Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fungal pathogens associated with respiratory problems in broiler chickens

ARTICLE INFO Fungal diseases of poultry have become problematic as bacterial and viral diseases. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the prevalence of fungal agents in broiler chickens suffering from respiratory disorders. The prevalence rate of fungal isolation was 53.1% including mycelia fungi (42%) and yeast isolates (11.1%). Mould isolates were identified as Aspergillus fumigatus (21.7%), Aspergillus flavus (8.4%), Aspergillus niger (8.4%), Aspergillus nidulans (1.3%), Cladosporium spp. (0.4%) and Penicillium spp. (1.8%). Concerning yeast isolates, Candida spp. was the most predominant which were identified as C. albicans, C. pseudotropicalis (2.7% each), C. krusei, C. regosa (2.2% each), and C. stellatoidea (0.4%). Moreover, one Cryptococcus sp. was recovered and identified as C. neoformans (0.9%). PCR assay using oligonucleotide primer amplifying a 570 bp fragment based on ITS region gene was conducted on randomly selected 9 isolates including 6 Aspergillus spp. (A. flavus, A. niger, A. fumigates; 2 each) as well as 3 yeast isolates (two isolates of C. albicans and one isolate of C. neoformans). All tested isolates had positive reactions. Article history:
Empirical Assessment of Climate Change on Major Agricultural Crops of Punjab, Pakistan

Global warming is exacerbating climate affect on agricultural productivity. The objective of present study is the empirical assessment of climate change on three major agricultural crops of Punjab, Pakistan. A variant of Cobb-Douglas production function is used for the panel data of the districts of Punjab covering period 1981 to 2012.Overall findings of the study reveal that temperature has positive impact on the production of wheat crops during the planting and harvesting stage. However, temperature negatively affects the production of wheat during the flowering stage. Rainfall has negative association with the production of wheat during all three stages. Further, results indicate that rainfall, minimum temperature and humidity positively affect the production of rice crop during planting and negatively affect during harvesting. Impact of rainfall during all three stages of cotton crop has positive effect on its production. Nevertheless, increase in the temperature during first and second stage has negative effect on the production of cotton crop, but during third stage it has positive impact. On the basis of empirical analysis, this study suggests that Government should conduct seminars and workshops for the awareness of farmers to mitigate the worse effect of climate change. Moreover, development of new varieties of seeds and allocation of more resources should be encouraged to provide the security against the problems of climate change.
Struvite Crystallisation and the Effect of Co2+ Ions

The controlled crystallisation of struvite (MgNH4PO4∙6H2O) is a viable means for the recovery and recycling of phosphorus (P) from municipal and industrial wastewaters. However, an efficient implementation of this recovery method in water treatment systems requires a fundamental understanding of struvite crystallisation mechanisms, including the behavior and effect of metal contaminants during struvite precipitation. Here, we studied the crystallisation pathways of struvite from aqueous solutions using a combination of ex situ and in situ time-resolved synthesis and characterization techniques, including synchrotron-based small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). Struvite syntheses were performed both in the pure Mg-NH4-PO4 system as well as in the presence of cobalt (Co), which, among other metals, is typically present in waste streams targeted for P-recovery. Our results show that in the pure system and at Co concentrations < 0.5 mM, struvite crystals nucleate and grow directly from solution, much in accordance with the classical notion of crystal formation. In contrast, at Co concentrations ≥ 1 mM, crystallisation was preceded by the transient formation of an amorphous nanoparticulate phosphate phase. Depending on the aqueous Co/P ratio, this amorphous precursor was found to transform into either (i) Co-bearing struvite (at Co/P < 0.3) or (ii) cobalt phosphate octahydrate (at Co/P > 0.3). These amorphous-to-crystalline transformations were accompanied by a marked colour change from blue to pink, indicating a change in Co2+ coordination in the formed solid from tetrahedral to octahedral. Our findings have implications for the recovery of nutrients and metals during struvite crystallisation and contribute to the ongoing general discussion about the mechanisms of crystal formation.
Vegetational response to tephra deposition and land-use change in Iceland: a modern analogue and multiple working hypothesis approach to tephropalynology

