Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax , in a changing ocean

Ocean acidification, caused by rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), is widely considered to be a major global threat to marine ecosystems. To investigate the potential effects of ocean acidification on the early life stages of a commercially important fish species, European sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ), 12 000 larvae were incubated from hatch through metamorphosis under a matrix of two temperatures (17 and 19 °C) and two seawater p CO 2 levels (ambient and 1,000 μatm) and sampled regularly for 42 days. Calculated daily mortality was significantly affected by both temperature and p CO 2 , with both increased temperature and elevated p CO 2 associated with lower daily mortality and a significant interaction between these two factors. There was no significant p CO 2 effect noted on larval morphology during this period but larvae raised at 19 °C possessed significantly larger eyes and lower carbon:nitrogen ratios at the end of the study compared to those raised under 17 °C. Similarly, when the incubation was continued to post-metamorphic (juvenile) animals (day 67–69), fish raised under a combination of 19 °C and 1000 μatm p CO 2 were significantly heavier. However, juvenile D. labrax raised under this combination of 19 °C and 1000 μatm p CO 2 also exhibited lower aerobic scopes than those incubated at 19 °C and ambient p CO 2 . Most studies investigating the effects of near-future oceanic conditions on the early life stages of marine fish have used incubations of relatively short durations and suggested that these animals are resilient to ocean acidification. Whilst the increased survival and growth observed in this study supports this view, we conclude that more work is required to investigate whether the differences in juvenile physiology observed in this study manifest as negative impacts in adult fish.
Effect of pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract on lipid oxidation in sardine fish oil

This study was carried out to determine the prospective use of pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract (PPE) as an effective antioxidant in sardine fish oil. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of PPE was examined. Three different concentrations of PPE (1000, 1500 and 2000 ppm) were used to find out the appropriate concentration and also compared with the synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). The sardine (Sardinella longiceps) fish oil which was not treated with any antioxidant was maintained as control. The primary and secondary oxidation products formed in the sardine oil was determined by peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid analyses. The result found out that, concentration of 2000 ppm of PPE was more effective in slowdown of lipid oxidation in sardine fish oil. The antioxidant capacity of PPE at 2000 ppm was more likely as BHA at 200 ppm. It proves that PPE which was the byproduct of pomegranate juice can be used as effective natural antioxidant instead of synthetic antioxidants in retarding lipid oxidation of fish oil.
Monitoring from afar: Do foreign institutional investors deter insider trading?

This paper examines the disciplinary effect of foreign institutional investors on opportunistic insider trading. Using a novel global insider trading data set containing 35,557 firms from 26 countries over the period 2000-2015, we find that greater foreign institutional ownership significantly reduces the profitability of insider trading, above and beyond the effect of domestic institutional ownership. Using the exogenous variation in foreign institutional ownership induced by MSCI index inclusion, we show that the effect is causal. The impact of foreign investors is stronger in countries with weak insider trading regulations and poor institutional environments, and operates mainly through the monitoring channel, rather than the channel of improved information environments. JEL classification: G14, G34, K22
Aloe Vera Gel and Honey‐Based Edible Coatings Combined with Chemical Dip as a Safe Means for Quality Maintenance and Shelf Life Extension of Fresh‐Cut Papaya

The functionality of Aloe vera gel and honey (10% v/v) for quality improvement of fresh-cut papaya was evaluated individually as well as in combination with chemical dip containing calcium chloride (2% w/v), ascorbic acid (AA) (1% w/v) and vanillin (8 mM). The changes in the physicochemical attributes such as pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, weight loss percentage, AA, total phenolic content (TPC), browning index, browning enzymes (polyphenol oxidase [PPO] and peroxidase [POX]) and microbial load of fresh-cut papaya were evaluated during their storage at 4 ± 1C. It has been observed that A. vera gel and 10% honey in combination with chemical dip have a preventive role toward quality maintenance of fresh-cut papaya as indicated by retention of TPC and AA, reduced microbial load and relatively low PPO and POX activity during storage period of 12 days at 4C. Practical Applications Aloe vera gel and honey have been widely used in food industries due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Most recently, their uses have been expanded for quality enhancement of horticultural commodities as these are found to be safe for food applications. From the present study, it is evident that these selected edible coatings derived from natural sources could maintain the quality of fresh-cut fruit like papaya and also satisfy the consumer's need for safe food. Thus, the studied work has the practical applications in fresh-cut industries.
Temporal variability of pelagic fish assemblages around fish aggregation devices : biological and physical influences

