Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of aflatoxin B1 on moulard duck's natural immunity.

Received: Revised: Accepted: July 04, 2013 May 16, 2014 August 03, 2014 The absence of studies for the impact of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on natural immunity in ducks, motivated us to investigate its influence on the concentrations of the blood serum lysozyme and alternative pathway of complement activation among Moulard ducks. For the purpose of the study two separate experiments were conducted. The first one was among 40 duck babies divided into four groups: control group (not treated); – fodder was not supplemented with aflatoxin B1; group twofodder + 0.5 mg/kg aflatoxin B1; group three – fodder + 0.8 mg/kg aflatoxin B1 and group four – fodder + 0.5 mg/kg aflatoxin B1 + 2 g/kg fodder Mycotox NG. The second experiment was also conducted by the same way but the blood was bled on the 50 day. The obtained results showed that the period of treatment has significant effect to the blood serum lysozyme concentrations. Lysozyme concentration in group second decreased from 4.42 to 2.16 mg/L and in group three from 3.92 to 2.70 mg/L. Results showed influence of the toxin also on the alternative pathway of complement activation. When applied in low doses and shorter periods it has immune stimulation effect, while applied in higher doses and longer periods it suppresses the alternative pathway of complement activation (APCA). Complement activity was decreased from 727.99 CH50 to 625.91 CH50 in second group and from 816.74 CH50 to 601.61 CH50 in group three. Mycotox NG has immune stimulation effect when applied for 15 days but in all other experimental groups it did not show such effect. ©2014 PVJ. All rights reserved
Accuracy of screening mammography varies by week of menstrual cycle.

PURPOSE To investigate sensitivity, specificity, and cancer detection rate of screening mammography according to week of menstrual cycle among premenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this institutional review board-approved HIPAA-compliant study, sensitivity, specificity, and cancer detection rate of 387,218 screening mammograms linked to 1283 breast cancers in premenopausal women according to week of menstrual cycle were studied by using prospectively collected information from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. Logistic regression analysis was used to test for differences in mammography performance according to week of menstrual cycle, adjusting for age and registry. RESULTS Overall, screening mammography performance did not differ according to week of menstrual cycle. However, when analyses were subdivided according to prior mammography, different patterns emerged. For the 66.6% of women who had undergone regular screening (mammography had been performed within the past 2 years), sensitivity was higher in week 1 (79.5%) than in subsequent weeks (week 2, 70.3%; week 3, 67.4%; week 4, 73.0%; P = .041). In the 17.8% of women who underwent mammography for the first time in this study, sensitivity tended to be lower during the follicular phase (week 1, 72.1%; week 2, 80.4%; week 3, 84.6%; week 4, 93.8%; P = .051). Sensitivity did not vary significantly by week in menstrual cycle in women who had undergone mammography more than 3 years earlier. There were no clinically meaningful differences in specificity or cancer detection rate. CONCLUSION Premenopausal women who undergo regular screening may benefit from higher sensitivity of mammography if they schedule screening mammography during the 1st week of their menstrual cycle. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL http://radiology.rsna. org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.10100974/-/DC1.
The Tentative Discussion of Icons ’ Substituting for Body Language in CMC

Icons, as new ways of transmitting information, are used in high frequency in CMC, and to certain extent, they play important roles of substituting for body languages used in reality communication. Firstly this essay illustrates the facts that icons came into being and have been spreading with CMC, brought forth the special nonverbal intercommunicating functions of icons in CMC. Then based on those intercommunicating functions of the body languages in face-to-face communication, the article analyses and discusses the phenomena of icons’ taking on some functions of “internet body languages” and their realistic meanings of this cross-subjects net-language culture .
Functional Characteristics of Reversibly Immortalized Hepatic Progenitor Cells Derived from Mouse Embryonic Liver

