Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrodynamics of tandem flapping pectoral fins with varying stroke phase offsets

We show how phasing between tandem bioinspired fins flapping at high-stroke amplitudes modulates rear fin thrust production and wake characteristics. Load cell thrust measurements show that the rear fin generates 25% more thrust than the front fin when it lags the latter by a quarter cycle, and performs 8% worse when it leads the front fin by the same amount. The flow interactions between the fins responsible for these observations are analyzed using two-dimensional particle image velocimetry measurements and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations. Distributions of velocity elucidate variations in the effective flow induced on the rear fin for different phase offsets. Vortex structure interactions and particle rakes reveal the contributions of the leading- and trailing-edge vortices shed by the front fin in modulating the suction at the rear fin leading edge. Furthermore, the wake structure far downstream of the fins changes in its coherence, axial and radial extents for the different phase offsets. These findings are relevant for the design and performance optimization of various unmanned underwater vehicles that utilize such tandem systems.
Effects of β-Mannanase and Bacteriophage Supplementation on Health and Growth Performance of Holstein Calves

Simple Summary For sustainable animal agriculture, we need to find ways to increase growth efficiency without using feed antibiotics. Bacteriophages, which are only harmful to specific bacterial strains, have been suggested as a feed additive replacing antibiotics. β-mannanase, which degrades mannan, is known to promote nutrient digestibility, animal growth, or both, thus improving feed efficiency. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with bacteriophage and β-mannanase on health and growth performance in calves. We assigned 36 pre-weaning male Holstein calves to one of four treatments with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: no supplementation, 0.1% β-mannanase, 0.1% bacteriophage, and both 0.1% bacteriophage and 0.1% β-mannanase supplementation in a starter on a dry matter basis. Compared to unsupplemented, the bacteriophage supplemented group showed a tendency to improve the survival rate without growth promotion. Supplementation of β-mannanase, on the other hand, increased the starter intake and the weekly body weight (BW) gain and tended to increase the final BW. Our study indicated that bacteriophage supplementation has a positive effect on survival rate, while β-mannanase supplementation improves growth performance in calves. Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with bacteriophage and β-mannanase on health and growth performance in calves. Thirty-six pre-weaning male Holstein calves were randomly allocated to one of four dietary treatments with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: no supplementation, 0.1% β-mannanase, 0.1% bacteriophage, and both 0.1% bacteriophage and 0.1% β-mannanase supplementation in a starter on a dry matter basis. The experiment lasted from 2 weeks before weaning to 8 weeks after weaning. Twenty-two calves survived to the end of the experiment. No interaction was observed between the two different feed additives. The bacteriophage supplementation tended to increase the odds ratio of survival (p = 0.09). The number of Escherichia coli in feces significantly decreased by bacteriophage supplementation one week after weaning. β-mannanase supplementation increased the concentrate intake (p < 0.01) and tended to increase the final BW (p = 0.08). Analysis of repeated measures indicated β-mannanase supplementation increased weekly body weight gain (p = 0.018). We conclude that bacteriophage supplementation may have a positive effect on calf survival rate, while β-mannanase supplementation may increase the growth rate and starter intake by calves just before and after weaning.
Assessing the Effects of Noise on Sound Identities of Historical Landmarks

The degradation caused by environmental noise affects the sound identities of several areas, especially at a city level, so there is a need for immediate individual and collective action. This paper focuses on the environmental noise impacts towards the soundscapes of historical landmarks located in the city of Thessaloniki (Greece). Furthermore, it offers an insight regarding a new urban quiet area attribute, since it discovers whether elevation contributes to the formation of their sound identity. The first step of this research utilized the opinion of more than 500 residents of Thessaloniki with the aid of a questionnaire, in order to highlight areas of the city’s historic center with unique soundscapes. The resulted soundscapes were studied and analyzed by gathering both quantitative and qualitative data. Finally, these soundscapes were assessed by sound experts in order to thoroughly describe their sound identities. The Roman and Byzantine landmarks studied, being at lower and higher elevation levels, respectively, presented differentiations regarding noise levels and other soundscape characteristics. This paper proposes a new protocol, according to which the factor of elevation is worth considering during the process of identifying and utilizing urban quiet areas.
Direct numerical simulation of turbulent flow through a ribbed square duct

