Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic correlation of bodyweight and linear body measurement in Chinchilla rabbits (Orycotolagus cuniculus)

Data on bodyweight and linear body measurements (LBMs) namely ear length (EL), heart girth (HG), body length (BL), head to shoulder (HS), leg length (LL) and tail length (TL) of 178 Chinchilla breed of rabbits at 3, 6 and 8 weeks of age were analyzed to obtain the phenotypic correlation between the various LBMs on one hand and LBMs on bodyweight on the other. The value of the Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient defined by the Greek alphabet rho (Ð“) determines the level of relationship between the LBMs. It ranged from 0.36 - 0.91, 0.47 - 0.82 and 0.34 - 0.71 in weeks 3, 6 and 8 weeks respectively. This shows that as the animal grows, there is a positive relationship between its bodyweight and LBMs. This implies that a particular LBM or a combination of it can be used to determine the bodyweight or another LBM of a Chinchilla rabbit. The Ð“ values also showed high significance at 5, 1 and 0.1% respectively. This means that the probability of determining the bodyweight or LBMs using LBMs is possible at 95, 99 and 99.9 trial times respectively. Key words: Chinchilla, breeds, linear body measurements, correlations.
DNA barcoding in Nautilus pompilius (Mollusca : Cephalopoda): evolutionary divergence of an ancient species in modern times

Abstract. DNA barcoding studies to elucidate the evolutionary and dispersal history of the current populations of Nautilus pompilius allow us to develop a greater understanding of their biology, their movement and the systematic relationships between different groups. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted on Australian N. pompilius, and COI sequences were generated for 98 discrete accessions. Sequences from samples collected across the distribution were sourced from GenBank and included in the analyses. Maximum likelihood revealed three distinct clades for N. pompilius: (1) populations sourced from west Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines; (2) populations collected from east Australia and Papua New Guinea; (3) western Pacific accessions from Vanuatu, American Samoa and Fiji, supporting previous findings on the evolutionary divergence of N. pompilius. A minimum spanning tree revealed 49 discrete haplotypes for the 128 accessions, from a total of 16 discrete sampling locations. Population similarity reflects oceanic topographic features, with divergence between populations across the N. pompilius range mirroring geographical separation. This illustrates the success of DNA barcoding as a tool to identify geographic origin, and looks to the future role of such technology in population genetics and evolutionary biology.
An Examination of the Naive-Investor Hypothesis in Accruals Mispricing in Tunisian Firms

This study extends previous studies on accrual anomaly to investigate the emerging market's mispricing of accruals. Using Mishkin (1983) test, hedge portfolio test and Fama and MacBeth (1973) regression, we test whether the Tunisian Stock Exchange price rationally reflects the 1-year ahead earnings implications of its earnings components. We find that earnings and their cash flow and accrual components are not rationally priced by the market. Additionally, this paper examines the role of sophistication investors in the pricing of earnings and their components. Our results show that accruals for firms with higher level of institutional ownership are not mispriced, while accruals for firms with lower institutional ownership are overpriced significantly by the market.
The Muridae of Malawi (Africa: Nyasaland)

Information upon the distribution and biology of the Muridae occurring in Nyasaland (now the Malawi Republic) was obtained mainly from collections made between February 1962 through June 1963, when a total of 13,190 trap nights and 4417 trap days were expended. Approximations of relative abundance in various areas were made by using standard trap lines. Species only recorded in areas with mean annual rainfall at least 60 inches were Lophuromys flavopunctatus, Praomys jacksoni and Thamnomys cometes. Mus triton was unrecorded in areas with mean annual rainfall less than 38 inches. The greatest biomass was trapped on high rainfall plateaux where predominant species trapped were campestrial and insectivorous. In other areas, species predominant in traps were mainly fossorial and vegetarian. In 78% of the localities examined, one or two species comprised over 65% of the catch. Some details of the bionomics and breeding biology of the common species were elucidated by regular collections in selected areas throughout the annual cycle. Species studied in detail were found to have a reproductive peak during the wet or the first half of the dry season. Males were consistently larger than females excepting in T. cometes, sexual size differences were statistically significant in several species. Of the 32 species recorded, only four were purely vegetarian while six were mainly insectivorous.
The Formation of Inflation Perceptions - Some Empirical Facts for European Countries

This paper investigates how households form their perceptions of consumer price inflation. Using data from the harmonized EU consumer survey, we find that inflation perceptions are inefficient and highly heterogeneous, yet contemporaneously related to the actual rate of inflation. Consequently, we estimate how often households update their beliefs employing Carroll's (2003) epidemiological model. Our results indicate that inflation perceptions are generally less responsive to new information than expectations. Unlike studies on expectations, we cannot confirm that a constant fraction of the population updates information every month. Also, the cross-sectional heterogeneity of perceptions is higher than implied by infrequent updating alone.
THE EFFECT OF NISIN AND BOVINE LACTOFERRIN ON THE MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF TURKISH‐STYLE MEATBALL (TEKIRDAĞ KÖFTE)

