industry as a natural food dye. Moreover, many pharmacological compounds have broadened the commercial application of the crop. However, conventional breeding is difficult and hence, improvement has been limited to germplasm selection. To better utilize the germplasm collections and facilitate genotype selection, a total of 17 polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed using a CT/GT/CTT enriched genomic library. All microsatellites resulted in amplified PCR products, showing a banding pattern of 2–11 polymorphic bands per locus, enabling genotype discrimination. These results can be used in further studies aimed at characterizing C. longa genetic resource collections and also to improve breeding strategies.
ASSESSMENT OF V ARIABILITY BETWEEN GROWTH AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES OF BIVOLTINE SILKWORM BOMBYX MORI L. UNDER TEMPERATE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Variability in growth and yield attributes was studied in 10 genotypes of bivoltine silkworm, Bombyx mori L. A great deal of variability was observed between the genotypes for studied characters. Significant and high positive correlation was observed between larval weight, silkgland weight and cocoon weight. The highest positive significant association was exhibited by effective rate of rearing (0.707**) followed by filament len gth (0.671**), shell ratio (0.602**), single shell weight (0.556**), single cocoon weight (0.544**) and silkgland somatic index (0.533**) in spring season. However in summer season The highest positive significant association was exhibited by effective rat e of rearing (0.741**) followed by filament length (0.708**), single shell weight (0.651**), shell ratio (0.617**), haemolymph content (0.612**), larvae weight (0.599**), silkgland somatic index (0.593**), single cocoon weight (0.543**) and weight of diges tive tract (0.538**), while the lowest positive significant association was exhibited by raw silk (0.372*).
THE IMPACT OF SELF - CONFIDENCE ON EFL SUDANESE TERTIARY LEVEL STUDENTS

The paper aimed to investigate the impact of self-confidence on EFL Sudanese tertiary level students. The sample of the study consisted of 221 (male and female) students, department of English language at El-Imam El-Mahdi University and White Nile College for Science and Technology in the White Nile State for the academic year 2013/2014. It is a mixed methods research design "mixing both quantitative and qualitative methods". A descriptive-correlation design was employed to find out the relationship between self-confidence, academic performance and oral communication. A student's questionnaire and a teacher's interview with teachers of English language who teach oral communication were used for data collection. The data was analyzed by using a variety of statistical methods which included percentages, mean, degree of freedom, sig. (2-taild), Presumptive mean, standard -deviation, Pearson Correlation coefficient, Spearman rank correlations, SpearmanBrown equation, two way ANOVA, Ttest, the equation of Cronbach's Alpha and the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) for the analysis of the data. The findings revealed a positive, significant correlation between self-confidence, oral communication proficiency and academic performance. The students who scored high in the self-confidence questionnaire also had high scores in oral communication test and academic performance. The study also revealed that there are no statistically significant differences between self-confidence and gender or age of EFL learner. The study concluded with some recommendations which offered to EFL learners, Teachers of English language, administrations of universities, curriculum designers in order to help in directing less confident students to better learning performance. Finally, Further researches were suggested in relation to the impact of personality traits on foreign language learning.
Predation risk affects offspring growth via maternal effects

Summary 1. Predation risk is known to influence behaviour and development, especially in breeding animals. Mothers may be selected to transfer information about the intensity of such risk to their offspring through maternal effects and thus influence their development. 2. Here, we test for this maternal effect via manipulation of perceived predation risk by exposing great tit females before and during ovulation to stuffed models and sounds of either a predator bird (sparrowhawk –Accipiter nisus) or of a non-predatory control (song thrush –Turdus philomelos) in their environment. Offspring of exposed mothers were then raised by foster parents subjected to no treatment in order to separate maternal effects from effects during post-hatching parental care. 3. Nestlings of mothers under increased predator density were smaller than those of control mothers yet showed higher growth rates of the wings. Additionally, first-year recruits from the predator treatment had longer wings at maturity. 4. This maternal effect may be a passive consequence of higher circulating stress hormone levels in mothers. The accelerated wing growth during the nestling stage may be a result of compensatory growth. 5. Alternatively, the accelerated wing growth, coupled with the longer wings at maturity, suggest that the maternal response to the environmental risk may be adaptive since lower weight and bigger wings are a selective advantage for predator evasion. In this case the maternal effect probably influences the distribution of resources to different growth functions in offspring. 6. We show for the first time through an environmental rather than a direct hormonal manipulation, that predation risk may elicit adaptive maternal effects in birds.
Constraints on the use of Trichogramma Egg Parasitoids in Biological Control Programmes in India

The use of Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) egg parasitoids for the biological control of several insect pests, including the pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is being promoted in India. Several companies supply these parasitoids to farmers, but no evaluation of product quality has been made. Low product quality is recognized as being one of the most important reasons for the failure of these biocontrol agents. In this study, Trichogramma chilonis Ishii egg-cards were obtained from eight producers in southern India. Product quality was evaluated using the following parameters: number of eggs/card, percentage parasitism, percentage emergence, progeny sex ratio and percentage of deformed females. In addition, producers were asked for the average values of these parameters in their production systems and for their recommendations for the use of T. chilonis to control H. armigera in cotton. The quality of the egg-cards was highly variable and was much lower than t.
The comparison of antimicrobial effects of Chevil (Ferulago angulata) extract with a variety of common therapeutic antibiotics in vitro

