Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal contribution to nitrogen uptake of grapevines

The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in supporting tree nutrition has been recognized for many species, including grapes. This study aimed at determining whether AMF contribute to nitrogen (N) uptake by grapevines using 15N-enriched fertilizer to follow N transfer from the soil to the plant. Grapevines ['Nero'/'SO4'], grown in sand for 10 weeks, were divided into three fertilization treatments: (1) unlabeled NH4NO3; (2) 15NH415NO3 provided to root; (3) 15NH415NO3 provided to hyphae. The latter was obtained by splitting the pots in two compartments by a net impenetrable to roots, and adding the fertilizer only where AMF hyphae could develop. The vines were excavated and dry matter, total N and 15N concentration of each organ determined. Root AMF colonization (RLC) was evaluated on fresh roots. The nitrogen derived from fertilizer (Ndff) was calculated from the excess of 15N respect to its natural abundance. Total biomass growth (~37 g/vine) and RLC (38 % on average) were not statistically different among the three treatments. 15N was mostly allocated to roots, shoots and leaves, while trunks were only barely enriched. The vines receiving N directly to roots had higher N concentration and total N than vines relying on AMF, however the amount of Ndff, roughly 500 µg·vine-1, was not different between the two treatments. These results indicate that vines growing in the compartmentalized pots might have had an initial shortage of N due to not fully developed AMF. Once the hyphal compartment was colonized, AMF contributed to N translocation to vines, as demonstrated by the same amount of Ndff found in the two treatments. Although preliminary, this study demonstrates the potentially important role of AMF to mineral nitrogen nutrition of grapevines and calls for further studies in pot and in the field.
Differences in Weight Changes and the Annual Cycle of Male and Female Arctic Ground Squirrels

Arctic ground squirrels ( Spermophilus parryii ) were studied for three summers near Haines Junction, Yukon Territory. Population characteristics and the behaviour of individual animals were monitored throughout the study. Ground squirrels entered hibernation in the order adult females, juvenile females, then males. Males emerged from hibernation before females. Males stored food in the autumn when conditions permitted, whereas females did not. Males emerged from hibernation having lost significantly less weight than females over winter. Males lost weight during the mating period, whereas females did not. These data are interpreted in terms of the mating period which for males lasts for approximately three weeks, whereas for females it lasts for less than a day. Key words: Ground squirrels, male/female differences, weights, annual cycle
Object's width and distance distinguished by the blind using auditory sense while they are walking

Mobility aid has recently become important for the blind because of increasing their outgoing opportunity. It is necessary for the blind to acquire “obstacle sense” by which they can recognize surrounding objects auditorily. In particular, it is indispensable to investigate the characteristics of the obstacle sense while they are walking. However, training method for the mobility has not been systematically proposed yet because factors regarding the obstacle sense while walking remain unknown. Final goal of this study is to propose a systematic training method for their mobility using the obstacle sense. In this study, the authors particularly focused on a relation of interaural differences between both ears to the ability of the obstacle sense while walking toward the obstacles. In the experiments, the blind subjects were asked to answer when they find the obstacle made of wooden plate with various widths in both conditions of head moving and head fixing. Auditory discrimination ability of the obstacles .
Effects of daylength during cyst formation , storage time and temperature of cysts on the in vitro hatching of Globodera rostochiensis and G . pallida

Cysts from two patata cyst nematode populations were produced in three seasons with differing daylength and hatching of juveniles was stimulated with potato root diffusate after storage at 13 or 22 oc. Behaviour of the progenies differed. Long-day conditions produced rapid high hatching rates (61-97 %) in both populations, but progenies obtained under the shortest-day regirne had lower hatching rates (12-45 %) when cysts were stored at 13 oC and no hatching at 22 oc. With moderately short days, increase of the storage temperature from 13 to 22°C increased the hatching of the Globodera ToslOchiensis population from 1 to 9 % and from 1 to 34 % and reduced hatching of the G. pallida population from 30 to 0 % and from 87 ta 8 % (6 and 12 weeks' storage, respectively). G. TOslOchiensis juveniles hatched quicker than G. pallida at 22 oC, but not if storage temperature was 13 oc. Variations in hatching behaviour between seasonaJ progenies were more marked with G. ToslOchiensis than with G. pallida.
Consciousness-raising groups for senior citizens

This study investigated some specific effects of participation by vromen aged 65 and older in a Consciousness—Raising Group. Experimental and two control groups of six individuals each comprised a total number of eighteen. The treatment group met together in Consciousness—Raising sessions for six weeks. One control group met in a taskoriented group for the same time period; the other met for preand posttest sessions, but did not meet as a group during the inteirvening time. The Personal Orientation Inventory (Shostrom, 1962) was used for objective evaluation. A questionnaire was used by judges for subjective evaluation. The treatment and the task-oriented control groups showed a significant gain on the Acceptance of Others measurement. All three groups evidenced wide variability on all measures. Implications for further research and suggested research designs were discussed.
Towards an integrative model of creativity and innovation in organisations: A psychological perspective

