Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Germination and Vigour of Sesame Seeds from Different Storage Environments

The objective of this study was to compare germination and vigour of sesame seeds stored in different storage environments. 2 accessions of freshly harvested sesame seeds: NGB 00420 and NGB 00967 were used in the study. 200g of each accession were partitioned into 3 parts. Samples from each accession were kept separately in three storage environments: short and medium term storage conditions and freezer from February, 2015 to October 2015 using aluminum cans as packaging materials then evaluated for germination and vigour tests. The results showed that effects of storage environments was highly significant (P<0.01). The effects of accession by storage environment interaction was significant (P=.05) on germination of sesame seeds. The effect of accession by storage environment interaction was significant (P=.05) for emergence index. Seeds stored under short term conditions gave the lowest germination percentage (26.17%) compared to seeds stored in freezer with the highest germination percentage (43.33%) and the germination percentage of seeds stored under medium term conditions was 31.5%. This study suggested that freezer was the most effective storage conditions for the seeds of Sesamum indicum.
Strategic Agility and Organizational Resilience of Food and Beverage Firms in Rivers State , Nigeria

This study critically investigate the relationship between strategic agility and organizational resilience of food and beverages firms in Rivers State, Nigeria. The cross sectional survey which is a type of the quasi experimental design was used in this study because the variables were not under the control of the researcher. A total population of 95 managerial employees of the 15 registered food and beverage firms was covered in this work. Data was collected using questionnaire and the data was analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistical analysis. A total of 81 questionnaire which represented 85% of questionnaire distributed was successfully retrieved and used for the study. Thus, the findings revealed a noteworthy relationship between the dimensions of strategic agility (flexibility and accessibility) with the measures of organizational resilience (adaptability and robustness). It was thus concluded that when organization’s strategic agility increases, the firm’s resilience also increase as a result of their linear relationship. The study among others recommended that the management of the food and beverage firms should develop agile strategies that will enable the organizations to withstand turbulent moment and thus enhance the firms’ resilience.
No 34 Understanding asset prices : an overview 2006 Autumn

This paper reviews analytical work carried out by central banks that participated at the Autumn Meeting of Central Bank Economists on “Understanding asset prices: determinants and policy implications”, which the BIS hosted on 30–31 October 2006. The paper first discusses some general properties of asset prices, focusing on volatilities and comovements. It then reviews studies that look at determinants of asset prices and that attempt to estimate a fair value of assets. The next part of the paper focuses on research that aims at measuring the impact of changes in asset wealth on the real economy. It then goes on to discuss how central banks use information from asset prices to develop indicators of market expectations that are useful for monetary policy purposes. Finally, the paper reviews central banks’ views on whether monetary policy should react in a direct way to asset price developments. BIS Papers No 34 iii
THE ROLE OF PERCEIVED PRODUCT QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFCTION ON BRAND LOYALTY AMONG MOBILE PHONE USERS

The study is to investigate the relationship between perceived quality and customer satisfaction on brand loyalty. Further the study is also focused on finding out the mediating role of customer satisfaction on the relationship of perceived product quality and brand loyalty. The analysis results reveal that perceived product quality of a specific mobile phone was found to have a significant positive impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Overall, the research findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between perceived product quality on brand loyalty. While, customer satisfaction is found to partially mediates the relationship between perceived product quality and brand loyalty.
Insertion of 2 D Graphics into a Scene Captured by a Stationary Camera

Augmented reality visualizes additional information in real-world environment. Main goal is achieving natural looking of the inserted 2D graphics in a scene captured by a stationary camera with possibility of real time processing. Although several methods tackled foreground segmentation problem, many of them are not robust enough on diverse datasets. Modified background subtraction algorithm ViBe yields best visual results, but because of the nature of binary mask, edges of the segmented objects are coarse. In order to smooth edges, Global Sampling Matting is performed, this refinement greatly increased the perceptual quality of segmentation. Considering that the shadows are not classified by ViBe, artifacts were occurring after insertion of segmented objects on top of the graphics. This was solved by the proposed shadow segmentation, which was achieved by comparing the differences between brightness and gradients of the background model and the current frame. To remove plastic look of the inserted graphics, texture propagation has been proposed, that considers the local and mean brightness of the background. Segmentation algorithms and image matting algorithms are tested on various datasets. Resulted pipeline is demonstrated on a dataset of videos.
Challenges and Benefits of Applied Experience as an Engineering Returner in a Ph