Evidence is provided from the joint application of tephrochronology and palynology in two Icelandic locations — the island of Papey off the east coast and Seljaland in the south. The Papey study relates to vegetation change around the time of volcanic ash deposition from the eruption of Katla in 1755. This produced various hypotheses concerning volcanic impacts and land-use activities, including changes in nutrient inputs, grazing activity, and climate. Similar data have been obtained from Seljaland, where a group of farms was affected by fall-out from the 1947 eruption of Hekla. The patterns of pollen-based vegetational change were similar at both locations, enabling a fuller exploration of floristic and anthropogenic responses to ash deposition. The Seljaland data are influenced by the known removal of livestock in order to guard against the effects of fluorosis. The resultant cessation of grazing was probably responsible for much of the vegetational change apparent in the pollen record, and this represents a credible recent analogue for processes that may have taken place in Papey in 1755.
A rapidly Mixing Monte Carlo Method for the Simulation of Slow Molecular Processes

Since the middle of the last century, the continously increasing computational power has been adopted to molecular modeling and the simulation of molecular dynamics as well. In this field of research, one is interested in the dynamical behaviour of molecular systems. In contrast to the beginnings when only single or very few atoms could be simulated, the systems under consideration have grown to the size of macromolecules like proteins, DNA, or membrane structures nowadays resulting in high-dimensional conformational spaces. This development is triggered by permanently increasing computational power, the utilization of massively parallel hardware as well as improved algorithms and enhanced molecular force fields, covering chemical and especially biological molecular systems at a progressive rate. Applications basing on molecular modeling help to understand and predict molecular phenomena in various fields of applications providing information on e. g. molecular conformations and recognition, protein folding, drug-design, or binding affinities. Typical fields benefiting from their usage are pharmacy, medicine, chemistry and materials research. Unfortunately, often the atomistic structure is so complex that a satisfactory mapping of the processes can hardly be realized, due to the large number of atoms and in particular, the difference in time scales. More precisely, for the molecular function of a protein for example, its folding is a key issue. In contrast to this folding event that may last up to several seconds or even minutes, the time step of an ordinary trajectory based molecular simulation is linked to the fastest molecular oscillation which occurs in case of the chemical H − C bond with a time period around few 10−15 seconds. Even today, exorbitant computational effort and time need to be invested in order to capture such interesting processes.
The Uptake and Assimilation of Selenite by Higher Plants

Plants of wheat, ryegrass, red clover, white clover, and Neptunia amplexicaul'is (a selenium accumulator) were grown in nutrient solutions containing 75Se-selenite ion. The uptake of 75Se was measured and the root and shoot tissues fractionated to examine the products of selenite assimilation.
Comparison of a microscopic discrete-event and a mesoscopic discrete-rate simulation model for planning a production line

This paper compares a microscopic discrete-event simulation model and a mesoscopic discrete-rate simulation model to support the planning of a production line in the automotive industry in terms of simulation results and modeling and simulation effort. Mesoscopic discrete-rate models represent logistics flow processes on an aggregated level through piecewise constant flow rates instead of modeling individual flow objects like in microscopic discrete-event models. This leads to a fast model creation and computation.
DESIGN OF DUAL BAND NOTCHED ULTRA WIDEBAND ANTENNA USING ( UW ) SHAPED SLOTS

The Ultra-Wideband (UWB) communications have become a hot topic for researchers. To mitigate the interference with the existing WiMAX (3.3 GHz – 3.6 GHz) and WLAN (5.15 GHz – 5.825 GHz) systems, a Dual BandNotched antenna for Ultra-Wideband applications is proposed. The antenna consists of rectangular patch, a 50 Ω Microstrip line and partial grounding. By etching a nested inverted U-Shaped and W-Shaped slots in the radiating patch, band rejection filtering properties for WiMAX and WLAN were achieved. The simulation results were obtained using electromagnetic simulation software (CST Microwave Studio). Simulation results shows that the return loss for the frequency band from 2.87 GHz to 11.48 GHz is below -10dB, which is considered operational. The antenna also has bandnotched functions in the range from 3.24 GHz to 3.65 GHz and from 5.01 GHz to 6.01 GHz. Thus the interference between WiMAX, WLAN and Ultra-Wideband can be avoided.
Coronal loop oscillations - An interpretation in terms of resonant absorption of quasi-mode kink oscillations