Background/Aims: Liver is a vital organ and retains its regeneration capability throughout adulthood, which requires contributions from different cell populations, including liver precursors and intrahepatic stem cells. To overcome the mortality of hepatic progenitors (iHPs) in vitro, we aim to establish reversibly immortalized hepatic progenitor cells from mouse embryonic liver. Methods and Results: Using retroviral system to stably express SV40 T antigen flanked with Cre/LoxP sites, we establish a repertoire of iHP clones with varied differentiation potential. The iHP cells maintain long-term proliferative activity and express varied levels of progenitor markers (Pou5f1/Oct4 and Dlk) and hepatocyte markers (AFP, Alb and ApoB). Five representative iHP clones express hepatic/pancreatic transcription factors HNF3α/Foxa1, HNF3β/Foxa2, and HNF4α/MODY1. Dexamethasone is shown to promote the expression of hepatocyte markers AFP and TAT, along with ICG-uptake and glycogen storage functions in the iHP clones. Cre-mediated removal of SV40 T antigen reverses the proliferative activity of iHP cells. When iHP cells are subcutaneously implanted in athymic nude mice, no tumor formation is observed for up to 8 weeks. Conclusions: We demonstrate that the established iHP cells are stable, reversible, and non-tumorigenic hepatic progenitor-like cells, which should be valuable for studying liver organogenesis, metabolic regulations, and hepatic lineage-specific differentiation.
Retraction: High-Avidity T Cells Are Preferentially Tolerized in the Tumor Microenvironment.

The editors and authors retract the article titled "High-Avidity T Cells Are Preferentially Tolerized in the Tumor Microenvironment," which was published in the January 15, 2013 issue of Cancer Research (1), based on the findings of data falsification regarding Fig. 5A. Following review by an NIH investigation committee, NIH found the author Stephanie Watkins was the sole individual responsible for the instances of research misconduct. None of the other authors were aware of the misconduct.
Corporate Audit Committees and Risk Controlling in Nigeria

This study investigates the impact of internal control system of firms in Nigeria on the effectiveness of audit committees with ten (10) firms collected across the manufacturing sector of the Nigerian economy and employing the cross-sectional time-series technique of panel model dichotomized into its short-run analyses and long-run situation fashion and covering the periods 2000-2009. Our findings suggest that, given the short-run condition, none of the features of internal control system of corporate firms really affect the effectiveness of corporate firms in Nigeria while estimates obtained from the long-run situation indicate that board size and management ownership significantly affect the effectiveness of audit committee in Nigeria with board composition, leverage position of firms, profitability and shareholding positively but insignificantly impact (positive influence) on audit committees’ effectiveness. Thereby, the effect of internal control system of firms and audit committees’ effectiveness can be seen as a long-run phenomenon in Nigeria. Stemming from these outcomes, this study proffers sound corporate governance, good governance, stable macroeconomic policies and appropriate audit committee’s composition as necessary policy suggestions. Key Words: Audit Committee, Control Risks, Panel Model, Nigerian Firms.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Creating Context Networks in Dutch Legislation

This paper describes ongoing research on automatically determining relevant context to display to a user of a legislative portal given the article they are retrieving, purely based on ‘objective’ criteria inferred from the network of sources of law. A first prototype is presented and a formative evaluation of it by legal expert users. Results are promising, but there is room for improvement.
Internet therapy versus internet self-help versus no treatment for problematic alcohol use: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE Problematic alcohol use is the third leading contributor to the global burden of disease, partly because the majority of problem drinkers are not receiving treatment. Internet-based alcohol interventions attract an otherwise untreated population, but their effectiveness has not yet been established. The current study examined the effectiveness of Internet-based therapy (therapy alcohol online; TAO) and Internet-based self-help (self-help alcohol online; SAO) for problematic alcohol users. METHOD Adult problem drinkers (n = 205; 51% female; mean age = 42 years; mean Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score = 20) were randomly assigned to TAO, SAO, or an untreated waiting-list control group (WL). Participants in the TAO arm received 7 individual text-based chat-therapy sessions. The TAO and SAO interventions were based on cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing techniques. Assessments were given at baseline and 3 and 6 months after randomization. Primary outcome measures were alcohol consumption and treatment response. Secondary outcome measures included measures of quality-of-life. RESULTS Using generalized estimating equation regression models, intention-to-treat analyses demonstrated significant effects for TAO versus WL (p = .002) and for SAO versus WL (p = .03) on alcohol consumption at 3 months postrandomization. Differences between TAO and SAO were not significant at 3 months postrandomization (p = .11) but were significant at 6 months postrandomization (p = .03), with larger effects obtained for TAO. There was a similar pattern of results for treatment response and quality-of-life outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS Results support the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy/motivational interviewing Internet-based therapy and Internet-based self-help for problematic alcohol users. At 6 months postrandomization, Internet-based therapy led to better results than Internet-based self-help.
Dummy Coding Vs Effects Coding for Categorical Variables in Choice Models: Clarifications and Extensions