Work and organisational psychologists have much to offer the world of business. This article addresses the value that research into creativity, primarily investigated by psychologists, has to the field of innovation, more commonly researched in business, science, and technology arenas. Firstly, the article provides a framework to compare previous research in both areas. Secondly, it highlights clear gaps in prior research, and generates a model, alongside a series of propositions, to guide future investigators. These propositions include suggestions regarding (i) creativity and innovation as concurrent processes engaged in at multiple levels, (ii) the shift in focus from creativity at the individual level, to innovation as one moves through meso and macro levels, (iii) the potential of the organisational level for studying creativity and innovation in tandem, and (iv) the multiple factors that influence the processes of innovation and creativity at all levels. Finally, this paper highlights the need for m.
Effects of intensity and duration of quantitative restriction of feed on broiler performance

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of physical feed restriction method with different intensity and duration on broiler performance. One hundred and fifty Ross-breed 308 male broiler chicks in a completely randomized design were divided into five experimental treatments. The treatments included physical limitations by 25% or 50% of recommended amount on feed of broilers in two periods of 7 or 14 days. One control group was used fed ad libitum. Each limitation's sever- ity level was applied in τηρee replications of 10 birds. All experimental treatments before and after the limitation period until slaughter (day 42) were fed ad libitum. The results showed that in total period broilers under the physical limitation of feed had significantly lower feed intake than controls (P < 0.05). In this research, methods and levels of physical restriction intensity and duration of feed had no significant effect on body weight for the whole experimental period. Methods and levels of food restric- tion severity and duration had significant effect on feed efficiency ( P < 0.05).
Present Yield Status, Percentage Composition and Seasonal Abundance of Shark in Two Geographically Important Zones of Bangladesh

A study was carried out during January-December (2014) in two selected shark landing centers; BFDC Fish harbor, Cox’s Bazar and Fishery Ghat fish landing center, Chittagong situated at the North-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal. Data were collected through semi-structured interview, case study, frequent visit to the informants found in and between the trade channels. A total of 9 shark species belonging to 3 families (Carcharhinidae, Hemiscylliidae and Sphyrnidae) were recorded. It was found that sharks were exploited mostly at small sizes (45%) in those landing centers. The highest and lowest yield were found in the month of January and July respectively at Chittagong whereas November and July at Cox’s Bazar. The highest and lowest landed number was found in November and July respectively at both the landing centers. Dog shark was the most dominant species followed by Hammerhead shark in terms of yield and landed number at Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar contributed 55.794 MT (60% 90 ) and 17.675 MT (19%) among the total yield and 174,877 ( 83%) and 25,733(12%) landed number respectively. Yield and landed number of other species contribution altogether were only 21% and 5% respectively of total. Total yield was found 6 folds in Cox’s Bazar than that of Chittagong. Abundance reveals that the highest catches of shark were found during October to December (42%) and the lowest catches during January to March (16%). Yield of shark was found to be declining than the previous years and a clear deviation of seasonal abundance is also occurring. As there is no gear size limitation or seasonal restriction in the Fish Act, small sized sharks were found to be caught mostly in those landing centers which may also pose a threat to shark species composition in the Bay of Bengal region, Bangladesh.
Current Issues in Cloud Computing Security and Management

Cloud computing is becoming increasingly more popular and telecommunications companies perceive the cloud as an alternative to their service deployment models, one that brings them new possibilities. But to ensure the successful use of this new model there are security and management challenges that still need to be faced. There are numerous threats and vulnerabilities that become more and more important as the use of the cloud increases, as well as concerns with stored data and its availability, confidentiality and integrity. This situation creates the need for monitoring tools and services, which provide a way for administrators to define and evaluate security metrics for their systems. In this paper, we propose a cloud computing security monitoring tool based on our previous works on both security and management for cloud computing. Keywords–cloud computing; security management; monitoring;
The status of General Binocular Dysfunctions among School Children

Accommodative and binocular anomalies tend to cause difficulties with activities requiring close vision work [1]. Defects in schoolchildren’s accommodation may cause problems with specifically difficulty in reading or in learning progress [2]. There is some indication that certain binocular anomalies, such as convergence insufficiency, are related to reading problems [3]. In addition, various studies have suggested that accommodative and non-strabismic binocular dysfunctions are commonly founded [4,5]. These dysfunctions are commonly of associated symptoms, including blurred vision, difficulty in focusing at different distances, headache and ocular pain, and difficulty with focusing particularly when reading and writing [6]. However, the symptoms that the subjects perceives may differ depending on the type of causative disorder [7]. The aim of this study is to assess prevalence of general binocular dysfunctions among school children in South Korea.
Changes in Midgut Gene Expression Following Bacillus thuringiensis (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) Infection in Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