Pelagic fishes were counted around four fish aggregation devices (FADs) moored between 3 and 10km offshore on the continental shelf off Sydney, Australia. Visual counts were made at FADs on 81 days periodically from April 1999 to April 2002. Surface water temperature and current speed were also measured at the FADs. Assemblages of fishes at FADs followed a seasonal pattern, however, biological and physical variables influenced seasonal structure greatly. Abundances at FADs were greatest in spring due to the appearance of large schools (100s to 1000s) of juvenile Trachurus sp. In contrast, diversity was far greater in summer and autumn, principally due to the appearance of schools (10s to 100s) of juvenile Coryphaena hippurus (Coryphaenidae), and other warm water species from January to May when water temperatures were >20° C. Short-term variability differed among species; C. hippurus fluctuated greatly among counts separated by 2-3 days, while Seriola lalandi (Carangidae) and Alutera monoceros (Monacanthidae) abundances were more stable, indicating greater residence times at FADs for these two species. Marked differences in fish assemblages occurred between times when predators were present and absent, with few small fishes being observed when piscivorous predators occurred at FADs, regardless of season. Furthermore, abundances of C. hippurus and A. monoceros were correlated with current speed, with greatest abundances observed when currents were strong and weak, respectively. The results indicated that much of the temporal variability in fish assemblages at moored FADs could be explained by biological and physical factors.
POLLINATION BY WIND AND ANIMALS: Ecology of Geographic Patterns

There have long been suggestions in the botanical literature of ecogeographic trends in pollination strategies. Wind-pollination (anemophily) is said to be "notoriously infrequent in the tropical rainforest and becomes progressively more significant with increasing latitude. Similarly, it appears to be more common in areas that are less diverse floristically and it is often dominant in vegetation characterized by open structure (e.g. savanna) or seasonal loss of leaves (northern temperate forests). The frequency of windpollinated species is high in island floras" [(132), p. 28; see also p. 33]. In the present discussion I aim to further detail and quantify selected geographic patterns in the distribution of windand animal-pollinated species and to examine mechanisms that might cause the trends. Geographic trends in the characteristics of species making up communities interest ecologists because they may suggest factors underlying the organization of communities and the characteristics of their species. Similar climates and soils tend to produce, both through natural selection and through the biogeographic sorting of previously adapted species, groupings of organisms with similarities at the levels of both organisms and communities. Geographic trends in pollination systems are especially interesting since they may illuminate not only the competitive, coevolutionary, and physiological dimensions of organisms, but their sexual recombination systems as well. Despite the many volumes published on pollination biology since Sprengel, Muller, Darwin, and Knuth, little of such work takes an ecological point of view since it was conducted in the context of horticulture, agricul-
Temperament in beef cattle: Methods of measurement and their relationship to production

Sebastian, T. , Watts, J. M. , Stookey, J. M. , Buchanan, F. and Waldner, C. 2011. Temperament in beef cattle: methods of measurement and their relationship to production. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 91: 557–565. Temperament is an individual trait influencing an animal's behavioural response to handling. This characteristic likely modulates the response of the animal to environments and social situations, and is perhaps best viewed as a component of its personality. We assessed temperament using three objective measuring tools, to determine if correlations exist between these and a traditional subjective evaluation. The tools used were strain gauges, a “movement measuring device” (MMD), and a chute exit timer. Four hundred steers were used. Exit time was correlated with values recorded with the MMD and absolute strain forces, and MMD values were related to absolute strain forces. When the animals were classified as “calm” or “wild” based on their subjective scoring, these two groups differed in their mean exit times,.
Testing species distribution models across space and time: high latitude butterflies and recent warming

Aim To quantify whether species distribution models (SDMs) can reliably forecast species distributions under observed climate change. In particular, to test whether the predictive ability of SDMs depends on species traits or the inclusion of land cover and soil type, and whether distributional changes at expanding range margins can be predicted accurately. Location Finland Methods Using 10-km resolution butterfly atlas data from two periods, 1992–99 (t1) and 2002–09 (t2), with a significant between-period temperature increase, we modelled the effects of climatic warming on butterfly distributions with boosted regression trees (BRTs) and generalized additive models (GAMs). We evaluated model performance by using the split-sample approach with data from t1 (‘nonindependent validation’), and then compared model projections based on data from t1 with species’ observed distributions in t2 (‘independent validation’). We compared climate-only SDMs to SDMs including land cover, soil type, or both. Finally, we related model performance to species traits and compared observed and predicted distributional shifts at northern range margins.
Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens: A new Keratinolytic Feather-degrading Bacteria

Feather-degrading microorganisms were isolated from a poultry processing industry. The microorganism that presented high degradation of feathers was LM16, reaching 97.7% after 72 h of fermentation. Using morphological and biochemical tests [API 20 E (Bio-Merieux)], the strain was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The keratinase production and cell growth were affected by culture conditions. The optimal conditions for enzyme production were 40oC, 150 rpm, 1% of feather and pH 7.5, resulting in an activity of 187.5 U/mL. The results reveal that the release of amino acids, as evidenced through thin-layer chromatography, in the broth of the Bacillus amyloliquefacines culture can allow its use in animal feed industries (meal feather).
Current-mode Quadrature Oscillator using CCCCTAs with Non-interactive Current Control for CO, FO and Amplitude

