Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular tools for exploring genetic diversity 1

Recent advances in the field of genomic technology have constituted a major innovation in livestock production. The increasing availability of molecular tools is deeply affecting the ways in which livestock species are studied and managed. This section provides an overview of recent developments related to molecular tools and their use, focusing particularly on the period since the first report on The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (first SoWAnGR) (FAO, 2007) was prepared. The first SoW-AnGR noted that the main roles of molecular technologies in the characterization of AnGR include: • assessing functional and neutral genetic variability within and between populations, including investigation of their history (domestication, expansion or reduction of the population size, migrations, introgression episodes, etc.); • assessing the current state of a population in terms of risks related to inbreeding and genetic drift, using estimators such as effective population size; and • genetic characterization of traits (e.g. physical appearance, productivity, disease resistance and other adaptability traits) specific to given populations. The report highlighted the following three ongoing developments in molecular biology as being particularly relevant to AnGR management: • the establishment of whole genome sequences for various livestock species; • the development of technologies for measuring polymorphisms at loci spread across the entire genome; and • the development of technologies for measuring gene transcription and expression on a large scale. Since the first SoW-AnGR was prepared, the list of species whose genomes have been sequenced has continued to grow. It now includes chicken (2004), sheep (2010), cattle (2009), horse (2009), pig (2012), rabbit (2009), turkey (2009) and goat (2013). The costs of genotyping and sequencing have declined sharply during this period (Figure 4B1). High-density SNP arrays, allowing the simultaneous assay of several tens of thousands to several hundreds of thousands of SNPs, are available for use in livestock species at a cost of US$100 or less if a relatively large number of individuals are sequenced. Genomes
HIQP: A HIDDEN NODE AND INTERFERENCE AWARE CHANNEL ASSIGNMENT SCHEME FOR MULTI-RADIO MULTI-CHANNEL WIRELESS MESH NETWORKS

Carrier sense interference and hidden terminal problem are two critical factors, which limit the performance of wireless mesh networks. In order to increase the throughput of the network, multi-radio and multi-channel technology has been put forward to address this problem, since more channels can be used simultaneously to avoid collisions. In this paper, we propose “HIQP”, a new scheme for hidden node and interference aware channel assignment, in which both hidden terminal problem and carrier sense interference are taken into consideration. This scheme is put forward in the link layer instead of network layer, which is a pre-determined approach. Our simulation results show that this optimum channel assignment scheme which has the least carrier sense interference and hidden terminal problem will be proposed before the establishment of network infrastructure.
AN HYBRID GRAVITATIONAL METHOD FOR SOLVING THE CELL FORMATION PROBLEM

The Cellular Manufacturing System has emerged as a strategy capable of improving the manufacturing cost and decreasing the lead time with no negative impacts on the product quality. One of the fundamental problems of this strategy is known as the Cell Formation Problem, which consists of defining cells including a machine group and a product (part) family. In this paper, we consider the Manufacturing Cell Formation Problem where the objective is to maximize the Grouping Efficacy measure. We introduce a hybrid gravitational method (HGM) combining a population based algorithm and a local search procedure. This hybrid metaheuristic is a variant of the Discrete Gravitational Search Algorithm (DGSA). It allows searching extensively the feasible domain of a problem during the early iterations. It also includes a wellbalanced mechanism for enhancing exploration and exploitation strategies. Several modifications were necessary to adapt the DGSA in order to maintain similar performance when dealing with the CFP. The major ones consist in modifying the population of solutions and in performing the exploration phase. The Path Relinking process used in DGSA to modify the solution is replaced by a crossover strategy derived from concepts of the Gravitational Search Algorithm (GSA). The performance of this hybrid variant of the Gravitational Search Algorithm is evaluated using a set of 35 benchmarks from the literature. The numerical results confirm that our hybrid metaheuristic could be considered as one of the best algorithms.
Effects of Agricultural Input Voucher Programme on Smallholder Farmer ’ s Livelihood in Taraba State , Nigeria

The study assessed the effects of Agricultural Input Voucher Programme (AIVP) on the smallholder farmer’s livelihood in Taraba State, Nigeria. Primary and secondary data were both used for this study. The primary data involved use of structured questionnaires. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select 350 respondents as sample for the study. Both descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, mean and inferential statistics and paired sample test were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that most of the participants (60.40%) were within the age group of 21 to 40 years. Majority (60.80%) were males, most ((39.20%) were literate with secondary education and had mean of 7 members per household and their mean farming experience was 10.5 years. Majority (70.90%) of the participants had access to extension services and 79.70% belonged to an association. The respondents’ mean annual farm incomes were ₦153,052 (before) and ₦242,884 (during) AIVP respectively. In addition, the results of programme effect on income indicated that the participants annual farm incomes increased by 90.38% and 6.64% on rice and maize respectively. The paired sample test results also showed significant difference (t = -2.99; p=0.01 rice) between the participants mean farm income before and during AIVP, but was not significant (t= -1.39 NS ) between the mean incomes obtained from maize. Findings on the effects of AIVP on assets ownership revealed that there were increased ranging from 30% to 150% in the various assets owned by the participants. The study concluded that AIVP positively affected the livelihood of the smallholder farmers in terms of increased income and assets. This study recommended that the programme should be sustained through increased the beneficiary’s copayments.
Antibiotics : their use and misuse in paediatric dentistry