Damped quasi-mode kink oscillations in cylindrical flux tubes are capable of explaining the observed rapid damping of the coronal loop oscillations when the ratio of the inhomogeneity length scale to the radius of the loop is allowed to vary from loop to loop, without the need to invoke anomalously low Reynolds numbers. The theoretical expressions for the decay time by Hollweg & Yang ([CITE]) and Ruderman & Roberts ([CITE]) are used to estimate the ratio of the length scale of inhomogeneity compared to the loop radius for a collection of loop oscillations.
Consistent Pricing of FX Options

In the current markets, options with different strikes or maturities are usually priced with different implied volatilities. This stylized fact, which is commonly referred to asfsmile effect, can be accommodated by resorting to specific models, either for pricing exotic derivatives or for inferring implied volatilities for non quoted strikes or maturities. The former task is typically achieved by introducing alternative dynamics for the underlying asset price, whereas the latter is often tackled by means of statical adjustments or interpolations. In this article, we deal with this latter issue and analyze a possible solution in a foreign exchange (FX) option market. In such a market, in fact, there are only three active quotes for each market maturity (the 0Delta straddle, the risk reversal and the vega-weighted butterfly), thus presenting us with the problem of a consistent determination of the other implied volatilities. FX brokers and market makers typically address this issue by using an empirical procedure to construct the whole smile for a given maturity. Volatility quotes are then provided in terms of the option's Delta, for ranges from the 5Delta put to the 5Delta call. In the following, we will review this market procedure for a given currency. In particular, we will derive closed-form formulas so as to render its construction more explicit. We will then test the robustness (in a static sense) of the resulting smile, in that changing consistently the three initial pairs of strike and volatility produces eventually the same implied volatility curve. We will also show that the same procedure applied to Europeanstyle claims is consistent with static-replication results and consider, as an example, the practical case of a quanto European option. We will finally prove that the market procedure can also be justified in dynamical terms, by defining a hedging strategy that is locally replicating and self-financing.
Evaluation of Genetic Variability in Kenkatha Cattle by Microsatellite Markers

Kenkatha cattle, a draft purpose breed, which can survive in a harsh environment on low quality forage, was explored genetically exploiting FAO-suggested microsatellite markers. The microsatellite genotypes were derived by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by electrophoretic separation in agarose gels. The PCR amplicons were visualized by silver staining. The allelic as well as genotypic frequencies, heterozygosities and gene diversity were estimated using standard techniques. A total of 125 alleles was distinguished by the 21 microsatellite markers investigated. All the microsatellites were highly polymorphic with mean allelic number of 5.95±1.9 (ranging from 3-10 per locus). The observed heterozygosity in the population ranged between 0.250 and 0.826 with a mean of 0.540±0.171, signifying considerable genetic variation. Bottleneck was examined assuming all three mutation models which showed that the population has not experienced bottleneck in recent past. The population displayed a heterozygote deficit of 21.4%. The study suggests that the breed needs to be conserved by providing purebred animals in the breeding tract.
Are there hidden caries or is this another limitation of the diagnostic conventional exams