Erika Mosyjowski is a PhD candidate in Higher Education at the University of Michigan. She also earned a Master’s in Higher Education at Michigan and a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Sociology from Case Western Reserve University. Before pursuing a PhD, Erika had a dual appointment in UM’s College of Engineering working in student affairs and as a research associate. While grounded in the field of higher education, her research interests include engineering education, particularly as related to innovation, professional identity development, engineering culture, and supporting the recruitment and persistence of underrepresented students within engineering.
Morphometrical study of the mandiblar bone of female Yankasa sheep (Ovis aries Linne)

The research was aimed at studying the morphometric analysis of the twenty (20) lower jaw bones (mandible) of female Yankasa breed of sheep in relation to their ages postnatally using standard biometrical tools. The study was conducted in Sokoto metropolis, through daily marked visitation. The samples ware obtained and classified according to age; group 1 (0-6months), group 2 (6months-1year), group 3 (1-2years), group 4 (2-3years), group 5 (3years-above). The ages were estimated on the basis of the eruption and wearing of the teeth All morphometric data examined were expressed as Mean ± SD. The mean and standard deviation of the morphometric data of the horizontal and vertical ramus of the mandible of the Ewe at different postnatal age were determined and recorded. The result have shown that there is an increase in both horizontal and vertical ramus of the mandible of the Female Yankasa Sheep, though a drastic increase in size, shape and weight was observed from two(2) years to four (4) years of age. Furthermore, the morphometric data of the Female Yankasa Sheep is comparable to other various sheep and goat breeds of ruminant with little variations that could be due to breed, geographical location, nutritional values, and weather of an area, genetic makeup and body scoring index of the breed. The present result provides a baseline data on the morphometric of the mandible Female Yankasa Sheep in the West African region of the world. It is therefore recommended that further work should be carried out on other breeds of sheep in Nigeria with other parameters using sophisticated biometrical equipment. The study has described the morphology and biometric characteristics of the female Yankasa Sheep and shows contribution for comparative model for other African local Ovine breeds in Nigerian and Africa at large.
Sexuality of pregnant women ( own research ) X

Metodologia: Badaniem ankietowym objęto grupę 124 kobiet, będących przynajmniej raz w ciąży. Badaniem objęto kobiety przebywające w Klinice Ginekologii i Położnictwa Uniwersyteckiego Szpitala Klinicznego we Wrocławiu (w styczniu i lutym 2015 r.). Narzędzie badawcze stanowił samodzielnie przygotowany niewalidowany autorski kwestionariusz, zawierający 17 pytań zamkniętych. Pacjentki wypełniały kwestionariusz dobrowolnie, anonimowo, we własnych salach z zachowaniem ciszy i spokoju.
Model for Vertical Temperature Profile in Waste Stabilization Ponds By UKPONG

--------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT-------------------------------------------------------Thermal stratification is a natural phenomenon which occurs in waste stabilization ponds caused by vertical temperature difference which alters the flow patterns in the ponds, affects its performance and design, thereby reducing the efficiency of its operation. This study therefore developed a mathematical model for predicting the vertical temperature profile in WSPs. The solution of the model was obtained using a numerical solution method based on a fourth order Runge-Kutta method. The results were verified with data from several field ponds at different depths. Maximum difference of 19.05% between the calculated and predicted temperature profiles were obtained as shown in the Figures. The coefficients of correlation between the measured and the predicted values range from 0.6774 to 0.9990 as calculated.
Impact of Local Food Prices on the Relationship between Food Stamp Program Participation and Bodyweight Status of Adults