Antibiotics can be unanimously considered as drugs which have truly revolutionised healthcare by achieving adequate control of infections. Since the discovery of penicillin, the use of antibiotics has shown a tremendous rise among medical and dental professionals alike [Cohen, 2000]. In light of this increasing prescription trend, the worldwide problem of antibiotic resistance is a cause of concern. In fact, this threat has been aptly referred to as a ‘ticking time bomb’ requiring prompt actions [Palmer, 2014]. This phenomenon, associated with mutational or genetic changes within the bacterial strains under selective pressure, has been inevitably associated with increased consumption of these medicines. Also, in conjunction with antibiotic resistance, the incidence of side-effects and hypersensitivity reactions along with superinfections has been commonly documented with antibiotic usage [O’Donnell and Barker, 2016; Beacher et al., 2015; Da Fosenca, 2000]. In fact, recently an indirect association has been found between the early use of antibiotics in childhood and the risk of allergic asthma [Droste et al., 2000]. Unjustified use of antibiotics has also been reported in children with orofacial infections. As paediatric dentists, the awareness regarding the definitive indications of antibiotics is mandatory. When prescribed systemically, these drugs should be used as adjuncts to treat certain oral infections or for prophylaxis to prevent serious situations of bacteremia [Fine et al., 1998]. Otherwise undesired issues like resistance may ensue. Abuse by the patient or the parent and inefficient usage can also lead to this problem. Despite extensive reports and studies concerning the use of antibiotics and the global issue of antibiotic resistance, the use of these agents amongst dental practitioners specifically is only demonstrated through questionnaires or interviews. A definite lack of scientific literature to assess the pattern of use of antibiotics in denstistry in relation to drug resistance has been noted. Hence, this review was conducted to identify the current practices of antibiotics prescription observed by dental health professionals for children with oral health care needs and the causes of their prescribing behaviour. Studies in relation to this pattern or trend with the growing problem B. Aidasani, M. Solankis, S. Khetarpal, S. Ravi Pratap
Modeling Integrates Imaging and Histology In Silico Gliomas : Quantifying the Role of Angiogenesis in Malignant Progression of Updated

Gliomas are uniformly fatal forms of primary brain neoplasms that vary from lowto high-grade (glioblastoma). Whereas low-grade gliomas are weakly angiogenic, glioblastomas are among themost angiogenic tumors. Thus, interactions between glioma cells and their tissue microenvironment may play an important role in aggressive tumor formation and progression. To quantitatively explore how tumor cells interact with their tissue microenvironment, we incorporated the interactions of normoxic glioma cells, hypoxic glioma cells, vascular endothelial cells, diffusible angiogenic factors, and necrosis formation into a first-generation, biologically based mathematical model for glioma growth and invasion. Model simulations quantitatively described the spectrum of in vivo dynamics of gliomas visualized with medical imaging. Furthermore, we investigated how proliferation and dispersal of glioma cells combine to induce increasing degrees of cellularity, mitoses, hypoxia-induced neoangiogenesis and necrosis, features that characterize increasing degrees of "malignancy," and we found that changes in the net rates of proliferation (r) and invasion (D) are not always necessary for malignant progression. Thus, although other factors, including the accumulation of genetic mutations, can change cellular phenotype (e.g., proliferation and invasion rates), this study suggests that these are not required for malignant progression. Simulated results are placed in the context of the current clinical World Health Organization grading scheme for studying specific patient examples. This study suggests that through the application of the proposed model for tumor–microenvironment interactions, predictable patterns of dynamic changes in glioma histology distinct from changes in cellular phenotype (e.g., proliferation and invasion rates) may be identified, thus providing a powerful clinical tool. Cancer Res; 71(24); 7366–75. 2011 AACR.
1 Reconstruction of energy and angle distribution function of surface-emitted negative ions in hydrogen plasmas using mass spectrometry