Objective: To verify the existence of hidden caries and compare the diagnosis agreement among different Examiners between the visual and radiographic exam and computed microtomography images of incipient dental lesions on the occlusal surface of extracted molars. Methods: Two hundred and fifteen healthy teeth were extracted from the corpses of children with a mean age of 12 years and analysed by visual examination. However, only 11 teeth were included in current study because they showed suggestive caries image when examined by microtomography (micro CT scan). Occlusal sites were examined both visually and by dental radiograph by 3 different dental practitioners and results were compared and validated independently by each Examiner with computed microtomography, henceforth a gold-standard in current investigation. The coefficient of agreement was calculated by Cohen’s kappa test. Results: the coefficient of agreement among Examiners for the diagnosis by standard microtomography was excellent (K = 0.924) and moderate for both the visual (K=0.515) and the radiographic (K=0.583) examinations. Computed microtomography-produced images allowed the Examiners to visualize radiolucent areas, unseen in previous radiographic images and visual exams, in which there existed communication between enamel and/or dentine and the external environment. Conclusion: Hidden caries was the product of the conventional exam´s limitations, or rather, the lesion was due to enamel non-collapse. Consequently, conventional exams were not accurate enough to detect the lesions.
Americas Conference on Information Systems ( AMCIS ) December 2004 Web Question Answering : Technology and Business Applications

While being successful in providing keyword based access to web pages, commercial search portals, such as Google, Yahoo, AltaVista, and AOL, still lack the ability to answer questions expressed in a natural language. We have explored the feasibility of a completely trainable approach to automated question answering on the Web for the purpose of business intelligence and other practical applications. We introduce an entirely self-learning approach that does not involve any linguistic resources. It can be easily implemented within various information awareness systems. The performance of our approach was found comparable to (and even relatively better than) many other more complex and expensive approaches. We also present the design of our empirical study and the qualitative observations from our pilot experiments.
Diverse Nuclear Star-forming Activities in the Heart of NGC 253 Resolved with 10-pc-scale ALMA Images

We present an 8 pc × 5 pc resolution view of the central ∼200 pc region of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253, based on ALMA Band 7 ( or GHz) observations covering 11 GHz. We resolve the nuclear starburst of NGC 253 into eight dusty star-forming clumps, 10 pc in scale, for the first time. These clumps, each of which contains (4–10) of dust (assuming that the dust temperature is 25 K) and up to massive (O5V) stars, appear to be aligned in two parallel ridges, while they have been blended in previous studies. Despite the similarities in sizes and dust masses of these clumps, their line spectra vary drastically from clump to clump, although they are separated by only ∼10 pc. Specifically, one of the clumps, Clump 1, exhibits line-confusion-limited spectra with at least 36 emission lines from 19 molecules (including CH3OH, HNCO, H2CO, CH3CCH, H2CS, and H3O+) and a hydrogen recombination line (H26α), while far fewer kinds of molecular lines are detected in some other clumps where fragile species, such as complex organic molecules and HNCO, completely disappear from their spectra. We demonstrate the existence of hot molecular gas ( K) in the former clump, which suggests that the hot and chemically rich environments are localized within a 10-pc-scale star-forming clump.
In vitro characterisation and modulation of evolving epileptiform activity

Understanding the role of different neuronal populations in the evolution of epileptic activity remains a major goal for epilepsy research. Physiological neuronal networks may become hyperexcitable if they tip over some apparent threshold level of excitation, or below some threshold level of inhibition, although this process, termed ictogenesis is not understood. This hyperexcitable state of the network underlies the pathological condition of epilepsy. Clinical evidence suggests strongly that different regions in the brain have different epileptic-activity patterns and seizure susceptibility. The reasons for this differential susceptibility, however, are also not known. In this thesis, two widely used in vitro models of epilepsy were used – zeromagnesium, and 4-aminopyridine (4AP) models – to characterise the evolution of epileptiform activity in naïve cortical networks in different regions of brain slices taken from wild-type mice. Various metrics were then used to develop assays for measuring (1) the action of disease-modifying drugs and (2) the effects of genetic mutations on seizure susceptibility. Lastly, the firing properties of neocortical parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons in 4AP were characterised. Different cortical areas showed notable differences in seizure susceptibility and activity patterns in the two models. In zero-magnesium, development of epileptiform activity in hippocampal regions facilitated transformation of early-stage epileptiform activity to late-stage in the neocortex. Furthermore, activity in the hippocampus entrained neocortical events, and this phenomenon was mediated, at least in part, by non-synaptic mechanisms, providing strong evidence for propagation through nonsynaptic pathways. The effects of diazepam and baclofen were also examined. They showed distinct effects on different cortical areas. Pharmacological suppression of glial functions induced spontaneous activity patterns, and also affected the development of epileptiform activity in the neocortex. Lastly, 4AP was found to alter the firing capability of PV+ interneurons in an input intensity-dependent manner, and induced spontaneous membrane potential oscillations. Dedicated to my family
A novel cellulose–silicalite-1 membrane with excellent gas separation property