Tekirdag kofte, a Turkish-style meatball, is one of the most popular ground meat products in Turkey. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different nisin and lactoferrin (Lf) concentrations and their combinations on the microbiological quality of Turkish-style meatball (Tekirdag kofte). For this purpose, the meatball dough was divided into six equal groups, and each of the groups was treated separately with different nisin and/or Lf concentrations (0, 100 and 200 µg/g). Analyses were performed on each meatball group at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12 days for microbiological parameters (total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, total staphylococcae, Staphylococcus aureus, total psychrophilic bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., sulfite-reducing anaerobic bacteria, and yeast and mold) and physicochemical analyses (pH, water activity and moisture). Treatment with Lf alone and its combination with nisin significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the total aerobic bacteria, coliform, E. coli, total psychrophilic bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. , and yeast and mold counts in meatballs. The largest reduction in these counts occurred on the meatballs treated with a mixture of Lf (200 µg/g) and nisin (100 µg/g). This combination prolonged the refrigerated shelf life of naturally contaminated Turkish-style meatballs to 10 days compared to 3 days for nontreated control. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Meatballs are prepared from ground meat in Turkey. Studies have shown that total bacteria, coliform, and yeast and mold counts were usually high in meatball samples in Turkey, and these products were also usually contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, this product mostly poses a risk to consumer health and has a short shelf life (about 3–4 days). In order to control the growth of spoilage microorganisms, the use of natural antimicrobial preservatives has been preferred in the food industry. For this purpose, nisin and lactoferrin were preferred in this study. Although there are many reports on the use of nisin to inhibit pathogenic bacteria, especially Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in food, research on the antimicrobial activity of lactoferrin in food systems is limited. According to the results of our study, treatment with lactoferrin alone and its combination with nisin significantly reduced spoilage bacteria counts and extended the refrigerated shelf life of Turkish-style meatballs. Therefore, the use of these natural compounds in meatballs may be useful for consumer health, and may also be a practical application for the producer because of the short shelf life of this product.
Gender Effect on Selected Haematological and Biochemical Parameters of Ostriches Reared in Captive Condition

This study was designed to assess the effect of sex on haematological and biochemical profile in ostrich (Struthio camelus) serum. Ostriches maintained under standard managemental conditions at Post Graduate Research In- stitute in Animal Sciences, Kattupakkam are used for this study. Ostriches of aged 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 - 36 months of age were selected. In each age group 3 males and 3 females were selected randomly. 3 ml of blood were collected from each bird during the cooler parts of the day. 3ml of blood were collected from each bird during cooler parts of the day. 1ml of blood was taken in vials containing 0.5 mg of EDTA (Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid). The remaining blood was kept undisturbed for two hours for separation of serum. 1ml of blood was later used to estimate Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Total Erythrocytes Count (TEC) and Total Leucocytes Count (TLC) and Differential Count (DC). The biochemical parameters such as Total Protein, Albumin, Calcium, Phosphorus, Cholesterol and Triglyceride were estimated using a Bio system auto analyzer. The biochemical values indicate the overall health status of the bird. The study revealed no significant differences among various blood parameters except monocytes where the female bird showed slightly higher value (3.00±0.13percent) when compared to that of male (2.57±0.14percent). The findings are comparable with works done by other scientists from other parts of the world.
Management in a modified no-tillage corn–soybean–wheat rotation influences weed population and community dynamics

Abstract Conservation tillage systems, such as no-tillage, are ecologically advantageous because they reduce soil erosion; however, they rely heavily on herbicide use. Our goal was to determine how weed communities of no-tillage systems are affected when the system is modified to reduce herbicide use through a combination of banded herbicides and interrow cultivation. To this end, we conducted a 9-yr study in a no-tillage corn–soybean–winter wheat rotation. All management systems had a preplant application of glyphosate, followed by either broadcast PRE herbicides (conventional no-tillage), interrow cultivation with banded PRE herbicides, or interrow cultivation alone. Aboveground weed densities were assessed each year and data were grouped into early (1991 to 1993) and late (1996 to 1998) time periods. Over time, weed communities became more distinct, showing a strong response to management and crop. In the early years, weed communities separated more in response to management than crop. In the late years, this was reversed. Weed communities in systems with interrow cultivation were more diverse than those in conventional no-tillage. The response to weed management system and crop was species specific. For example, the abundance of yellow foxtail was higher when interrow cultivation was employed, but abundance was equal in all crops. Dandelion was more abundant in conventional no-tillage of corn and soybean; however, it was equally abundant in all management systems in wheat. Seed bank species richness increased over time and was highest in systems with interrow cultivation. Herbicide use can be reduced in a modified no-tillage corn–soybean–wheat rotation by incorporating interrow cultivation, with or without banded herbicides, into the management plan. The weed community trajectory changes, and the weed community becomes more diverse. A more diverse weed community will not necessarily alter how we manage weeds. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; yellow foxtail, Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv. ; dandelion, Taraxacum officinale Weber; corn, Zea mays L. ; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. ; wheat, Triticum aestivum L.
Adopting the Euro: A Synthetic Control Approach