7 This paper revisits the issue of the specification of categorical variables in choice models, in the context 8 of ongoing discussions that one particular normalisation, namely effects coding, is superior to another, 9 namely dummy coding. For an overview of the issue, the reader is referred to [1] or [2]. We highlight 10 the theoretical equivalence between the dummy and effects coding and show how parameter values 11 from a model based on one normalisation can be transformed (after estimation) to those from a model 12 with a different normalisation. We also highlight issues with the interpretation of effects coding, and 13 put forward a more well-defined version of effects coding. Our results suggests that analysts using 14 choice models in transport, where categorical variables regularly arise, can largely make their choice of 15 normalisation on the grounds of convenience. 16 17
The Role of Cosmopolitanism in Tourism Studies

The concept of cosmopolitanism plays an important role in our multicultural world, as it helps to understand and to find solutions to problems that can be caused by a globalized condition of the world. There is a lot of perspectives on interpretation of cosmopolitanism. In this Master thesis, cosmopolitanism is understood primarily as a competence or practice. The aim of the research is to explore how certain cosmopolitan characteristics can potentially be developed through tourism practices. Thus, eight Russian young women with a relevant experience have been interviewed. The results of this research show that tourism can provide us with a potential area for acquiring and developing a cosmopolitan competence. Tourism helps to see other countries and peoples with your own eyes. At the same time, it brings new challenges in understanding foreign cultures, what may lead to either positive or negative results in developing certain cosmopolitan characteristics.
Impact of Microcredit on Selected Livelihood Assets of Rural Households: The Case of Shebedino District Omo Microfinance Institution, Sidama Zone of Southern Ethiopia

Microfinance institutions provide different financial services for the poor, where microcredit is one of its major services. The main objective of this study was to identify the impact of microcredit on selected livelihood assets of microcredit participant households. Both primary and secondary data were collected and used for this study. The primary data were collected from randomly selected 110 microcredit participant households who have at least three years of participation status in Omo Microfinance Institution and 120 non-participant households who hadn’t ever accessed loan from Omo Microfinance Institution. Secondary data were collected from review of different related literatures. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data. The result of descriptive statistics showed that, microcredit participants use loan for different livelihood activities, such as financing agricultural activities, food preparation and sell, cloth trading, supply of local construction material ( Atena ), shop keeping and petty trade. Fear of risk of default, interest rate, transaction cost related with accessing loan, repayment policy, compulsory saving and group lending approach were the main factors affecting microcredit participation in the study area. The result of PSM analysis indicated that microcredit participation has a positive and significant impact on average annual income, saving, physical asset and children schooling of households. The sensitivity analysis result showed that the impact results estimated by this study are insensitive to unobserved selection bias. Therefore, Omo Microfinance Institution, other governmental and nongovernmental organizations should expand access of credit to rural households in poverty reduction strategies. Keywords: Impact, Livelihood Assets, Microcredit, Omo Microfinance Institution, PSM
Insular species of Afrotropical freshwater crabs with special reference to Madagascar and the Seychelles