A new method involving mass spectrometry and modelling is described in this work, which may highlight the production mechanisms of negative ions on surface in low pressure plasmas. Positive hydrogen ions from plasma impact a sample which is biased negatively with respect to the plasma potential. Negative ions (NI) are produced on the surface through the ionization of sputtered and backscattered particles and detected according to their energy and mass by a mass spectrometer placed in front of the sample. The shape of the measured negative-ion energy distribution function (NIEDF) strongly differs from the NIEDF of the ions emitted by the sample because of the limited acceptance angle of the mass spectrometer. The reconstruction method proposed here allows to compute the distribution function in energy and angle (NIEADF) of the negative-ions emitted by the sample based on the NIEDF measurements at different tilt angles of the sample. The reconstruction algorithm does not depend on the NI surface production mechanism, so it can be applied to any type of surface and/or NI. The NIEADFs for HOPG (Highly Oriented Pyrolitic Graphite) and Gadolinium (low work-function metal) are presented and compared with the SRIM modelling. Corresponding author: gilles.cartry@univ-amu.fr
First-order miniKanren representation: Great for tooling and search

We present a first-order implementation of miniKanren that makes it easy to build a miniKanren debugger, and allows any other processes (including a human or a neural network) to guide the search. Typical miniKanren implementations use procedures to represent data structures like goals and streams. Instead, our implementation uses Racket structs, which are transparent, decomposable, manipulable, and not coupled with a particular search strategy. We obtain this first-order implementation by carefully applying defunctionalization rules to a higher-order implementation, deriving two compatible versions with the same search behavior and comparable performance. Decoupling the search in the first-order implementation makes it possible to analyze, transform, and optimize a miniKanren program, even while that program is running. We use a “human guided” search as a miniKanren debugger, and to demonstrate the breadth of supported search strategies. The flexibility in how we interpret goals and streams opens up possibilities for new tools, and we hope to inspire the community to build better miniKanren tooling.
1 Angiotensin II Regulates Body Weight Through Sympathetic Neurotransmission

Previous studies in our laboratory suggested a local renin-angiotensin system in adipose tissue, with adipose Angiotensin II (AngII) important in the regulation of body weight. Angiotensin II facilitates the activity of the sympathetic nervous system through increased release of norepinephrine (NE), regulation of NE uptake, and of NE synthesis. To test the hypothesis that AngII regulates body weight by facilitating sympathetic neurotransmission, we examined the effect of chronic AngII infusion on ligand binding of the NE uptake transporter and the turnover of NE in tissues with cardiovascular (left ventricle, LV; kidney) and metabolic (interscapular brown adipose tissue, ISBAT; epididymal fat, EF) relevance. Chronic infusion of AngII dosedependently increased the density for [H]nisoxetine (NIS) binding in ISBAT, but not in LV. Increased NE uptake transporter density in ISBAT occurred at doses of AngII that reduced body weight. Alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine (AMPT) was injected into rats following 7 and 14 days of saline or AngII infusion to determine NE turnover in ISBAT, LV, kidney and EF. At a dose of AngII that reduced body weight, NE turnover was increased in all tissues. Endogenous NE content was reduced in LV and kidney following AngII, and increased in ISBAT. In rats administered the -adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol, AngII reductions in body weight, food intake and water were totally eliminated. These data support the hypothesis that AngII regulates body weight through sympathetic neurotransmission. Moreover, in ISBAT, a thermogenically active tissue important in energy expenditure, chronic AngII infusion increased NE uptake transporter density and NE content, indicative of an increased density of sympathetic innervation. Angiotensin II (AngII), the primary peptide of the renin-angiotensin system with biologic activity, is important in the regulation of arterial pressure and fluid and electrolyte balance. On the basis of a variety of evidence, including demonstration of components
DAMAGE CONTROLLING PERFORMANCE OF A FULL SCALE UNBONDED POST-TENSIONED PRECAST CONCRETE BEAM

Twenty-some years ago, it was considered that safety was a major and only concern in designing building structures in an engineering society. However, the 1994 Northridge earthquake and 1995 Kobe Earthquake revealed that the general public does not share the same vision with the engineering society. Urban earthquakes of last twenty years made the general public and the engineering society confident that structures need to perform in a higher standard, that is, damage of structures should be minimal so that structures should keep their functions after multiple earthquakes. Since then, new structural systems such as base isolation system and response controlling system with dampers have been attracting attentions. However, these systems are not necessarily universal and other variations of structural systems are also needed to meet different demand. A self-centering rocking system using unbonded post-tensioned precast concrete members is one of good alternatives for damage-controlling structures. By using high quality precast concrete, the rocking system is very durable in long term and damage-resistant in a short term. Unbonded post-tensioned precast concrete system is able to reduce cracking as well as residual deformation/displacement and maintain structural functions for its self-centering property. In this research, a static loading test was conducted on a full-scale unbonded post-tensioned precast concrete Hshaped beam-column assemblage. The objective was to quantitatively evaluate the damage at different loading stages. The 600mm x 1000mm beam with clear span length of 11 meters was post-tensioned with four unbonded strands to column at both ends. Two columns had pin-joints at their top and bottom to simulate the intermediate story of a building. Two point loads of 230kN each were applied to the beam to simulate vertical load due to dead and live load. The experimental results showed satisfactory seismic performance with minor damage and less residual drift and the specimen conformed to requirements for continuous use of members defined in the AIJ guidelines. In addition, the residual crack width, residual deformation drift and equivalent damping ratio were evaluated using the AIJ guidelines to study the validity of the criteria. It was concluded that a full-scale unbonded post-tensioned precast concrete beam possessed good seismic performance of quick recovery and functional maintenance.
A Serious Game on Sustainable Development Using Agent Based Modelling-Energy Wars