The Food Stamp Program (FSP) is the principal food assistance program in the U.S. It is designed to provide a nutritional safety net via benefits paid to households or individuals with low socioeconomic status (SES). Recent studies suggest that FSP participation affects individuals’ dietary intake and increases the risk of obesity. In addition, lower unhealthy food prices are positively related to a higher prevalence of obesity. However, little is known about the interaction between food prices and FSP participation and how both of these factors jointly affect the body weight status of low-income individuals. While the obesity epidemic affects all racial/ethnic groups and social classes in the U.S., populations with low socioeconomic status bear a disproportionate burden. Identification of the economic mechanisms that promote weight gain among low-income Americans will enable policy makers to design and implement effective policy instruments, which will help address the obesity epidemic in the U.S.
Banks ’ Credit Accessibility and Small and Medium Enterprises Growth in Nigeria ( 1980-2015 ) : External Factors Determinant

Smalland medium businesses are plagued by challenges with reference to their inability to access loan from Deposit Money Banks (DMBs). This paper argued from banks’ external factors to credit accessibility and how this affect SMEs’ growth in Nigeria from 1980-2015. Data were sourced from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s annual and statistical Bulletins, Banks’ audited annual report and National Bureau of Statistics. Multiple regression equation was crafted, diagnostic test conducted and hypothesis tested. The result indicated that the credit reserve requirements(β = -1.401351, p<0.05) was statistically significant,while others were statistically insignificant. The recommendation focused on Central Bank of Nigeria re-engineering policies to enhance credit reserve robustness as this favoured SMEs’ growth.
Influence of directivity pattern order on perceived distance

The metaphoric idea behind employing the icosahedral loudspeaker array (ICO) in music is to ”orchestrate” reflecting surfaces, resulting in the perception of auditory objects at distinct locations in the room [1]. An early study [2] about the perceived direction of auditory objects created by directional sound sources such as the ICO confirms the influence of orientation of directivity on localization deviating from the direct path. In extension to this preliminary study, this contribution focuses on the perceived distance of auditory objects created by the ICO. The controllability of the perceived distance is examined, which is essential for the application of the ICO as an instrument.
Dwarf Crocodile ( Osteolaemus tetraspis )

Taxonomic Revisions: Ostelaemus tetraspis, Osteolaemus cf tetraspis, Osteolaemus osborni: The taxonomy of the African dwarf crocodile has been under debate for almost 80 years. Osteolaemus tetraspis was fi rst described in 1860 from Gabon (Cope 1860). A second morphological form, discovered in the upper Congo River Basin, was described as a new genus (Osteoblepharon osborni, Schmidt 1919). This new genus was subsequently considered to be unwarranted, resulting fi rst in osborni being relegated as species of Osteolaemus (Werner 1933; Mertens 1943; Inger 1948) and then to a subspecies, Osteolaemus tetraspis osborni (Wermuth 1953). Some authorities have even suggested that sub-species status may not be merited (Huchzermeyer 1993; Ross 2006).
OPERATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND PERFORMANCE OF PULSE DETONATION ENGINE

A liquid-fueled air-breathing pulse detonation engine (PDE) demonstrator with feasible energy requirements for repeated detonation initiation, with no fuel preconditioning, no use of extra oxygen, and reasonable geometrical dimensions has been designed and tested. Due to acceptable weight and size characteristics of the PDE demonstrator, the proposed design can be considered as promising for practical applications.
Sampling to validate a global cropland map .

