Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of phosphoric ore bacterial and eucaryal microbial diversity by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and small-subunit (SSU) sequencing

The aim of this study was to investigate the phosphoric ore bacterial and eucaryal microbial diversity by using the single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique and small-subunit (SSU) sequencing. PCR-SSCP patterns showed a remarkably simple microbial community, mainly for bacterial community, but also for the eukaryotic community. According to the highly bacterial variable V3 region of 16S rRNA sequences, five bacterial species were identified: an unidentified species belonged to proteo gamma phylum, an unidentified species belonging to proteo delta phylum, one belonged to Moraxellaceae and two closed to Pseudomonadaceae as predominant bacteria in the mining residue. The study showed for the first time that phosphoric ore harbors major bacterial groups related to organisms having a wide range of environmentally significant functional attributes. These findings provided new opportunities into phosphoric ore microbiology that could be useful in biological system removing waste gases generated from the phosphoric industry. Keywords: Microbial community, bacteria, archaea, eucarya, mining residue. African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(30) 3023-3029
The influence of gibberellic acid and paclobutrazol on induction of somatic embryogenesis in wild type and hairy root cultures of Centaurium erythraea Gillib.

The effects of exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) and paclobutrazol on induction of somatic embryos in wild type and hairy root culture of Centaurium erythraea Gillib. were investigated. Both compounds were incorperated into 1/2 MS medium at 6 concentrations (0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 iM). Wild type root and hairy root explants cultured in the presence of GA3 at all tested concentrations under 16-h photoperiod or in the darkness decreased the number of somatic embryos that were produced. Paclobutrazol (0.3 mM) induced the largest number (19.7, 16.5) of somatic embryos in wild type and hairy root cultures, respectively. Rooting of plants derived from somatic embryos as achieved on ½MS medium. These results indicate that paclobutrazol is beneficial for somatic embryo induction and formation in wild type and hairy root culture.
Electronic structure and chemical bonding of - and -Ta 4 AlC 3 phases: Full-potential calculation

First-principles total-energy and heat of formation calculations on and polymorphs of Ta4AlC3 have been made with a full-potential electronic structure program with the generalized gradient approximation, which shows that phase is more stable than phase. The charge transfer and chemical bonding of the two phases were investigated quantitatively by using Bader’s quantum theory of atoms in molecules (AIM). The results show that the bonding between Ta1-C2 is stronger in phase than phase, which leads to the stability of phase.
Analysis of Sarawak Bario Rice Diversity Using Microsatellite Markers

Problem statement: There are numerous claims on varieties of Bario rice cultivars in Sarawak. Many of them might be synonyms or homonyms. This preliminary study was to differentiate Bario Rice cultivars using microsatellite molecular markers. Approach: Microsatellite marker panels distributed on all 12 chromosomes on rice genome were employed to study 8 Bario rice cultivars in Sarawak. Results: Current study indicated that the microsatellite panel were able to differentiate the 8 Bario rice cultivars. A total of 31 alleles were generated at 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci among the cultivars using the selected polymorphic SSR primer pairs with an average of 2.6 alleles per locus. Average PIC value obtained was 0.5204. An UPGMA dendrogram based on SSR polymorphism indicated high variation among the rice varieties with the coefficient ranging from 0.16 and 0.92. Genetic diversity determination using cluster analysis showed differentiation of rice cultivars into 2 major groups and several sub-groups. Conclusion: The SSR markers were useful for differentiating the genotypes and assessment of genetic relationships due to its reproducibility and to multiallelic, codominant and informative properties.
TREATMENT HETEROGENEITY AND POTENTIAL OUTCOMES IN LINEAR MIXED EFFECTS MODELS

Studies commonly focus on estimating a mean treatment effect in a population. However, in some applications the variability of treatment effects across individual units may help to characterize the overall effect of a treatment across the population. Consider a set of treatments, {T,C}, where T denotes some treatment that might be applied to an experimental unit and C denotes a control. For each of experimental units, the duplet { , }, , represents the potential response of the th experimental unit if treatment were applied and the response of the experimental unit if control were applied, respectively. The causal effect of T compared to C is the difference between the two potential responses, . Much work has been done to elucidate the statistical properties of a causal effect, given a set of particular assumptions. Gadbury and others have reported on this for some simple designs and primarily focused on finite population randomization based inference. When designs become more complicated, the randomization based approach becomes increasingly difficult. Since linear mixed effects models are particularly useful for modeling data from complex designs, their role in modeling treatment heterogeneity is investigated. It is shown that an individual treatment effect can be conceptualized as a linear combination of fixed treatment effects and random effects. The random effects are assumed to have variance components specified in a mixed effects ―potential outcomes‖ model when both potential outcomes, , are variables in the model. The variance of the individual causal effect is used to quantify treatment heterogeneity. Post treatment assignment, however, only one of the two potential outcomes is observable for a unit. It is then shown that the variance component for treatment heterogeneity becomes non-estimable in an analysis of observed data. Furthermore, estimable variance components in the observed data model are demonstrated to arise from linear combinations of the non-estimable variance components in the potential outcomes model. Mixed effects models are considered in context of a particular design in an effort to illuminate the loss of information incurred when moving from a potential outcomes framework to an observed data analysis. TREATMENT HETEROGENEITY AND POTENTIAL OUTCOMES IN LINEAR MIXED EFFECTS MODELS
BASIC DENSITY OF HARDWOODS DEPENDING ON AGE AND SITE