We investigate whether joining the European Monetary Union and losing the ability to set monetary policy affected the economic growth of 12 Eurozone countries. We use the synthetic control approach to create a counterfactual scenario for how each Eurozone country would have evolved without adopting the Euro. We let this matching algorithm determine which combination of other developed economies best resembles the pre-Euro path of twelve Eurozone economies. Our estimates suggest that there were some mild losers (France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal) and a clear winner (Ireland). Nevertheless, a GDP decomposition analysis suggests that the drivers of the economic gains and losses are heterogeneous.
Designing Information for Opportunistic Voters

We model an election with two alternatives in a continuum electorate. Each citizen may either vote for their preferred alternative, or abstain. Their incentives are such that they find it optimal to turn out if and only if they expect their preferred alternative to win. Voters form beliefs about the prospects of winning, based on information they obtain from media outlets. We assume that these media outlets are partisan: They wish to maximize the probability that the supporters of their preferred alternative turn out. Media outlets cannot \lie," but they can choose what information to pass on to voters. More specifically, we assume they commit to informing voters if they learn that popular support for a particular alternative passes some threshold, in the spirit of the information design literature. We distinguish two cases: Voters listen to both sides' media outlets, or voters listen only to their own side's partisan media. In the former case, media inform citizens perfectly, and there is an equilibrium where voters learn which side is in the majority so that only that side votes. In the latter case, the media supporting the disadvantaged side provides information. This gives rise to equilibria in which, with positive probability, voters on both sides are confident of winning and thus turn out.
Intraday Momentum in Chinese Commodity Futures Markets

Abstract In this paper, we study whether the intraday momentum exists in Chinese commodity futures markets. We first construct an open-interest-weighted index with the high-frequency data of all commodity futures traded and then examine the predictability of the last half-hour return with both in-sample and out-of-sample tests. Consistent with findings in other markets, we show that the first half-hour return can readily predict the last half-hour return. We further demonstrate that the magnitude of this intraday momentum varies with volatility, trading volume, trade size, the sign of the first half-hour return, the type of commodity futures, and the launch of night trading. Additionally, this intraday momentum does not result from data snooping but has economic significance and remains robust under different index weighting and predictor calculation methods.
Do Firms Manipulate Earnings after Winning Public-Private Partnership Bids? Evidence from China

We examine whether and how firms manipulate their reported earnings after winning investment project bids. China’s adoption of the public-private partnership (PPP) provides a unique setting for our analysis. Using the PPP announcements to identify the firms participating in PPP projects, we find that firms use both accrual-based and real earnings management methods to improve their short-term performance after PPP participation. The findings survive in a difference-in-differences design with propensity score matching. We document that PPP-participating firms have abnormal expenditure and greater short-term performance pressure than non-PPP-participating firms. The auditors respond by charging a higher auditing fee due to the increased risk. Moreover, earnings management lessens for firms with more government subsidies as they ease the performance pressure, while high quality of internal control is only effective in reducing real earnings management of PPP-participating firms. Overall, this study suggests that a promising long-term investment project can lead to firms’ short-term opportunistic behavior.
Safe Reinforcement Learning via Curriculum Induction

In safety-critical applications, autonomous agents may need to learn in an environment where mistakes can be very costly. In such settings, the agent needs to behave safely not only after but also while learning. To achieve this, existing safe reinforcement learning methods make an agent rely on priors that let it avoid dangerous situations during exploration with high probability, but both the probabilistic guarantees and the smoothness assumptions inherent in the priors are not viable in many scenarios of interest such as autonomous driving. This paper presents an alternative approach inspired by human teaching, where an agent learns under the supervision of an automatic instructor that saves the agent from violating constraints during learning. In this model, we introduce the monitor that neither needs to know how to do well at the task the agent is learning nor needs to know how the environment works. Instead, it has a library of reset controllers that it activates when the agent starts behaving dangerously, preventing it from doing damage. Crucially, the choices of which reset controller to apply in which situation affect the speed of agent learning. Based on observing agents' progress, the teacher itself learns a policy for choosing the reset controllers, a curriculum, to optimize the agent's final policy reward. Our experiments use this framework in two environments to induce curricula for safe and efficient learning.
Calibration of Model Uncertainty for Dropout Variational Inference