The evolutionary relationships between island and mainland faunas of the 24 species of insular freshwater crabs in the Afrotropical region are reviewed in the light of phylogenetic studies. Twenty insular species of freshwater crabs are endemic, and four are also found on the neighboring mainland of Africa. The Atlantic Ocean islands of Sherbro, Bioko, Principe, and Sao Tome support five species of Potamonautidae, while the Western Indian Ocean islands of the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Pemba, Mafia, and Madagascar together have 16 species of Potamonautidae, and Socotra has three species of Potamidae. Disjunct distributions of non-endemic insular species of Afrotropical freshwater crabs with conspecifics on the mainland are the result of past lower sea levels that once united islands with the coast. The presence of endemic species of freshwater crabs on oceanic volcanic islands (such as Principe and Sao Tome) separated from the mainland by deep seas is probably the result of transoceanic dispersal. Endemic genera of freshwater crabs found on oceanic ‘Gondwanan’ islands are derived from ancestral populations on the Eurasian (Socotra) or African (The Seychelles and Madagascar) mainlands that probably reached there by transoceanic dispersal, rather than their being the vicariant descendents of Gondwanan ancestors. Species of freshwater crabs found on islands in the Afrotropical region are either not unique, or are endemic at the species or genus level. The degree of endemism depends on the island’s geological history: whether it is part of the continental shelf, an oceanic island of volcanic origin, or a former part of the ancient continent of Gondwana.
Production of Bioethanol from Potatoes Wastes as an Alternative Fuel

Production of ethanol from biomass is one way to reduce both the consumption of crude oil and environmental pollution. The current research focused to produce the bioethanol from crop wastes. The study carried out in Agricultural Engineering Department and Agric. Botany Department at faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University. The main objective in this part of the current study is producing the bioethanol from potato wastes to applicable in the engine of the farm machine. The experiment was carried out in aerobic batch digester and bioreactor after potato tubers wastes pretreatment with Bacillus subtilis (E34) as amylolytic bacteria for 7 days. The bioreactor system consists of three main units. The first unit was ethanol reactor which represents the main unit of the fermentation process and the second is the agitating unit required to enhance the fermentation process and to increase the efficiency of ethanol production for all treatments. Third unit is the collector tank; it is consisted of the 8 liters capacity tank with input and output valves. The output valve used to measure the pH values for different ethanol production. The 10 liters of water that was feeding in solution of potatoes wastes was heated to 30°C. Bioethanol fermentation was conducted in reactor. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae was used for fermentation process in dried form. The inoculum was used at 50 g from dried Saccharomyces cerevisae were used to inoculate 3 l from the pretreated potato wastes. The pH of the medium was adjusted to 4.5. All experiments were incubated at 30°C under different stirring speeds (30, 120 and 200 min -1 ) in the reactor for 7 days. The values of the percentage of bioethanol production increased and reached to the maximum values after 18 hour of * Corresponding author. E-mail: ssehsah@yahoo.de El-Sayed, S. , et al.: Production of bioethanol . / J.Ag. Eng. (2015/3), 99-108 100 elapsed time for 30 min -1 , 120 min -1 and 200 min -1 agitation rotational speeds. The maximum values of bioethanol production percentage were 37.8%, 44.45% and 68.68% after 18 hour elapsed time for 30, 120, 200 min -1 respectively. On the other hand, the increase of agitation speed from 30 to 200 min -1 tends to increase the percentage of bioethanol production. The energy requirement of volume bioethanol production increased due to increase of the agitation speed from 30 min -1 to 200 min -1 . The highest value of energy requirement was 5.9 Wh at 200 min -1 after 24 hours for bioethanol production. The lowest energy requirement for agitation was 8.7 Wh at 30 min -1 after 2 hours. Bioethanol production increased and reached to 70.9% at 18 hour of duration time for bioreactor compared to 65% bioethanol percent after 18 days for batch reactor.
When can economic impact be positive? Nine conditions that explain why smaller sports can have bigger impacts

