Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of probiotic additives and Bacillus licheniformis inclusion in the diet on broiler growth

The withdrawal of antibiotic growth stimulators as of 1 January 2006 in the European Union countries has forced the search for alternative solutions to improve the health and productivity of poultry. The poultry industry also faces the challenge of developing alternative feeding systems with the restriction or exclusion of coccidiostats. One of them is the use of probiotic strains as feed additives. This study aimed to determine the effect of the use in compound feed of a probiotic containing Bacillus licheniformis on rearing rates and postmortem performance of broiler chickens. The experiment was performed on 8012 unsexed broiler chickens of the Ross 308 line divided into four equal groups. The experimental factors were the addition of a probiotic containing Bacillus licheniformis bacteria and the addition of a coccidiostat. The introduction of probiotic bacteria into compound feed did not increase the body weight of birds, in particular, control weights, and at the end of rearing, but it decreased the feed conversion rate (FCR) and mortality. Addition of probiotic in compound feed did not have a significant effect on bird muscle. The mean weight of pectoral muscle between control (C+, C–) and study (C–BL, C+C–BL) groups did not show statistically significant differences; however, the highest mean weight of the evaluated parameter was visible in the C+ group (0. 665) and the lowest in the C–BL group (0. 623). Similarly to the mean weight of the carcass, also in the mean weight of thigh muscles, the lowest statistically significant values were observed in chickens belonging to the C+C–BL group (vs. C–; P <0.05). Based on the obtained results, it can be acknowledged that the probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis in broiler feed can be a good feed additive to replace antibiotics/coccidiostats. This probiotic has a positive effect on the overall health of birds, contributes to better use of nutrients and stimulates growth and development of broiler chickens.
Fuzzy control of dual storage system of an electric drive vehicle considering battery degradation

In this manuscript, fuzzy logic energy management strategy for dual storage system inclu\-ding supercapacitors and battery is proposed in order to prolong battery lifespan and enhance the range of electric drive vehicle (EDV). First an EDV model and three drive cycles (NEDC, UDDS, and NREL) are established in Matlab/Simulink. Then a fuzzy inference system is designed considering three inputs: power demand, state of charge (SOC) of battery and SOC of supercapacitors. An output, which refers to split ratio between supercapacitors and battery power, is determined. Fuzzy rules are constituted in order to decrease not only high level battery current but also number of charge/discharge cycle of battery which are the main factors of battery deterioration. For a performance verification of the proposed method, three drive cycles with different characteristics are considered. Obtained results are compared to two other strategies; one of them is battery only system and the other one is dual storage system managed by logic threshold method. It is shown that the proposed method delivers better and robust performance to prolong battery lifespan.
Structural Analysis and Scaling of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Blades

During natural disasters simple alternative power sources are needed to re-establish communications in affected areas. This can be achieved using a man-portable Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). A previous thesis project produced a quarter scale VAWT which reached an average tip-speed ratio of 1.5, failing to meet the expected tip-speed ratio of 4. This was suspected to be caused by excessive bending of the blades when operating at high velocities in a wind tunnel. This project aims to produce a new quarter scale VAWT with the same angle of deflection of a theoretical full scale VAWT and observe any change of the turbine performance due to reduced blade bending. Generalized beam theory is used to determine the deflection of the blades at different tip-speed ratios and to consider suitable materials for construction of the new quarter scale model. To accurately represent the full-scale model at a quarter scale size certain conditions are kept constant. Reynolds Number was held at 3. 56 − 4. 90 ∗ 10. Tip-Speed Ratio was varied from 1.54. VAWT geometry was scaled by a quarter (1⁄4). This only allows for Young’s modulus and blade density to be varied. Finite element modelling in the software package ABAQUS is used to validate the theoretical deflection calculations. New blades made of solid Aluminium 6060-T5 were manufactured, deflection was measured under static loading and in a wind tunnel to quantify the blades bending. The results show that bending of the aluminium blades was reduced to less than 1o but did not match the full-scale model. The reduction in bending did not noticeably improve the performance of the turbine in the wind tunnel.
Smart Management in the Modernization of Intelligent Grid Incorporating with Distribution Generation: A Systematic Scrutiny

The fascination about the smart grid technology worldwide depicts the deployment of smart management in grid monitoring and protection. A probe into a plethora of challenges about the smart organization of grid explored in this paper. A ground level review about the incooperation of distributed resources with smart protection in demand response and demand side management enhanced the performance of the grid infrastructure. The adequate support of the information technology provides incessant monitoring for grid control and protection. This survey comprehensively examined various research proposals on the environmental, technical and economical remuneration of distribution generation incorporation like stability, reliability, cost analysis and green energy optimization. These benefits result from the smart management of each renewable distribution generation elements. This paper also reviews the current technologies for the grid incorporation with distribution generation.
STUDY ON SHADOW DETECTION FROM HIGH-RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGES USING COLOR MODEL