A novel strategy for synthesizing silicalite-1 membrane by hydrothermal synthesis without organic template after coating the support with a mixture of modified cellulose and seeds was successfully proposed. The membrane possesses high ideal separation factors of H2 over various gases which is larger than the corresponding Knudsen diffusion coefficients. The selectivity of AcOH from AcOH/H2O mixtures can reach to 65 and stable for 180 h. The characterization results by XRD and SEM showed that the excellent performance can be attributed to both modified cellulose and the synthesis without organic template. Modified cellulose attracted more silicalite-1 nutrients to the support and assisted the synthesis of more compact silicalite-1 zeolite membrane. Calcination after synthesis was avoided, thus avoiding macrostructure defects appearing during the process of calcination.
Mechanisms of iron- and O2-sensing by the [4Fe-4S] cluster of the global iron regulator RirA

RirA is a global regulator of iron homeostasis in Rhizobium and related α-proteobacteria. In its [4Fe-4S] cluster-bound form it represses iron uptake by binding to IRO Box sequences upstream of RirA-regulated genes. Under low iron and/or aerobic conditions, [4Fe-4S] RirA undergoes cluster conversion/degradation to apo-RirA, which can no longer bind IRO Box sequences. Here, we apply time-resolved mass spectrometry and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine how the RirA cluster senses iron and O2. The data indicate that the key iron-sensing step is the O2-independent, reversible dissociation of Fe2+ from [4Fe-4S]2+ to form [3Fe-4S]0. The dissociation constant for this process was determined as Kd = ~3 µM, which is consistent with the sensing of ‘free’ iron in the cytoplasm. O2-sensing occurs through enhanced cluster degradation under aerobic conditions, via O2-mediated oxidation of the [3Fe-4S]0 intermediate to form [3Fe-4S]1+. This work provides a detailed mechanistic/functional view of an iron-responsive regulator.
STUDIES ON ACCLIMATIZATION OF XANTHOMONAS CAMPESTRIS ON WHEY FOR PRODUCTION OF XANTHAN GUM

Xanthomonas campestris is an industrially important microorganism which produces xanthan gum, which is extensively applied in food and other industries. Xanthomonas campestris possesses a low level of β-galactosidase activity and therefore is not able to grow and produce significant amounts of xanthan gum, in a medium containing lactose as the sole carbon. β-galactosidase level of Xanthomonas campestris was elevated by physical mutagenesis using controlled exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The mutated strain was then acclimatized on medium containing whey. The mutated strain was found to give the 245% more yield of Xanthan gum on medium containing whey. KEY WORDS Xanthan gum Physical mutagenesis
Classification of EC 3.1.1.3 bacterial true lipases using phylogenetic analysis

Lipases play an important role in lipid metabolism and are produced by a variety of species. All lipases are members of the a/â hydrolase fold super-family. Also, lipases share a conserved active site signature, the Gly-Xaa-Ser-Xaa-Gly motif. To obtain an overview of this industrially and very important class of enzymes and their characteristics, we collected and classified bacterial lipases sequences available from protein databases. Here we proposed an updated and revised classification of family I bacterial "true" lipases based mainly on a comparison of their amino acid sequences and some fundamental physicochemical and biological properties. The result of this work has identified 11 subfamilies of “true” lipases. This work will therefore contribute to a faster identification and to an easier characterization and classification of novel bacterial lipolytic enzymes. Key words : Lipases, phylogenetic analysis, lipolytic enzymes.