Abstract The Japanese pine sawyer, Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a major pest of coniferous forests. Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) (Bt) is an ecosystem-friendly agent for the control of pest insects. To identify the genes that are potentially associated with Bt toxicology, differentially expressed gene (DGE) libraries of M. alternatus after 20 h of exposure to a sublethal concentration of Bt were prepared from dissected midgut tissue. The transcripts were sequenced using the Illumina sequencing platform. After quality checks, the total numbers of clean reads were 29.20 and 41.53 million in the control and Bt-exposed libraries, respectively. We found that 947 and 8,895 unique genes were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively. The annotation of the non-redundant sequences using the Gene Ontology database identified 3,837 sequences involved in cellular components, 3,190 sequences involved in molecular functions, and 6,930 sequences involved in biological processes, and showed that the genes were distributed across 50 categories. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the top 20 enriched pathways included metabolism of xenobiotics by the cytochrome P450 pathway and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Seventy-four DEGs were enriched in the metabolism of xenobiotics by the cytochrome P450 pathway, including the DEGs encoding Cyp1A1 (cytochrome P450, family 1, subfamily A, polypeptide 1), Cyp1A2 (cytochrome P450, family 1, subfamily A, polypeptide 2), Cyp3A (cytochrome P450, family 3, subfamily A), aldehyde dehydrogenase (NAD[P]+) and ADH1_7 (alcohol dehydrogenase 1/7), all of which were up-regulated. However, the DEGs encoding cathepsin L and CBR1 (carbonyl reductase 1) were down-regulated. Therefore, the effects of Bt on M. alternatus are complex and time dependent. This study is a first step toward achieving an understanding of the profile of the secondary targets of Bt in M. alternatus, and the results may provide insights for further exploration of the functions of the target genes in detoxification and resistance to Bt.
The Effect of an Essential Oil Mix Derived from Oregano , Clove and Anise on Broiler Performance

This study was conducted to explore the usage of essential oil mix (EOM) in broiler nutrition as a natural growth promoting substance instead of antibiotics. Different levels of EOM were added to a standard diet, to determine its effect on feed intake, daily live weight gain and feed conversion ratio compared to control and antibiotic groups. Two hundred and fifty five day-old broilers (Ross-308, n = 250) were divided into five equal groups were as follow: Control group (no EOM or antibiotic), 100 ppm EOM group , 200 ppm EOM group, 400 ppm EOM group with and an Antibiotic group (0.1% Avilamycin). The diets were prepared freshly each day. Experiment carried out 35 days. The feed intake was similar between the groups (p>0.05), but the highest daily live weight gain was observed in the 200 ppm EOM group (71.31 g) followed by Antibiotic group (65.84 g), 100 ppm EOM oil group (63.40 g), control group (61.30 g) and 400 ppm EOM group (61.17 g). Thus, daily live weight gain increased in 200 ppm EOM group by approximately 16 % over the control group and approximately 8 % over the antibiotic group. Feed conversion ratio was improved in 200 ppm EOM group by approximately 12 % over the control group and approximately 6 % over the antibiotic group. The results show that, EOM could be considered as a potential natural growth promoter for poultry.
Predictors of Hospital Profitability: A Panel Study Including the Early Years of the ACA

Purpose: To assess the internal and external environmental factors that affect variations in hospital profitability. We are especially interested in examining the impact of the ACA regulations. Methods: We used an unbalanced panel of 1,908 metropolitan U.S. hospitals in the 48 contiguous states during the period 2000-2015, resulting in 28,888 observations. The primary sources of data were Medicare Hospital Cost Reports and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals. Fixed-effect regression with correction for serial correlation, using total margin and operating margin as dependent variables, was employed. Results: Hospital profitability was positively associated (at p < 0.05) with for-profit ownership, market power, hospital size, availability of high technology services and occupancy rate. Profitability was negatively associated with average length of stay and county unemployment rate. There was no discernible temporal trend. However, total margin spiked downward in 2008 during the Great Recession but recovered afterwards. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act was associated with an improved operating margin in states that expanded their Medicaid programs but not in other states. Conclusions: Competitive advantages such as size, market power and availability of high-technology services are associated with higher hospital profitability. External market events such as the Great Recession can decrease hospital profits. For-profit hospitals tend to be more profitable than not-for-profit hospitals. The implementation of the ACA had only a one-time positive impact on operating margin.
The Impact of Non Executive Directors Fees, Board Meeting Frequency and Non Executive Directors Meeting Frequency on Earnings Management