The continuing depletion of natural resources and their increasing exploration costs have become a major focus for society. There is a growing recognition of the need to sustain an ecologically-balanced environment, while at the same time, the need of exploiting natural resources (at affordable prices) to satisfy the ever-increasing demands. Serious Games are a tool that can add entertainment to the increase awareness towards a more sustainable future. In this work, an energy model was developed to become the serious part of a Serious Game – Energy Wars. The game pretends to simulate an oil scarcity scenario, where energy supply has to be progressively substituted by renewable resource. The objective of this game is to simulate the dispute for the last fossil fuels available on Earth. A platform was built to reproduce the game’s environment. This platform is built under compromises between the reproduction of how real world works and the restrictions imposed by game designers. The model here presented intends to provide tools to simulate the energy companies’ behaviour. These companies are able to compete for new concessions through auctions, build structures, hire units, and produce energy to supply market’s demand. At each iteration, a company sees all possible investment options and based on its present situation and intentions, can choose according to its goals. A fields’ evaluation framework was developed, computing several economic metrics to support the decision process. This evaluation shows that oil fields have higher return when compared with renewable resources, however, with a higher risk.
Do Managers Understand Asymmetric Cost Behavior ?

This paper examines cost behavior in the local government setting and finds evidence of cost stickiness. Furthermore, as local governments in New Zealand are required to produce disaggregated forecasts, it allows the investigation of whether forecasts incorporate asymmetric cost behavior. We document an association between costs and revenue, and that forecast cost behavior is asymmetric as costs are forecast to increase even when revenues are forecast to decrease. As the actual data produces similar results, managers seem to understand cost behavior as reflected in actual trends. Thus we contribute to the cost stickiness literature by extending it to a local government setting and showing the relationship between costs and revenues implicit in managerial forecasts.
The P 25 Ookinete Surface Proteins : Homology Modeling and Phylogenetic Relationships

Sexual stages of Plasmodium such as zygote, ookinete, and young oocysts express 25 kDa surface protein P25, which along with P28 proteins protect the parasite from harmful environment inside mosquito midgut. Vaccines against these proteins induce antibodies in vertebrate host capable to inhibit parasite development in mosquito midgut and thus preventing the transmission of parasite frommosquito to other human host. Transmission-blocking vaccines help reduce malaria burden.The purpose of this study was in silico structural characterization of P25 family proteins and to predict their phylogenetic relationships with other proteins. Results indicate that members of P25 family have four EGF domains arranged in triangular fashion with major variations lying in the loop regions. All 22 cysteines are conserved forming 11 disulphide bonds. The C-loop of EGF domain IV in P25 proteins is smaller in comparison to P28 proteins. B loop of EGF domain II showed maximum RMSD variations followed by loops of EGF domain III. P25 proteins are tile-like triangular flat proteins that protect the parasite inside mosquito midgut. Obtained structures will help in understanding the biology of the parasite inside the mosquito midgut. These structures may also help in designing transmissionblocking vaccine against malaria in absence of experimentally determined structures.
Low Genetic andMorphometric Intraspecific Divergence in Peripheral Copadichromis Populations ( Perciformes : Cichlidae ) in the LakeMalawi Basin

1 Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Campus Kortrijk, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium 2 KATHO, HIVB, Wilgenstraat 32, 8800 Roeselare, Belgium 3 Laboratory of Animal Biodiversity and Systematics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Charles Deberiotstraat 32, 3000 Leuven, Belgium 4 Vertebrate Department, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels, Belgium 5 Zoology Department, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
The Influence of Customer Relationship Marketing on Customer Loyalty (Case of selected CBE,inJimma Zone)

These days a significant number of research works have been carried out on various issues relating to customer relationship management. However, limited empirical studies on market orientation and performance have been established in banking sector of Ethiopia. In an effort to contribute to the existing customer relationship marketing works, a study of selected Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in Jimma Zone was conducted. A framework of customer relationship marketing was designed to guide the study and quantitative research techniques and semi-structured questionnaire were designed. In order to collect primary data, a self-completed questionnaire was designed and distributed to the customers of the banks. For the purpose of analysis, SPSS 20.0 version was used to carry out descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Additionally, regression analysis was carried out to examine the influence or contribution of independent variables.