Shadow detection is an important process for applications like classification, change detection, image interpretation, object detection, and recognition. The existence of shadow in satellite images reduce the amount of information that can be extracted and accordingly makes these applications more difficult or even impossible. Different color space is used to detect shadows based on R, G, and B bands. This paper aims to represent an automatic approach for shadow detection from high-resolution satellite images. In this approach, a new index to highlight shadow areas based on C1C2C3 color model is developed. A comparative study is carried out between the proposed index with a different photometric invariant color model, including IHS, HSV, YIQ, and YCbCr models over the ratio and single-band images. Then, an automatic thresholding method is applied in images histogram. The accuracy of the obtained results is evaluated in terms of visual comparisons and shadow detection accuracy assessments. Experimental results show that the proposed ratio method provides the best results for shadow detection. On the other hand, shallow water is still misclassified as a shadow. © 2021 Published by Faculty of Engineering – Sohag University. DOI: 10.21608/SEJ.2021. 155942.
Neurocomputer Based Complexity Estimator Optimizing A Hybrid Multi Neural Network Structure

: This paper presents application of ZISC© IBM® neurocomputer based approach for estimating task complexity within T-DTS framework. T-DTS (Tree-like Divide To Simplify) is Hybrid Multiple Neural Networks software platform which constructs a neural tree structures of a complex problem following the paradigm “divide” and “conquer”. Complexity estimator modules are the core of this framework. One of them is ZISC© IBM® complexity estimator that has been recently applied to T-DTS. The global aim of this research work is to increase T-DTS performance in terms of generalization and learning abilities. In this paper we demonstrate matchless ZISC© IBM® based
Electrodeposition and Corrosion Resistance of Zn-Pd Alloy from the ZnCl2-EMIC(1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride)-PdCl2 Room Temperature Molten Salt

Abstract Electric conductivities of 50-50 mol% ZnCl2-EMIC and its mixtures with 0.6714 mol% PdCl2 room-temperature molten salts (RTMS) have been measured by a computerized system based on a d.c. four-probe method. The conductivity of the former is greater than that of the latter. These conductivities are well fitted by Arrhenius equations and the activation energies are calculated to be 25.22 and 26.28 kJ/mol, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry for the ZnCl2-EMIC-PdCl2 melt has been performed on Pt and Cu working electrodes. The cathodic reduction waves of Pd2+ and Zn2+ species and the oxidation waves for Zn-Pd alloys rich in Zn and Pd have been observed for the cyclic voltammograms on the Pt working electrode. The deposition potentials have been measured to be −0.7 V and −1.3 V on the Cu substrate. The morphology and composition of the electrodeposited layers obtained under different conditions have been analyzed by SEM and EDS, respectively; layers with a finer (about 300 - 500 nm), denser and higher Pd content have been obtained by pulse plating on the Cu sheet at ton/toff = 3/1 under −0.7 V at 80 °C. The XRD patterns also reveal that the structure of these deposited layers can be regarded as amorphous. Tafel polarization curves of the electrodeposited layers in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution have been drawn. The results indicate that the Zn-Pd alloy deposits have much higher corrosion resistance and protection efficiency than the Zndeposited layer; the corrosion potentials shift positively by about 700 ∼ 950 mV. Furthermore, the pulse plating has a better performance than the direct current plating, and the reason is discussed.
AN EVALUATION OF WEB-BASED EDUCATION: LEADING TRENDS TOWARDS E-LEARNING & IT’S EFFECTS

Web-based education is a technology that plays an important role in modern education and training. Its great importance lies in the fact that it makes learning content readily available at any place at any time. Until recently, many educational journals have debated the issue of the “virtual university” as one of application areas of web-based education. As technology is improving and evolving, such “virtuality” becomes a reality. The forecasts are that, in the not too distant future, it will be possible for courses to be completed solely by the use of the World Wide Web or Internet . The main contention of this paper is that technology undoubtedly will offer many benefits for the learner, however, the pitfalls need careful consideration in adoption of web-based education at various levels of study.
Did state‐mandated restrictions on sugar‐sweetened drinks in California high schools increase soda purchases in school neighborhoods?