Background: The overuse of therapeutic antibiotics results in the drug resistance. The excessive use of antibiotics causes the mutations in the microorganisms and the emergence of new microorganisms which are resistant against the common antibiotics. With regard to limitations and known side effects of antibiotics, the exploring of antimicrobial compounds seems necessary. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Chevil against Staphylococcus epidermidis PTCC 1435, Yersinia enterocolitica PTCC 1221 and Enterobacter aeruginosa PTCC 1151 and to compare them with the common therapeutic antibiotics. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, after collecting plants from the highlands of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, the extraction was carried out by the maceration method. To evaluate the antimicrobial activity, Disc diffusion test with Kirby-Bauer method was used. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were determined by using the dilution method. Results: The highest inhibition zone diameter in 40 mg/ml was related to Staphylococcus epidermidis and the minimum diameter in this concentration was related to Gram-negative bacteria, Enterobacter aeruginosa. MIC of aqueous and ethanolic extracts for Enterobacter aeruginosa 64 and 32 mg/ml and MBC of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Enterobacter aeruginosa were 128 and 64 mg/ml respectively. Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of the Chevil compared with the common therapeutic antibiotics had more inhibitory effect on studied bacteria. Furthermore, Chevil extracts showed greater inhibitory effect on Gram-positive bacteria in comparison with Gram-negative bacteria.
Awareness of Breast Cancer Risk Factors, Symptoms and Breast Self-Examination Among Omani Female Teachers

Objectives This study aimed to assess knowledge of breast cancer (BC) risk factors, warning signs and symptoms and breast self-examination (BSE) practice among Omani female teachers in Al-Dhahira Governorate. Methods A cross-sectional sample of female teachers aged 20–50 years was collected from January to December 2018 from three wilayats (provinces) in Al-Dhahira—Ibri, Dhank and Yunqal. A questionnaire that included the Breast Cancer Awareness Scale and demographic characteristics was administered. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis and Pearson’s Chi-square test. Results A total of 478 female teachers were included in the study (response rate: 72.4%). The majority of participants (60.5%) had good overall knowledge about BC while 19.9% of participants had excellent overall knowledge. Only 9% of participants demonstrating excellent knowledge of BC risk factors. More than half of the participants (56.1%) reported excellent knowledge in screening methods. Unfortunately, only 57% of the female teachers indicated practising BSE. Knowledge of BC symptoms was closely divided between excellent and good levels (45.8 and 42.5%, respectively). BSE practice was significantly (P <0.05) correlated with overall knowledge of BC and its symptoms and screening methods, but not with knowledge of BC risk factors. Conclusion This study revealed unsatisfactory overall knowledge of BC risk factors, symptoms, screening methods and BSE practice among female Omani teachers in Al-Dhahira Governorate. These findings constitute a challenge to healthcare providers to continue developing awareness of BC and providing health information to the public.
Ectopic expression of the BoTFL1-like gene of Bambusa oldhamii delays blossoming in Arabidopsis thaliana and rescues the tfl1 mutant phenotype

TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) homologous genes play major roles in maintaining vegetative growth and inflorescence meristem characteristics in various plant species; however, to date, the function of the bamboo TFL1 homologous gene has not been described. In this study, a TFL1 homologous gene was isolated from Bambusa oldhamii and designated as BoTFL1-like. Phylogenetic analysis of TFL1 homologous genes revealed that BoTFL1-like shared more than 90% identity with the TFL1 genes of other Gramineae. RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of BoTFL1-like in floral buds was almost 3.5 times higher than in vegetative buds. In 35S::BoTFL1-like transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants, the time of flowering was significantly delayed by 5 to 9 days, and development of floral buds and sepals was severely affected compared to wild type Arabidopsis plants. This suggests that the BoTFL1-like gene may play roles in flowering time and flower morphological structure in B. oldhamii. The BoTFL1-like gene driven by the 35S promoter almost fully rescued the phenotype of the tfl1 mutant apart from the number of rosette inflorescences, indicating that the function of BoTFL1-like was similar to TFL1 in Arabidopsis. We conclude the TFL1 gene function has been conserved between B. oldhamii and A. thaliana.
Business cycle synchronization of the Visegrad Four and the European Union

In this paper, we map the process of synchronization of the Visegrad Four within the framework of the European Union using the wavelet techniques. In addition, we show that the relationship of output and key macroeconomic indicators is dynamic and varies over time and across frequencies. We study the synchronization applying the wavelet cohesion measure with time-varying weights. This novel approach allows for studying the dynamic relationship among countries from a different perspective than usual timedomain models. Analysing monthly data from 1990 to 2014, the results for the Visegrad region show an increasing co-movement with the European Union after the countries began with preparation for the accession to the European union. The participation in a currency union possibly increases the co-movement. Further, analysing the Visegrad and South European countries' synchronization with the European Union core countries, we find a high degree of synchronization in long-term horizons.