It is of essential importance for the practical experts to know the basic density, which is used as factor „ATRO tons/m 3 ”. It expresses, how much is the dry timber content of live wood or freshly logged wood (above the net moisture content of ~30 %). Knowing this value the dry substance production of stands and the „attroweight” (dry weight) of timber freights can be determined. In the research the basic density of the wood and bark of sessile oak, turkey oak and beech was defined. The samples separated according to age have derived from younger and older stocks from 3 sites of different quality. The wood of the beech species can be stated as
The Awareness of External Auditors and the Management of Kuwaiti Listed Companies on Determinants of Audit Fees: An Exploratory Study

This paper explored the factors that influence audit fees determinants in the Kuwait audit market. A questionnaire was distributed to a number of audit firms operating in the Kuwaiti market and Kuwaiti companies listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE). The results indicated that all factors show a Likert-scale score of greater than 2.5, suggesting that all the factors included in the questionnaire influence the audit fee determinants. Among the 25 factors included in this study, audit firm brand name, time spent completing a given job and auditors experience were the most important factors influencing audit fees determinants in the Kuwait audit market from audit firm and companies perspective. In contrast, company age, client company location and audit firm location were the least important factors influencing the determinants of audit fee in Kuwait from audit firm and companies perspectives. The results of the t-test revealed that there are significant differences in the mean ranking of some of the factors assumed to determinant the audit fee in Kuwait audit market between the two groups of respondents (audit firms and companies). The findings presented in this study may help professional accounting associations and both audit firms and companies to better understand the factors influencing audit fee determinants in Kuwait audit market.
Hurricane Vortex Dynamics during Atlantic Extratropical Transition

Abstract Simulations of six Atlantic hurricanes are diagnosed to understand the behavior of realistic vortices in varying environments during the process of extratropical transition (ET). The simulations were performed in real time using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model (ARW), using a moving, storm-centered nest of either 4- or 1.33-km grid spacing. The six simulations, ranging from 45 to 96 h in length, provide realistic evolution of asymmetric precipitation structures, implying control by the synoptic scale, primarily through the vertical wind shear. The authors find that, as expected, the magnitude of the vortex tilt increases with increasing shear, but it is not until the shear approaches 20 m s−1 that the total vortex circulation decreases. Furthermore, the total vertical mass flux is proportional to the shear for shears less than about 20–25 m s−1, and therefore maximizes, not in the tropical phase, but rather during ET. This has important implications for predictin.
A Model for Pricing Insurance Using Options

Traditional Expected Value and Bayesian Methods of pricing insurance products are not robust both under minimal data and frequent portfolio adjustments. Deriving a partial di_erential equation for the price of a an insurance put, parallel is struck with the reverse Black Scholes partial di_erential equation for pricing call options. With appropriate parameter translation of the Black Scholes model, a Pure Premium valuation function that is an improvement over the traditional methods of pricing insurance products results. Its robustness is illustrated with the pricing of a third party insurance product for private cars.
Implications of the 'happy-performing managers' proposition

A seminal question in industrial/organisational psychology and management is revisited in this paper - do happy managers perform better than their miserable counterparts? The 'happy-productive worker' thesis has intrigued organisational researchers and practitioners for decades. Despite mixed empirical evidence from research, there is support in the literature for the notion that 'a happy worker is a good worker'. A variation on the enduring debate of the happiness-productivity theme is presented - the 'happy-performing managers' proposition. A study of Australian managers is reported to illustrate how aspects of affective wellbeing are associated with their performance. The emphasis was on investigating an aspect of human behaviour with the potential to enhance managerial performance. A contribution of this study was to provide qualified support for the 'happy-performing managers' proposition by linking managers' affective wellbeing and intrinsic job satisfaction with their contextual and task performance. Implications of these findings are considered. In particular, it is argued that the capacity of managers to develop emotional intelligence, so that they are more aware of the importance of positive and negative leadership styles has the potential to increase organisational productivity.
Six sigma methodologies: implementation and impacts on Portuguese small and medium companies (SMES)