Abstract In this research turbulent flow in a ribbed square duct of different blockage ratios ($Br=0.05$, 0.1 and 0.2) at a fixed Reynolds number of $Re_b=5600$ is studied using direct numerical simulation. The results are compared with those of a smooth duct flow. In contrast to the classical two-dimensional rib-roughened boundary-layer flow over a flat plate, the turbulence field is influenced by not only the rib elements but also the four duct sidewalls. The results detail out the three-dimensional effects of the sidewalls and ribs on flow statistics and structures. This study also aims at investigating the effect of blockage ratio on local non-equilibrium of turbulence, large- and small-scale flow anisotropy, and transport of turbulence kinetic energy. It is observed that as the rib height increases, the pressure near the windward face of the rib increases significantly, associated with an accelerated streamwise flow in the duct. Furthermore, an augmentation of the blockage ratio concurrently generates stronger turbulent secondary flow motions, resulting in larger magnitudes of Reynolds stresses near the rib crest. The secondary flow motions drastically alter the turbulent transport processes between the sidewall and duct centre, giving rise to high degrees of non-equilibrium states. The dynamics of coherent structures are studied by examining characteristics of the instantaneous velocity field, swirling strength, temporal auto-correlations, spatial two-point auto-correlations and velocity spectra. The results show that an increase of rib height significantly promotes the ejection and sweep events, which subsequently amplify the strength of vortical motions near the rib crest.
Effect of conservation agriculture on selected soil physical properties on a haplic cambisol in Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa

ABSTRACT Conservation agriculture (CA) is believed to contribute to sustainable crop production. However, there are contrasting reports on its short-term effects on soil properties. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of CA on bulk density (BD), porosity, mean weight diameter (MWD) and penetration resistance (PR) in a semiarid province of South Africa (SA). A split–split–plot design was used; the main treatment factor was allocated to tillage [(Conventional Tillage (CT) and No-Till (NT)], sub-factor of crop rotation [(Maize-Fallow- Maize (MFM), Maize–Oat–Maize (MOM and Maize–Vetch–Maize (MVM))] and sub-sub factor of residue management [(retention (R+); removal (R-) and biochar (B)]. No-tillage, significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC) compared to CT at the 0–5 cm depth. Tillage, crop rotation and residue management significantly (P < 0.01) affected MWD at the 0–5 cm depth, but not (p > 0.05) on BD, porosity and PR. The lack of significant differences, in both NT and CT plots, between biochar applications and residue retention with respect to BD, MWD across seasons and PR, also show that biochar can potentially be used as a crop residue strategy in a CA system. However, there is a need to further tests and also explore the biochar crop residue retention combinations.
Biodegradation of triclosan by a triclosan-degrading isolate and an ammonia-oxidizing bacterium

Biodegradation of Triclosan by a Triclosan-degrading Isolate and an Ammonia-oxidizing Bacterium. (May 2006) Fuman Zhao, B.S., University of Tianjin, China Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Kung-Hui Chu Triclosan is incorporated in a wide array of medical and consumer products as an antimicrobial agent or preservative. Disposal of these products transport triclosan into wastewater and later into soils and surface waters. Due to incomplete removal of triclosan in wastewater treatment plants, contamination of triclosan in the environment has raised several concerns, including: (i) an aid to the development of cross-resistance to antibiotics, (ii) the toxicity to ecological health, (iii) the formation of chlorodioxins from triclosan and its metabolites. By using C-labeled triclosan, CO2 was observed in activated sludge samples, suggesting that triclosan was biodegraded. However, little is known about the microorganisms responsible for triclosan biodegradation in activated sludge. The goal of this study is to better understand biodegradation of triclosan in activated sludge. Two specific objectives are: (i) isolating and characterizing triclosandegrading bacteria from activated sludge, (ii) characterizing the cometabolic degradation of triclosan through an ammonia-oxidizing bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea.
Bacterial Isolates of Infected Wounds & Their Sensitivity to Antibiotics

Background: Infection of the wounds has got definite role in delaying wound healing and development of chronicity. Various studies have been carried to identify & study the pattern of pathogens present in infected wounds and efficacy of antibiotics against these organisms. Objectives: To identify the most common pathogens involved in infections of the wounds after surgical procedures, patterns of their sensitivity and resistance to the different antibiotics. Setting & Duration: The study was carried out in Surgical Unit (3) of Lahore General Hospital, Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Lahore for the period of Six months from October, 2016 to March, 2017. Methodology: Wound swabs were collected using sterile cotton swabs after obtaining consent from patients. The isolated samples were identified by using standard parameters. Kirby baur disk diffusion method used to determine sensitivity. Tube dilution method was used for minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration. Results: Total 150 bacterial isolates were collected from infected wounds whereas 145(96.67%) were culture positive & 5(3.33%) were bacteriologically sterile. The most common bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus 47(32.4%) followed by Escherichia coli 29(20%), Proteus species 23(16%), Coagulase Negative Staphylococci 21(14.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 14(10%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 11(8%). All isolates showed high frequency of resistance to Ampicillin, penicillin, cephalothin and tetracycline. Conclusions: Staphylococcus Aureus has been found as the most common pathogen involved in wound infection. The antibiotics belonging to the group of Cephalothin, Ampicillin, Penicillin and Tetracycline are the least effective against pathogens isolated from infected wounds whereas Piperacillin alongwith Tazobactum; Amikacin & Norfloxacin are the most effective antibiotics against those pathogens.
Effects of autoclaving (Pleurotus osteratus) spent mushroom substrate water extract on the minerals, elicitors, cassava yield and the management of African cassava mosaic virus