Abtract A global cropland map is being produced with a 300 m resolution in the SIGMA Project of the EU (Stimulating Innovation for Global Monitoring of Agriculture). The map, based on PROBA-V 300 m images of 2015, is not yet available but the collection of reference data is ongoing on a two-tier sample of plots photo-interpreted on publicly available Very High Resolution (VHR) images with the help of two versions of a Geo-wiki tool: a large sample (initially 40000 plots) photo-interpreted by volunteers (crowdsourcing) and a sub-sample of 4000 plots photo-interpreted by experts. A stratification based on a cropland probability map has been used to select a higher rate in the most difficult areas where the cropland probability is between 25% and 75%. Stratified systematic sampling with a variable number of replicates has been used. The sampling scheme has been assessed using as pseudo-truth the cropland probability map in the European Union. The conclusions suggest that the variance efficiency of the sampling scheme due to the improved spatial homogeneity is moderate. A more important gain appears in terms of traceability of the sample.
Antioxidant capacity and nitrosation inhibition of cruciferous vegetable extracts

Cruciferous vegetables belong to the mustard family of plants such as Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. They are well known for their cancer prevention properties which are due to high content of bioactive compounds, isothiocyanates (ITCs). This study was aimed to investigate nitrosation inhibition ability of the cruciferous vegetables commonly consumed with meat products namely, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Aqueous extracts of fresh and steamed (2 and 4 min) vegetables were subjected to determination of antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP assay) and chemical composition i.e. total phenolic and isothiocyanate (ITC) content. It was found that TPC, DPPH and FRAP values of raw vegetables were different in each vegetable and ranged from 17.12-38.91 mg GAE/100 ml, 44.09-63.31% and 1.36-6.81 mg TE/100 ml, respectively. Among three types of cruciferous vegetable, broccoli had the highest PEITC content being 0.21 mmol/100 g compared to cauliflower (0.15 mmol/100 g) and cabbage (0.06 mmol/100 g). Moreover, it was found that steaming process significantly enhanced antioxidant activity, TPC as well as PEITC content in a timedependent manner up to 4 min (p<0.05). Nitrosation reaction was stimulated in vitro at pH 3.0 and spectrophotometric method was used to determine formation of nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in the presence and absence of cruciferous vegetable extracts. The highest NDMA inhibition was found in broccoli and steaming could promote the effect in all vegetables. Prevention of DNMA was believed to be a result of PEITC content in the vegetables because when anti-nitrosation ability of synthesized isothiocyanates was determined, PEITC acted as a potent inhibitor with 89.28% inhibition whereas that of ascorbic acid (positive control) was 88.57% and allyl isothiocyanate had the least effect (53.21%) at the same concentration. This study infers that the concomitant consumption of cruciferous vegetables may possess toxicity reduction of nitrosamine and these effects can be enhanced by a common heating process of the vegetables.
How to Improve Gender Equality in Agriculture

Women and men have not benefited equally from the increased trade of agricultural commodities and the rise of foreign investment in agriculture. Gender inequalities in agriculture persist in the 21st century, and tend to be exacerbated by trade and foreign investment. Two broad agendas have emerged in response to global calls for more sustainable trade and more responsible investment in agriculture. The first, largely targeted at the private sector, are represented by the array of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), such as fair trade labels. The second, largely targeted at governments, are the multitude of guidelines on responsible investment in agriculture, such as the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGTs). In this policy brief, we explore how global standards and guidelines contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment, and whether more can be done through these instruments to improve the situation of women in agriculture.
Strategic HRM

An important defining characteristic of human resource management is that it is strategic. This characteristic is expressed by the concept of strategic HRM – an integrated approach to the development of HR strategies that enable the organization to achieve its goals. To understand the notion of strategic HRM it is necessary to appreciate the concept of strategy upon which it is based, and this is considered in the first section of the chapter. This leads into a definition of the concept of strategic HRM followed by expositions of its aims and approaches.
Comparative η-ρ-σ Pareto Optimization of Si and SiC Multilevel Dual-Active-Bridge Topologies With Wide Input Voltage Range