The model uncertainty obtained by variational Bayesian inference with Monte Carlo dropout is prone to miscalibration. In this paper, different logit scaling methods are extended to dropout variational inference to recalibrate model uncertainty. Expected uncertainty calibration error (UCE) is presented as a metric to measure miscalibration. The effectiveness of recalibration is evaluated on CIFAR-10/100 and SVHN for recent CNN architectures. Experimental results show that logit scaling considerably reduce miscalibration by means of UCE. Well-calibrated uncertainty enables reliable rejection of uncertain predictions and robust detection of out-of-distribution data.
Segmentation task for fashion and apparel

The Fashion Industry is a strong and important industry in the global economy. Globalization has brought fast fashion, quick shifting consumer shopping preferences, more competition, and abundance in fashion shops and retailers, making it more difficult for professionals in the fashion industry to keep track of what fashion items people wear and how they combine them. This paper solves this problem by implementing several Deep Learning Architectures using the iMaterialist dataset consisting of 45,000 images with 46 different clothing and apparel categories.
Bowling Alone, Buying Alone: The Decline of Co-borrowers in the US Mortgage Market

Using the universe of mortgage applications data in the US, we document that since the early 1990s there was a significant decline in the share of mortgages with a co-borrower. The decline, despite being a universal phenomenon across the US, evinced significant spatial heterogeneity and contributed to the divergence in economic outcomes across different regions. We show that the presence of a co-borrower reduces the mortgage default probability by more than 50 percent for both prime and subprime mortgages and those regions that had a lower co-borrower share prior to the financial crisis experienced higher mortgage default rates over the period 2007-2010. Further, a lower co-borrower share at the local level was related to persistently lower house price growth, refinancing growth and mortgage credit growth.
SHORT COMMUNICATION PLATEAU POTENTIALS IN AN INSECT MOTONEURONE CAN BE DRIVEN BY SYNAPTIC STIMULATION

Cyclical patterns of behaviour such as respiration and locomotion are generated by groups of neurones whose output depends not only upon their synaptic interconnections but also on the intrinsic membrane properties of individual cells. For example, the ionic conductances of some neurones in rhythm-generating circuits allow these cells to respond to non-patterned excitatory synaptic drive with ‘plateau’ or ‘driver’ potentials: prolonged, regenerative depolarizations which can drive bursts of impulses and, thereby, contribute to characteristics of the motor rhythm (Russell and Hartline, 1978, 1982; Tazaki and Cooke, 1979a-c, 1983a-c, 1986, 1990). Plateau potentials are not restricted to interneurones of the central pattern generator; they may also be recorded from motoneurones, which form the final output to muscles. Thus, plateau potentials have been recorded from locomotor motoneurones from the crayfish (Sillar and Elson, 1986), lamprey (Wallen and Grillner, 1987), cat (Hounsgaard et al. 1988) and turtle (Hounsgaard and Kiehn, 1989) (see also review by Kiehn, 1991).
Puccinia psidii (Pucciniaceae - Eucalyptus Rust, Guava Rust, Myrtle Rust) - a threat to biodiversity in the Indo-Pacific region.

A biotype of the South American fungal rust pathogen Puccinia psidii Winter has become widely naturalised along the east coast of Australia since early 2010, reaching North Queensland in 2012. This pathogen is known globally as Eucalyptus Rust or Guava Rust, and in Australia as Myrtle Rust. It is pathogenic on a wide range of plants in the Myrtaceae. This pathogen constitutes a major threat to myrtaceous plants in natural habitats and in production systems in moister areas of Australia, and potentially on a wide scale in the Malesian region. The risk of spread to the Malesian region, from Australia or other sources, is high, and once naturalised in Myrtaceae-rich biomes, eradication is unlikely.
Internet Purchases of Specific Products in Spain

Figures of Internet purchases by product categories reveal that certain types of products fare better than others. This research investigates product differences in the context of the individual's decision to purchase online. A theoretical model of consumer e-commerce adoption is developed and tested. By using a large and representative sample of 8837 Internet users in Spain, we analyse the factors that influence the popularity of Internet purchasing in 12 groups of products. We measure popularity of each category by the proportion of individuals who buy from a particular product category. Our results show that consumers behave differently, according to the product under consideration. We find that, overall, men are more likely to purchase than women. However, we identify products and services that are more popular among women and others that are more popular among men. For most products the probability of purchase increases with age up to a certain point, at which it starts decreasing. Education generally has a positive and significant effect on the purchase of most categories of products, although it varies by categories. All the categories show a positive and significant relationship between the consumer's computer and Internet skills and the probability of purchasing online. The frequency of use and the level of trust of consumers in the Internet are found to have a large impact on the probability of purchasing online, although in varying degrees according to category. These results may be useful for retailers to devise marketing strategies and for policymakers to decide if and how to promote e-commerce.