Farmers all over the world spend millions of dollars to partially control plant diseases that attack their crops using agrochemicals that pollute the environment. Plant diseases reduces crop yield, quality and shelf life. Enhancing the inherent ability of plants to resist diseases using elicitors and minerals is one of the neglected, sustainable, low cost and environmental friendly approaches to ensure the continued supply of food and fiber.Therefore the aim of this paper is to evaluate the composition of the elicitors and minerals in autoclaved and unautoclaved water extract of Pleurotus osteratus spent mushroom substrate and the effects of its application on the management of African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV), growth and yield of cassava. The treatments for this investigation comprised of Pleurotus osteratus water extract spent mushroom substrate (POWESMS), Pleurotus osteratus autoclaved spent mushroom substrate (POAWESMS) and untreated cassava plants as control. The mineral compositions and the elicitors in the treatments were evaluated using standard procedures. The data generated were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) at (p=0.05). The results obtained from this investigation revealed significant differences in the values of resistant elicitors and minerals. Significant differences were also recorded for the growth, yield parameters and disease severity evaluated at 4 weeks interval. The results showed that unautoclaved water extract performed significantly better than the autoclaved in reducing ACMD severity which did not translate to higher crop yield.
Growth performance, feed utilization and gonad development of diploid and triploid Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

A 16 week experiment was conducted to evaluate growth performances, gonads development, carcass and proximateanalysis of diploid and triploidNile tilapia, Oreochromisniloticus. Triploid were induced by inhibiting the second polar body formation in fertilized eggs using heat chock. Newly hatched fry were transferred and reared in 5 liter aquaria for three weeks and then transferred to 80 L indoor aquaria, provided with a recirculatedwater for 8 weeks. After the rearing period diploid and triploid fingerlings transferred into 300 liter tanks and fed 30% protein diet to apparent satiation. At the end of feeding trial (16 weeks), triploid O. niloticushad significant heaviest, longest and deepest bodies compared with diploids and the same trend was also observed for weight gain and specific growth rate. Triploid O. niloticus showed the best feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio compared to diploids.Gonado-somatic indices (GSI) of triploid males and females were significantly smaller than diploids. On the other hand,Hepato-somatic indices, (HSI) of triploid O. niloticusmales were larger than that of diploid with significant differences between the two groups. However, HSI of triploid females were smaller than that of diploid females but the differences were insignificant.Carcasses of triploids O. niloticushad the highest percentages of dressing and flesh and the lowestby-products compared to diploid.Also, triploid flesh contained the highest (P 0.05) affected by ploidy induction in O. niloticus.
An overview of migratory birds in Brazil

We reviewed the occurrences and distributional patterns of migratory species of birds in Brazil. A species was classified as migratory when at least part of its population performs cyclical, seasonal movements with high fidelity to its breeding grounds. Of the 1,919 species of birds recorded in Brazil, 198 (10.3%) are migratory. Of these, 127 (64%) were classified as Migratory and 71 (36%) as Partially Migratory. A few species (83; 4.3%) were classified as Vagrant and eight (0,4%) species could not be defined due to limited information available, or due to conflicting data.
Markers for Sperm Freezability and Relevance of Transcriptome Studies in Semen Cryopreservation: A Review

Advances in sperm assessment techniques have offered new perspectives to improve the technology of semen cryopreservation. This review addresses some recent achievements in the proteomics of seminal plasma and spermatozoa and exemplifies its importance as markers for sperm fertility following cryopreservation. Recent advances in transcriptome studies on sperm RNA-Seq data have generated new information aimed to unravel the physiological roles of RNAs in the sperm-egg fertilization processes and their associations with male fertility. The relevance of the sperm freezability markers and the poten- tial associations of RNA-profiling sequences with the sperm biological functions have been discussed.
CNN Oriented Complexity Reduction Of VVC Intra Encoder

The Joint Video Expert Team (JVET) is currently developing the next-generation MPEG/ITU video coding standard called Versatile Video Coding (VVC) and their ultimate goal is to double the coding efficiency over the state-of-the-art HEVC standard.The latest version of the VVC reference encoder, VTM6.1, is able to improve the intra coding efficiency by 24 % over the HEVC reference encoder HM16.20, but at the expense of 27 times the encoding time. The complexity overhead of VVC primarily stems from its novel block partitioning scheme that complements Quad-Tree (QT) split with Multi-Type Tree (MTT) partitioning in order to better fit the local variations of the video signal. This work reduces the block partitioning complexity of VTM6.1 through the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). For each 64 × 64 Coding Unit (CU), the CNN is trained to predict a probability vector that speeds up coding block partitioning in encoding. Our solution is shown to decrease the intra encoding complexity of VTM6.1 by 51.5% with a bitrate increase of only 1.45%.
Farmers’ Knowledge and Management Practices of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) in Benin, West Africa