Six Sigma is a disciplined approach for dramatically reducing defects and producing measurable financial results (Anand, 2006; Linderman et al. 2003). It should not be a simple statistical tool, but rather a strategic management approach by supporting key projects aligned with the business goals and customer requirements. Although associated with considerable Return on Investments, there is not enough evidence of Six Sigma application within Portuguese companies. It is the aim of this exploratory research to study Six Sigma utilization by Portuguese Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The descriptive analysis and the statistical tests carried out, point to lack of knowledge with this Methodology (Higher at Top Management level) and a sense of comfort with the existing management systems (mainly ISO 9001). The authors recommend increasing Six Sigma training and education and additional studies to gather further knowledge and contribute to more competitive and sustainable organizations.
Canopy area of large trees explains aboveground biomass variations across neotropical forest landscapes

Abstract. Large tropical trees store significant amounts of carbon in woody components and their distribution plays an important role in forest carbon stocks and dynamics. Here, we explore the properties of a new lidar-derived index, the large tree canopy area (LCA) defined as the area occupied by canopy above a reference height. We hypothesize that this simple measure of forest structure representing the crown area of large canopy trees could consistently explain the landscape variations in forest volume and aboveground biomass (AGB) across a range of climate and edaphic conditions. To test this hypothesis, we assembled a unique dataset of high-resolution airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) and ground inventory data in nine undisturbed old-growth Neotropical forests, of which four had plots large enough (1 ha) to calibrate our model. We found that the LCA for trees greater than 27 m (∼ 25–30 m) in height and at least 100 m2 crown size in a unit area (1 ha), explains more than 75 % of total forest volume variations, irrespective of the forest biogeographic conditions. When weighted by average wood density of the stand, LCA can be used as an unbiased estimator of AGB across sites (R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 46.02 Mg ha−1, bias = −0.63 Mg ha−1). Unlike other lidar-derived metrics with complex nonlinear relations to biomass, the relationship between LCA and AGB is linear and remains unique across forest types. A comparison with tree inventories across the study sites indicates that LCA correlates best with the crown area (or basal area) of trees with diameter greater than 50 cm. The spatial invariance of the LCA–AGB relationship across the Neotropics suggests a remarkable regularity of forest structure across the landscape and a new technique for systematic monitoring of large trees for their contribution to AGB and changes associated with selective logging, tree mortality and other types of tropical forest disturbance and dynamics.
Barriers to and enablers of effective individual and community sustainability communication

The challenges facing those communicating the potential impact of sustainability to individuals and social groups are discussed, including major factors that influence behaviour change decisions. We highlight the complexity of factors impacting on individuals' attitudes, beliefs and actual behaviour adaptation and suggest that current communication strategies could be significantly improved through greater understanding of adaptation decisions and the key barriers to, and enablers, of sustained positive behaviour change for individuals and communities. The paper concludes with recommendations for transdisciplinary research to focus on improvements to message clarity and communication and an understanding of the way messages are accessed and synthesised.
Array-based genotyping and genetic dissimilarity analysis of a set of maize inbred lines belonging to different heterotic groups

Here we describe the results of the detailed array-based genotyping obtained by using the Illumina MaizeSNP50 BeadChip of eleven inbred lines belonging to different heterotic groups relevant for maize breeding in Southeast Europe - European Corn Belt. The objectives of this study were to assess the utility of the MaizeSNP50 BeadChip platform by determining its descriptive power and to assess genetic dissimilarity of the inbred lines. The distribution of the SNPs was found not completely uniform among chromosomes, but average call rate was very high (97.9%) and number of polymorphic loci was 33200 out of 50074 SNPs with known mapping position indicating descriptive power of the MaizeSNP50 BeadChip. The dendrogram obtained from UPGMA cluster analysis as well as principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed pedigree information, undoubtedly distinguishing lines according to their background in two population varieties of Reid Yellow Dent and Lancaster Sure Crop. Dissimilarity analysis showed that all of the inbred lines could be distinguished from each other. Whereas cluster analysis did not definitely differentiate Mo17 and Ohio inbred lines, PCA revealed clear genetic differences between them. The studied inbred lines were confirmed to be genetically diverse, representing a large proportion of the genetic variation occurring in two maize heterotic groups.
Digital soil mapping using multiple logistic regression on terrain parameters in southern Brazil