This paper investigates whether the extent of opportunistic earnings management (measured by discretionary accruals) is related to non executive directors’ commitment. Based on a sample of UK companies, we find that non executive directors’ commitment is an important factors in constraining the inclination of managers to engage in earnings management which support the argument that not only the independence of directors but also their commitment that reduces earnings management. Our findings have implications for stakeholders and policymakers in that we find non executive directors’ remuneration is an important mechanism of corporate governance. This result criticizes the loose chairman independence criteria recommended by the code.
ICT EnVIronmEnT for InTEraCTIVE lEarnIng of musIC In ThE fIrsT gradEs of prImary sChool

Modern technology is an important factor influencing the strategies of learning and teaching music. In Slovenia the information-communication environment Musical Image Format, Rhythm created by the authors represents the first example of the transfer of image format of music into the computer environment. There are two important elements of successful learning in this environment, i.e., properly conceived system architecture and graphic user interface, which enables simple and transparent as well as creative and problem based learning in the virtual community. At the same time the elaborated computer environment proved to be an adequate didactic tool in the establishment of the conditions for blended learning. The pedagogical evaluation of the prototype has shown that pupils have achieved the highest difference in their average marks before and after the research in the area of the use and the understanding of image music format. Significant results are achieved also in the field of recording and performing music format.
Benefit-Cost Appraisals of Export Processing Zones: A Survey of the Literature

This article surveys research on the performance of Export Processing Zones (EPZs) using a benefit-cost analytical framework. Results suggest that zones in South Korea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, China and Indonesia are economically efficient and generate returns well above estimated opportunity costs. On the other hand, the heavy infrastructure costs involved in setting up the zone in the Philippines resulted in a negative net present value. The zones have been an important source of employment in all cases and have promoted local entrepreneurs in some. However, as industrial development proceeds, the gap between the market and opportunity costs of labour narrows and the interest in EPZs tends to disappear. It may hold only if the zones generate private profit to domestic shareholders. Copyright Overseas Development Institute, 2003.
Scientific progress in animal breeding during the first decade of XXI century

Brazil is an important world leader in animal yield, but to maintain this status, needs to invest heavily in research to increase animal productivity. For Animal Breeding purpose, Brazil has many groups that develop important studies. Those studies ranging from estimating components of variation and genetic parameters, statistical modeling, and molecular markers applied to animal breeding. Thus, this review aims to summarize the research in animal breeding in Brazil through the first decade of the 21st century, which can indicate the progress and new challenges.
EFFECTS OF PYROLYSIS TEMPERATURE, RESIDENCE TIME ON THE REACTIVITY OF CLEAN COALS PRODUCED FROM POOR QUALITY COALS

Combustion of poor quality coals is used today worldwide for energy production. The removal of polluting compounds, i.e. S, N, Hg and Cl from them prior to combustion is important not only for improving the coal quality, but also for meeting the strict environmental standards. Thus, a preventive fuels pre-treatment technique, based on low temperature carbonisation, has been developed that aims to convert ‘dirty’ fuels to cleaner ones. This study looks at the effect of pyrolysis temperature and residence time on the reactivity of clean coals produced by poor quality coals. Pyrolysis tests of three poor quality coals (Ptolemais, Bulgarian and Australian) were performed in a lab-scale fixed bed reactor, under helium atmosphere and ambient pressure. Ptolemais lignite is the main fuel for electricity production in Greece. The effects of carbonisation temperature (200-900°C) and residence time (5-120 min) on the properties of the obtained chars were investigated. Special attention was paid to the polluting compounds (S, N, Hg, Cl) removal. The reactivity under combustion conditions of the Ptolemais chars produced was also investigated. It was observed that low temperature carbonisation could contribute to clean coal production by effectively removing the major part of the existing polluting compounds in the coals. Thus, depending on coal type, nitrogen, mercury and chlorine conversion continuously increase with temperature, while sulphur removal seems to reach a plateau above 500 – 600°C. Furthermore, the prolongation of carbonisation time above 20 min does not affect the elemental conversion of the pollutants. Therefore, carbonisation at 500 – 600°C for ~20 min could be considered sufficient for clean coal production from poor quality coals. The reactivity of the prepared clean coals was evaluated by performing non-isothermal combustion tests in a TA Q600 thermobalance at ambient pressure and 20°C min -1 heating rate. At increased pyrolysis temperatures higher initial combustion temperatures were observed, due to the volatile reduction in char production stage. The latter results to lower total conversions.
Definition of calving traits - results from Swedish research

Calving performance and stillbirth rate in dairy cattle were recognised already in the 60 s and 70 s in several European countries as traits showing considerable genetic variation and being of economic importance (eg. Van Dieten, 1963; Dreyer, 1965; Philipsson, 1976). Research and other activities to reduce the problems have been conducted in many countries, although seldom covering the full complexity of the traits to consider.