Spodoptera frugiperda has caused significant losses of farmer income in sub-Saharan countries since 2016. This study assessed farmers’ knowledge of S. frugiperda , their perceptions and management practices in Benin. Data were collected through a national survey of 1237 maize farmers. Ninety-one point eight percent of farmers recognized S. frugiperda damage, 78.9% of them were able to identify its larvae, and 93.9% of the maize fields were infested. According to farmers, the perceived yield losses amounted to 797.2 kg/ha of maize, representing 49% of the average maize yield commonly obtained by farmers. Chi-square tests revealed that the severity of the pest attacks was significantly associated with cropping practices and types of grown maize varieties. About 16% of farmers identified francolin ( Francolinus bicalcaratus ), village weaver ( Ploceus cucullatus ), and common wasp ( Vespula vulgaris ) as natural enemies and 5% of them identified yellow nutsedge, chan, shea tree, neem, tamarind, and soybean as repellent plants of S. frugiperda . Most farmers (91.4%) used synthetic pesticides and 1.9% of them used botanical pesticides, which they found more effective than synthetic pesticides. Significant relationships exist between farmers’ management practices, their knowledge, organization membership, and contact with research and extension services. More research is required to further understand the effectiveness of botanical pesticides made by farmers against S. frugiperda and to refine them for scaling-up.
Length–weight relationships of five mullet fish species from the Southern Taiwan coast

Summary The length–weight relationships (LWRs) are described for five fish species, Liza affinis (Gunther, 1861), Liza alata (Steindachner, 1892), Chelon subviridis (Valenciennes, 1836), Chelon macrolepis (Smith, 1846) and Oedalechilus labiosus (Valenciennes, 1836), obtained from Southern Taiwan coast during July 2013 to October 2016.The length–weight parameter b for these species ranged from 2.734 to 2.974, with regression coefficients (r2) ranging from 0.966 to 0.979.
Does participation in university governance add value to a student's academic experience?

During the Apartheid period in South Africa, students at Historically Black Universities were excluded from participating in institutional decision-making affecting their enrollment, fee allocation, academic challenges and general well-being. The Higher Education Act of 1997, changed this situation to a participatory inclusion of the Student Representative Council in university governance where they could influence and promote students’ academic interests. This article draws from a study that was conducted at selected Black universities, to explore the academic benefits derived by students who participated in governance since the change. Issues of free education that have been topical in South Africa and further pose scrutiny on how this achievement is beneficial to the SRC who are central to student development advocacy. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the study sought to understand the academic experiences of the SRC, as participants in the highest decision-making structures at these institutions. Findings from the study suggest that the academic benefit for the SRC as participants in governance is dependent on their level of study, political deployment, time commitments and academic aspirations. There ought to be a deeper interrogation on how best to ensure academic value for students who participate in governance.
Effect of Different Levels of Biosaf Probiotic in Medium Concentrate Dieton Performance and Blood Factors of Iranian Zandi Lambs

In order to evaluate the effect of different levels of Biosaf probiotic(yeast based) in supplemental diet containing medium concentrate (65%) on growth performance and blood factors of zandi lambs, 27 male weaned lambs(29.9 ± 0.28 kg, 90 ± 5 days) were allocated to one of three treatment diets in a completely randomized design, including: 1-basal diet without probiotics (Control, C) 2-basal diet supplemented with 3 g probiotic per lamb (Low Probiotic, LP) 3-basal diet supplemented with 4.5 g probiotic per lamb (High Probiotic, HP). Basal diet was containing 2.59 MCal/ Kg ME and 15.5% crude protein. Lambs live weight was measured at the beginning of the experiment and every two weeks interval. Dry matter intake (DMI) was measured daily. Water consumption offered ad lib. Blood sample were collected at the beginning of the trial, 42 and 84 days and analyzed for total protein, globulin, albumin, BUN, white blood cells and heterophil: lymphocyte ratio according to standard methods. Result shows DMI was unaffected by treatments (P>0.05). ADG was greater in HP group at first 4 weeks but total ADG was unaffected among treatment. Blood parameters were not significantly different among treatments (P>0.05) except BUN and total protein on 84 day. BUN and total protein were significantly higher in control group (P<0.05). It is concluded that addition of probiotic at the dose of 4.5 gr/lamb is superior to enhanced growth performance and immune response of Zandi lambs.