Soil surveys are necessary sources of information for land use planning, but they are not always available. This study proposes the use of multiple logistic regressions on the prediction of occurrence of soil types based on reference areas. From a digitalized soil map and terrain parameters derived from the digital elevation model in ArcView environment, several sets of multiple logistic regressions were defined using statistical software Minitab, establishing relationship between explanatory terrain variables and soil types, using either the original legend or a simplified legend, and using or not stratification of the study area by drainage classes. Terrain parameters, such as elevation, distance to stream, flow accumulation, and topographic wetness index, were the variables that best explained soil distribution. Stratification by drainage classes did not have significant effect. Simplification of the original legend increased the accuracy of the method on predicting soil distribution.
Combining an original method for preserving RNA expression in situ with an effective RNA extraction method makes it possible to study gene expression in any banana fruit tissue

Introduction . RNA isolation is a prerequisite to studying gene expression in banana and to understanding changes occurring in response to the environment. Standard extraction methods do not efficiently extract RNA from plants such as banana, with high levels of phenolics, carbohydrates, or other compounds that bind to and/or coprecipitate with RNA. Materials and methods . Five to seven RNA extraction methods were compared. Four crown-tissue storage methods were also compared. cDNA-AFLP was used to ensure that the obtained RNA was of sufficient quality for molecular applications and that RNA expression was unaltered by in situ storage. Results and discussion . The modified hot-borate method proved to be the best RNA extraction method, allowing high yields of good quality, undegraded RNA from the crown, fruit peel and pulp at all stages of ripening. The RNA obtained by this method was of sufficient quality for molecular applications such as cDNA-AFLP that give highly reproducible results. Freeze-drying of fresh tissues and tissue conservation in hot-borate buffer, two original storage methods, appear appropriate for preserving RNA in situ without ultra-low temperature. The RNA obtained was of high quality, undegraded, and useful for all downstream applications. The genome expression profile obtained by cDNA-AFLP analysis was unaltered by these methods for storing collected tissues. Conclusion . By applying all the suggested procedures in this work, it is possible to store and study gene expression in any banana fruit tissue, whatever the maturity stage, without affecting the RNA expression level.
Workplace innovation in Finland:Towards sustainable productivity growth?

This paper examines challenges that Finnish companies are facing in the global productivity race and means they have used in responding to these challenges, with a special reference to work organization, personnel competence development and utilization of external sources in acquiring new knowledge. In recent years, Finnish companies have been actively modernising their work organization. In the ‘innovative work organization index’ developed by Valeyre et al. (2009), for example, Finland ranked third of all the EU27 countries in 2005. One special feature of Finnish companies’ modernization strategies compared with those of the other highest ranking countries – Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands – was a more widespread use of ‘lean production’ approach, whereas in the dissemination of ‘discretionary learning’ forms of work organization Finland was lagging behind these three countries. In concrete terms and in comparison with the other highest ranking countries, Finnish companies have laid more emphasis on teamwork, task rotation, multi-skilling and decentralization of quality control in their strategies to renovate work organization, while less notion than in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands has been paid to increasing individuals’ autonomy and variety in work and reducing constraints that pace work. These differences may be explained by the strong engineering orientation in Finnish management culture, the lesser influence by the socio-technical systems design approach and the fact that quality of working life entered the Finnish policy agenda later than in the three above-mentioned countries (Alasoini, 2004; Kasvio, 1994; Koistinen – Lilja, 1988). This paper examines work organization modernization strategies of Finnish companies with the help of establishment-level data and by looking at companies in industry and private services separately, with a view to finding similarities and differences in the operation logics and change strategies between these two sectors. The paper includes an analysis on decision-making structures, nature of teamwork, personnel competence development practices and utilization of external sources of knowledge in these two sectors. The empirical material is based on a survey, carried out by the Finnish Workplace Development Programme TYKES (2004–2010). The paper starts with an introduction to different approaches to workplace innovation in companies and to different policy options in tackling with the problem of low level of workplace innovation in Europe. Thereafter, the paper provides an overview on the main problems facing Finland’s future economic growth and on policies to promote workplace innovation. Thirdly, the article presents the survey data and results. Finally, conclusions based on the empirical analysis will be drawn.
The Effect of Feeding Neutralizer on the Growth of Bifidobacterium Bifidum

Abstract In order to investigative the effect of different neutralizers and their feeding time on culture of Bifidobacterium bifidum BB01, and pH, OD and viable count of B. bifidumBB01 in the medium in different time were measured. The results indicated that the NaOH solution was the optimum neutralizer compared with the others, and feeding time of the neutralizer to B. bifidum BB01 was 13 hours after inoculation. Furthermore, the OD value and viable count reached maximum at 21h (OD value= 1.667) and 20h (viable count: (3.52±0.046) ×109 CFU/mL) after the NaOH solution was added to the medium, respectively. In addition, the maximum OD value implied that the logarithmic phase of B. bifidum BB01 was delayed compared with the control and the viable count were 29.26% larger than the control group. The result of the study provides a method and an important basis for improving the viable counts of B. bifidum BB01.