This paper presents a current-mode quadrature oscillator with amplitude controllability. The proposed circuit consists of two current controlled current conveyor transconductance amplifiers, two grounded capacitors and one grounded resistor. The condition of oscillation, frequency of oscillation and amplitude of output current can be independently controlled with electronics method via DC bias current. In addition, the proposed oscillator has high impedance of outputs ports which facilitates easy driving an external load without additional current buffers. It also uses all grounded passive elements which suitable for implementation in the integrated circuit. The theoretical results are verified by PSPICE simulation and experimental results that well conform to the theoretical anticipation.
IMPLEMENTATION OF CONJUNCTION ASSESSMENT ALGORITHMS IN MODERN SPACE MECHANICS SYSTEMS

In recent years, collision mitigation operations have gained a lot of interest due to the increasing population of uncontrolled man-made objects orbiting the Earth. ESA ́s current operational system to monitor satellite collision risk uses the CRASS and ODIN tools, developed by GMV. This paper describes the migration of the CRASS algorithms to closeap, a modern software based on NAPEOS and integrated in GMV’s focusSuite flight dynamics solution, paying special attention to algorithm evolution issues, software validation, standard interface implementations and new developments such as performance improvements and parallelization.
Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Vegetable (Telfairaoccidentalis) from Farmlands Close to Rumuagholu Dumpsite, Rivers State, Niger Delta, Nigeria

The proliferation of dumpsites in urban settlement the world over is becoming worrisome. The concentrations of some heavy metals were examined in vegetables (Telfairaoccidentalis) planted in farmland close to Rumuagholu Dumpsite. Vegetables samples were collected from three station around the dumpsite within a period of three months (April, May and June). They were transported to the laboratory and oven dried at 60 C to constant weight. The samples were powdered and digested. The content filtered and the filtrate examined with atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results obtained showed that the mean station values of the individual metals were; lead (Pb), 0.797±0.112, 0.417±0.081 and 0.300±0.049 mg/Kg in stations 1, 2 and 3, cadmium (Cd), undetected in stations 1and 3 and 0.004±0.001mg/Kg in station 2, copper (Cu), 0.364±0.095, 1.113±0.134 and 0.247±0.049 mg/Kg in station 1, 2 and 3, chromium (Cr), 1.234±0.168, 0.721±0.051 and 0.096±0.020 mg/Kg and nickel (Ni), 0.876±0.458, 0.568±0.350 and 0.166±0.015 mg/Kg in station 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The concentrations of the various heavy metals in the dumpsite vegetables were higher than those of the control farmlands. The concentrations of all the examined metals were lower than the FAO/WHO value for consumable food except that of Pb. Although the concentrations of the heavy metals examined were low, yet caution should be taken when planting vegetables on dumpsite soils. This is because of the danger that might ensure from heavy metals toxicity in consumers.
Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization and HPS Supplementary Lighting on Vegetable Transplant Production. II. Yield

Transplants of celery (Apium graveolens L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica L.), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) grown in multicellular trays under natural light or with supplemen- tary lighting of 100 µmol·s¯¹·m¯² (PAR) in factorial combination with four rates of N fertilization (100, 200, 300, and 400 mgliter¯¹) were tested for productivity under field conditions. Celery was seeded once, lettuce twice, and broccoli and tomato three times. Broccoli and tomato were transplanted at two sites, celery and lettuce at one. Supplementary lighting had no effect on yields of celery, lettuce, and broccoli, but significantly increased yields of early seeded tomato. High rates of N fertilization (300 and 400 mg·liter¯¹) applied at the transplant stage improved yields for all the species. The environmental conditions that vegetable transplants undergo during their early growth play an important role in yield. Can- ham (1966) stated that the future yield of young tomato plants depends on the first weeks of growth and that it is an appropriate time to plan economically for the crop's development. Lighting conditions and fertility are two factors that may play a role in early growth of vegetable seedlings. Boivin et al. (1986) demonstrated. that the use of supplementary lighting at 50, 100, and 150 µmol·s -1
Influence of harvest refugia on penaeid prawn population dynamics and sustainable catch