This work presents a comprehensive cost-aware comparison of isolated bidirectional Si and SiC dual-active-bridge (DAB) concepts for a 5-kW 100–700-V input voltage range dc microgrid application. A conventional three-level DAB (3LDAB) is compared to an advanced five-level DAB (5LDAB) topology, where the latter enables reduced rms currents within the given voltage range. Both concepts employ a loss-optimized modulation scheme enabling zero-voltage switching. A multiobjective optimization routine is proposed to systematically assess the concepts with respect to the efficiency, power density, and the costs. A novel waveform model and advanced component models are considered, which are verified using a hardware prototype. The calculated Pareto fronts show that SiC MOSFETs enable significantly higher efficiencies and power densities than Si IGBTs, while similar costs can be achieved. The performance comparison between the SiC MOSFET-based 3LDAB and 5LDAB reveals a fundamental superiority of the 3LDAB, which is mainly due to the higher chip area utilization and the lower component count of this concept. Finally, the calculations and the hardware prototype prove that despite the galvanic isolation and wide voltage range, efficiencies above 98 % in a wide operating range are possible, which was previously not seen in the literature.
Loughborough University Institutional Repository Production of polymeric nanoparticles by micromixing in a co-ow micro uidic glass capillary device

Synthetic polymeric biodegradable nanoparticles were produced by micromixing combined with nanoprecipitation in a co-flow glass capillary device consisted of coaxial assembly of glass capillaries, fabricated by aligning a tapered-end round capillary inside a square capillary with 1 mm internal dimension. Micromixing of water and organic phase (1 wt% polylactide or polycaprolactone dissolved in tetrahydrofuran) was modelled using a commercial software package Comsol Multiphysics TM and experimentally investigated using dynamic light scattering, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) and in situ microscopic observation. The organic phase was injected through a nozzle with a diameter of 60 μm at the organic-to-aqueous flow-rate ratios ranging from 1.5 to 10. The locations at which the nanoparticles would form were determined by using the solubility criteria of the polymer and the concentration profiles found by numerical modelling. The convective flux of the polymer in the radial direction was 2-3 orders of *Revised Manuscript (clean for typesetting) Click here to view linked References
Effect of Cultivation System on Cotton Development , Seed Cotton Production and Lint Quality

The effect of plant density and row spacing, on growth parameters of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), seed-cotton production and lint quality was studied by means of a conventional row (CR), a narrow row-low population (NR-LPP) and a narrow row-high population (NR-HPP) cultivation system. Dry mass accumulation rate, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, fruit index, fruit/leaf area ratio, dry mass partitioning, leaf area elongation and specific leaf area mass were followed. Total dry mass and LAI were higher in NR-HPP system. Considerable differences were revealed between the treatments with the same plant population per unit land area, NR-LPP and CR; with the plants in NR to produce more total dry mass and higher LAI. Stem dry mass was less affected by row spacing and more by plant density along row. Plants in NR-HPP partitioned elevated proportion of total dry mass to vegetative parts. Fruit index and fruit-leaf area ratio were lower in NR-HPP and higher in CR. significant negative correlation existed between SLM and LAI. Fruit load considerably affected most growth parameters and significant negative correlation existed between fruit growth rate and growth rate of vegetative parts and Leaf Elongation Rate. Fruit load affected less the growth parameters of NR-LPP. Advantage of high population density of NR to produce higher LAI and dry mass in early growth stage did not exploit under the prevailed weather conditions due to excessive canopy and vegetative growth. Seed-cotton production and lint quality were significantly lower in NR-HPP. It is concluded that the NR-HPP system may be not adaptable or a risk under inconsistent weather conditions in a marginal cotton-belt, such that of Greece. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Isolation , cultivation , and genome analysis of proteorhodopsin-containing SAR 116-clade strain Candidatus Puniceispirillum marinum

51-629-6869; Fax: +82-51-629-6949 / (J.C. Cho) E-mail: chojc@inha.ac. kr; Tel. : +82-32-860-7711; Fax: +82-32-860-8842 Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://www.springerlink. com/content/120956. Copyright 2019, The Microbiological Society of Korea Junhak Lee, Kae Kyoung Kwon, Seung-Il Lim, Jaeho Song, Ah Reum Choi, Sung-Hyun Yang, Kwang-Hwan Jung, Jung-Hyun Lee, Sung Gyun Kang, Hyun-Myung Oh*, and Jang-Cheon Cho*