Correspondence Kristin Kiesel, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, 2147 Social Science and Humanities Building, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Email: kiesel@ucdavis.edu Abstract This paper evaluates the effectiveness of restrictions on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in schools as a policy approach aimed at reversing the upward trend in obesity among adolescents. Specifically, we test if the implementation of SB 965 in California high schools led to detectable compensation effects outside of school by estimating changes in soda purchases observed in store-level scanner data. Our unique data and identification strategy address data limitations of previously published studies, and our reported results strengthen the notion that preferences for unhealthy foods will persist even after their availability is restricted in select environments.
PASSIVITY BASED FRACTIONAL ORDER ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF DEPTH OF ANESTHESIA

In this paper, a passivity based model reference adaptive controller with fractional-order adaptation mechanism is utilized for control of depth of anesthesia. The propofol infusion rate is adjusted to reach an appropriate Bispectral Index (BIS). The Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) model is employed to model the distribution of propofol in patient body. Since, the PK-PD model parameters depend on physical specifications of patient, employing an adaptive controller to control this system is inevi-table. The utilized controller is a pole placement con-troller in which its polynomial coefficients are ad-justed according to a fractional-order adaptation mechanism. Simulation results on several patients demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method in the presence of disturbance, noise, and model uncertainties.
Effect of Tannin-Rich Extract of Chasmanthera dependens on Piroxicam-induced Liver Damage in Male Wistar Rats

Background: Piroxicam is one of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used as antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug often used for the relief of nonspecific fever condition and in arthritis. This study investigated the protective potential of tannin-rich extract of Chasmanthera dependens (TRECDS) against piroxicam-induced hepatotoxicity in male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty two rats were divided into four groups. Group 1 received normal saline and served as the control group, group 2 were given 20 mg/kg piroxicam only, while groups 3 and 4 were given 20 mg/kg piroxicam with the addition of 200 and 400 mg/kg of tannin-rich extract of Chasmanthera dependens , respectively. All rats were treated orally once daily for ten days. Results: Administration of piroxicam caused liver atrophy demonstrated by significant rise in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) levels of albumin (ALB), bilirubin (BIL), total cholesterol (TCHOL), triglyceride (TRIGS) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Piroxicam also decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level, enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant levels significantly (p>0.05) with attendant increase in oxidative stress indices in the liver of rats compared with control group. Histological assessment reveled severe damaged to the liver of rats. However, co-administration with TRECDS reversed these observations as evidenced in the histological results. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that exposure of rats to piroxicam provoked damage to the liver via oxidative damage and TRECDS has the potential of ameliorating the damage. Keywords: hepatotoxicity, piroxicam, Chasmanthera dependens , oxidative stress
The Startup Jungle: Four-dimensional Business Modelling

The Startup Jungle is a four-dimensional business-modelling tool used in Masters level entrepreneurship education. It combines a metaphorical jungle landscape with the dynamics of interplay to map business ecosystems, model new ones, develop implementation strategies, consider consequences, and scenario plan. Please cite this paper as: Rumble, R. (2019), The Startup Jungle: Four-dimensional Business Modelling, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 119-130
Proteolytic Lactococcus lactis and Lipolytic Enterococcus durans of Dairy Origin as Meat Functional Starter Cultures

SUMMARY Research background As fermentation is an integral feature of both, dry sausage and cheese production, this has led to the evaluation of bacterial cultures Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris (LL8307) and Enterococcus durans (ED0207) originally isolated from artisanal Croatian hard type cheese to diversify the range of flavours of dry fermented sausages and to increase their microbiological safety. Both strains were chosen for their high or medium acidifying, proteolytic and/or lipolytic activity and bioprotective potential after step-by-step selection of wild isolates. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the survival rate of selected starter cultures in wild boar meat sausages during the ripening period of 40 days at a local small-scale facility under artisanal conditions as well as their influence on sausage quality parameters. Experimental approach Safety, biotechnological and probiotic properties of twenty-three enterococcal and lactococcal isolates of dairy origin were studied. Based on the results, two best candidates were selected and added to the meat batter during the artisanal wild boar meat sausage preparation where their survival rate, effect on physicochemical, microbiological and sensorial properties and histamine content were evaluated. Results and conclusions As revealed by repetitive element-polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR), native starter cultures survived up to 15 days of ripening and were either absent from (LL8307) or reduced by 80% (ED0207) in final products. The application of native starter cultures rapidly decreased pH (p<0.05), leading to the significantly lower load of E. coli, coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae in ready-to-eat sausages prepared by the addition of starter cultures (3.04-3.94 log CFU/g) than in the control (3.88-5.00 log CFU/g). Analysis of hedonic test data revealed that some of the sensory traits (odour, flavour, juiciness) of treatments with starter cultures were highly liked by the higher percentage of consumers. The results suggest that these starter cultures would represent a valuable tool to improve the homogeneity of artisanal manufacture and hygienic quality of fermented sausages and can be safely used for food application. Novelty and ccientific contribution This is the first study to explore in depth the biotechnological potential of bacterial cultures isolated from artisanal Croatian cheese as functional starter cultures for high-quality game meat sausage production.
Analysis of the Influence of CPEC on Monetary Policy Decision in Pakistan