This explanatory research reviews the economic impact literature to identify the conditions that would theoretically allow any sport, large or small, to generate positive economic effects. Nine conditions are identified that, when present, could allow a community to experience a positive economic impact from a team or stadium. The nine conditions are then used to explain the discrepancy in known empirical outcomes in Major and Minor League Baseball. It appears as if major league teams are more likely to violate the conditions while minor league teams are not. This research finds theoretical support for previous suggestions that smaller teams and events may be beneficial to local economies. In doing so, it also explains previous empirical results that found some minor league baseball classifications are associated with positive gains in per capita income.
Infrared Vibrations of Hematite Formed from Aqueous- and Dry-Thermal Incubation of Si-Containing Ferrihydrite

Ferrihydrite samples having Si/Fe molar ratios ranging from 0 to 1 were synthesized by the reaction of Fe2(SO4)3 and Na2SiO3 with NaOH to an equilibrium pH of 8.2. Hematite formed by incubating the ferrihydrite (Si/Fe molar ratios ≤0.05) at pH 12.5 and 91°C for 36 hr had a globular morphology. Hematite formed from Si-free ferrihydrite gave infrared (IR) bands at 548, 471, 397, and 337 cm−1, whereas, hematite formed from Si-containing ferrihydrite having 0.001 to 0.05 Si/Fe molar ratios gave broad IR bands at about 550, 450, and 330 cm−1. Ferrihydrite having Si/Fe molar ratios ≥0.10 did not transform to hematite following the aqueous-thermal treatment.The ferrihydrite samples were thermally treated for 2 hr at consecutive 100°C intervals from 100° to 800°C. The Si-free ferrihydrite transformed at 300°C to poorly crystalline hematite. Transmission electron microscopic analyses indicated that the hematite consisted of aggregates of spheroidal particles of 20–80 Å cross sections. Broad IR bands were observed at 529 and 452 cm−1; however, after heating the sample to 800°C, the particle cross sections increased to about 150–600 Å, and additional IR bands were present at 378 and 325 cm−1. The differences in the IR patterns of hematite formed from ferrihydrite at 300° and 800°C were probably due to increases in particle size and aggregation and improved crystallinity of the hematite particles following the higher temperature treatment. The hematite formed by the thermal transformation of the ferrihydrite having a 0.01 Si/Fe molar ratio was also spheroidal, and IR vibrations were present at about 528 and 443 cm−1. An increase in the temperature of the thermal treatment, however, did not result in additional IR bands.Differences in the IR vibrations of hematite formed during aqueous- and dry-thermal treatments of the ferrihydrite samples were probably due to differences in the particle size and morphology of the product. The Si content, due to its effect on particle size of the precursor and the prevention of sintering and particle growth of hematite, influenced the IR pattern of the product. Particle morphology and IR spectroscopy may therefore be useful indicators of the precursor of hematite and the conditions of hematite formation in soil.
Green Mountains and White Plains: The Effect of Northern Hemisphere Ice Sheets on the Global Energy Budget

AbstractThe changes in the global energy budget in response to imposing an ice sheet’s topography, albedo, or topography and albedo combined are examined. The albedo of the ice sheet (here called a “White Plain”) causes an outgoing top of the atmosphere radiation anomaly over the ice sheet that is balanced by an incoming anomaly in the Southern Hemisphere. This causes a northward transport of heat across the equator that is carried equally by the ocean and atmosphere. The topography of the ice sheet (“Green Mountain”) causes an incoming radiation anomaly over the ice sheet that is balanced predominantly by an outgoing anomaly to the south of the ice sheet, with a smaller outgoing flux in the Southern Hemisphere. The heat is transported across the equator by the atmosphere alone. The combined topography and albedo of the ice sheet (“White Mountain”) cause an outgoing radiation anomaly over the ice sheet that is balanced equally by an incoming flux in the Southern Hemisphere and to the south of the ice shee.