Harvest refuges have frequently been proposed as fishery management tools for species with sedentary adults and dispersive juveniles but less often for species with a highly mobile adult phase. In this paper, I use a population model to investigate the potential of using harvest refuges for managing species with both dispersive juveniles and mobile adults using the penaeid prawn Penaeus latisulcatus as a model. Maximum harvest occurred when only a very small proportion of the habitat (23%) was fished very heavily (F = 10). When only a small percentage of the habitat was trawled, harvest increased as fishing mortality increased, but when trawling was more extensive, harvest peaked with a relatively low fishing mortality. This supports recent contentions that by themselves, marine reserves are insufficient to manage a fishery effectively and that they need to be used in conjunction with effort restrictions. Sensitivity analyses indicated that adult, juvenile, and larval mortality are all near thresholds th.
Investigating Mathematics Teachers’ Preparedness to Teach Computer in Secondary Schools of Kitwe District

This study is an investigation that focuses on finding out whether teachers of Mathematics have acquired enough preparedness to teach Computer in a way that will enhance academic learner performance. Although much research has been done on factors about ICT integration and implementation, little research has been done on preparedness to teach Computer as a topic integrated in the Mathematics syllabus. A total of sixty nine (69) teachers from eighteen different schools participated in the study including lesson observations which were carried out on four (4) teachers of different schools. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results through the questionnaires by the ANOVA test revealed that the difference between training and preparedness to teach Computer were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The findings further revealed teaching experience were not a factor on preparedness to teach Computer. However, the findings by the paired sampled t test also revealed that Computer literacy and preparedness to teach Computer were statistically significantly different (P 0.01) except for training in ICT. The study, therefore, concluded that lack of Computer literacy affected teacher preparedness to teach Computer and negatively impacted on preparedness to understand the provision of material on Computer in the textbooks.
Perioperative risk factors of progressive chronic kidney disease following liver transplantation: analyses of a 10-year follow-up single-center cohort

Purpose The incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been increasing due to improved survival after liver transplantation (LT). Risk factors of kidney injury after LT, especially perioperative management factors, are potentially modifiable. We investigated the risk factors associated with progressive CKD for 10 years after LT. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 292 adult patients who underwent LT at a tertiary referral hospital between 2000 and 2008. Renal function was assessed by the e stimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula. The area under the curve of serial eGFR (AUCeGFR) was calculated for each patient to assess the trajectory of eGFR over the 10 years. Low AUCeGFR was considered progressive CKD. Linear regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between the variables and AUCeGFR. Results Multivariable analysis showed that older age (regression coefficient = −0.53, P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (DM) (regression coefficient = −6.93, P = 0.007), preoperative proteinuria (regression coefficient = −16.11, P < 0.001), preoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) (regression coefficient = −14.35, P < 0.001), postoperative AKI (regression coefficient = −3.86, P = 0.007), and postoperative mean vasopressor score (regression coefficient = −0.45, P = 0.034) were independently associated with progressive CKD. Conclusion More careful renoprotective management is required in elderly LT patients with DM or preexisting proteinuria. Postoperative AKI and vasopressor dose may be potentially modifiable risk factors for progressive CKD.
Protective Effect of Ginkgo Biloba Extract and Pumpkin Seed Oil Against Neurotoxicity of Rotenone in Adult Male Rats

The principal goal of the current work was to investigate the protective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract an d pumpkin s eed oil in separate against ro tenone induced neurotoxicity in m ale rats. Adult male albino rats were orally treated with Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) at a dose o f 150 mg/kg body weight or with p umpkin seed oil (PSO) at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight once a day for 70 days and on the 21 st day, rotenone (2.5 mg/kg body weight) was given orally for 50 days. Dopamine "DA" and norepinephrine "NE" con tents in striatum, cerebellum a nd c erebral cortex were determined on 40, 55 and 70 days of treatment. Also, the striatum N a /K -ATPase activity, serum a nd s triatum l ipid pe roxidation, nitric oxide ++ (NO), reduced glutathione (G SH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and serum testosterone level were evaluated with histological investigation of striatum. Results revealed that rotenone administration for 50 days produced significant increase i n s triatum an d s erum lipid peroxidation an d N O levels, while, significant decrease in DA in stri atum and cerebral cortex was d etected. Also, striatum Na /K -ATPase ++
Advancement on techniques for the separation and maintenance of the red imported fire ant colonies

Advancement has recently been made on the techniques for separating and maintaining colonies of red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren. A new brood rescue method significantly improved the efficiency in separating colony from mound soil. Furthermore, a new method was developed to separate brood from the colony using fire ant repellants. Finally, a cost‐effective method was developed to coat containers with diluted Fluon® (AGC Chemicals America, Inc, Moorestown, NJ, USA), an aqueous polytetrafluoroethylene, to prevent housed ants from escaping a container. Usually the original Fluon® solution is directly applied to the wall of the containers. Reduced concentrations of Fluon® were found to be equally effective in preventing ant escape. The use of diluted Fluon® solutions to coat the containers was recommended because of environmental and cost‐saving benefits. Application of these new techniques can significantly reduce labor, cost and environmental contamination. This review paper collates all the new techniques in one reference which readers can use as a manual.