The purpose of this research is to extent to which the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) can impact monetary policy decisions in Pakistan. This is in response to further research in previous studies. A robust econometric model was applied to economic data procured from the financial and statistical institutions in Pakistan and China. The analysis suggests the potential of the economic cooperation to inure to the benefit of both Pakistan and China in terms of economic development. Return on the analysis indicated that financial sector in Pakistan in particular is more susceptible to risk based on the influx of Chinese funds into the system. Specifically it is concluded the inflation and foreign exchange volatility are the most vulnerable areas of concern. Based on this knowledge it is proposed that the financial regulatory authorities in Pakistan must develop appropriate response strategies to safeguard the stability of the entire financial system on a constant basis.
The Study of Plate Number Recognition for Parking Security System

Car Plate Number Recognition System is an important platform that can be used to identify a car vehicle identity. The Recognition System is based on image processing techniques and computer vision. A webcam is used to capture an image of the car plate number from different distance, and the identification is conducted through four processes of stages: Image Acquisition Pre-processing, Extraction, Segmentation, and Character Recognition. The Acquisition Pre-processing stage is extracted the region of interest of the image. The image is captured by live video of the webcam, then converted to grayscale and binary image. The Extraction stage is extracted the plate number characters from binary image using a connected components method. In the Segmentation stage is done by implementing horizontal projection as well as moving average filter. Lastly, in the Character Recognition, is used to identify the segmented characters of the plate number using optical character recognition. The proposed method is worked well for Malaysian's private cars plate number, and can be implemented in car park system to increase level of security of the system by confirming the bar code of the parking ticket and the plate number of the car at the incoming and outgoing gates.
Silver Nanoparticles Affect the Inflammatory Response in a Lung Epithelial Cell Line

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have a dual effect showing both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects; however, the molecular mechanism of their anti-inflammatory effect is not clearly understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of AgNPs on the inflammatory response. We induced an inflammatory response in a lung epithelial cell line using tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) as an in vitro inflammatory model. Then the effect of AgNPs on the TNFα-induced inflammatory response was observed. The mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-18) showed upregulation of IL-1β by AgNPs alone. However, AgNPs reduced the TNFα-induced upregulation of IL-1β and IL-18. AgNPs reduced the TNFα-induced NF-KB response, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, Nod Like Receptor Family-Pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) gene expression, and caspase-1 activation, indicating that the anti-inflammatory effect of AgNPs was by inhibition of both NF-KB transcriptional and inflammasome pathways. Conversely, AgNPs alone induced the activation of both NF-KB transcriptional and inflammasome pathways, suggesting their involvement in the molecular mechanism of the inflammatory effect of AgNPs. Altogether, these findings show that two different pathways are involved in the molecular mechanism of both the dose-dependent inflammatory effect of AgNPs alone and the anti-inflammatory effect of AgNPs against the TNFα-induced inflammatory response. Understanding this mechanism will help to improve the medical applications of AgNPs and suggest their potential as a TNFα inhibitor to treat TNFα-induced inflammatory diseases.
Predictive Duty Cycle of Maximum Power Point Tracking Based on Artificial Neural Network and Bootstrap Method for Hybrid Photovoltaic/ Wind Turbine System Considering Limitation Voltage of Grid

In this paper, we propose the new control-based the neural network and bootstrap method to predict the duty cycle for the maximum power point of hybrid Photovoltaic (PV) and Wind Turbine generator system (WTG) connected to 380 V grid. The neural network is designed to be controller by learning the data control of multi-input DC/ DC converter. The artificial neural network (ANN) needs many data for training then the ANN can give the predictive duty cycle to multi input DC/ DC converter. To get more data, we can use the bootstrap method to generate data from the real data. From Photovoltaic characteristic, there are 344 real data after the data are made by bootstrap method we can get 8000 data. The 8000 data of PV can be used for training artificial neural network (ANN) of PV system. From wind turbine characteristic we can get 348 real data after the data are made by bootstrap method we can get 6000 data. The 6000 data of WT can be used for training artificial neural network of WT system. This new control has two responsibilities, are to shift the voltage of PV and WTG to optimum condition and to maintain the stability of grid system. From the simulation results those can be seen that the power of hybrid PV / WTG system using MPPT controller is in maximum power and has constant voltage and constant frequency of grid system. Keywords—neural network, bootstrap, maximum power tracking, stability