Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of Solanum macranthum Dunal

Extracts of leaves, stem bark, roots and fruits of Solanum macranthum Dunal were subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening for the presence of plant secondary metabolites and in vitro antibacterial and antifungal studies respectively. The results of the preliminary investigation revealed the presence of alkaloids, the steroidal nucleus, saponins, tannins, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, reducing sugars and anthraquinones. The in vitro antimicrobial activity was done using agar well diffusion technique. Six clinical strains of human pathogenic microorganisms, comprising two Gram positive, two Gram negative bacteria and two fungi were utilized in the studies. The various plant extracts varied in their high inhibitory activity to Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli at 1000 mg/ml comparable to the reference antibacterial drug, gentamicin at 2.5 mg/ml. High activity was exhibited against Bacillus subtilis whilst Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger were moderately inhibited even at 2000 mg/ml. Key words : Solanum macranthum , Solanaceae , antimicrobial activity, phytochemical screening.
Disturbance of Microbial Core Species in New-Onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Abstract Over the past decades, the intestinal microbiota has increasingly gained attention in studies addressing the pathophysiology of (pediatric) autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory joint diseases, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and type 1 diabetes. In this study, we have analyzed the composition of gut microbiota of newly diagnosed juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients, prior to initiation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Fecal microbiota profiles of 8 JIA patients (median age: 11.1 years, 6 girls) were compared with 22 healthy age-matched controls using IS-pro, a 16S-23S interspacer (IS) region-based, eubacterial molecular detection technique. By partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), microbiota profiles of JIA and controls could significantly be discriminated based on a limited set of species belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes (Fig. 2), but not within other phyla, with a sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 73% (Fig. 3), and area under the curve (AUC) 0.87 (95% CI: 0.73–0.87). These discriminative species have been considered to be part of the microbial core in healthy children. Conclusion Our findings add to the increasing notion that the gut microbiota may be involved in the pathophysiology of JIA. Species involved in the discrimination between JIA and controls are members of the microbial core in the healthy state. Expanding knowledge on JIA-specific microbial signatures and host interactions may open avenues to explore options to develop individualized, microbiota-based preventive, and therapeutic interventions in JIA.
Robust Almost Periodic Dynamics for Interval Neural Networks with Mixed Time-Varying Delays and Discontinuous Activation Functions

The robust almost periodic dynamical behavior is investigated for interval neural networks with mixed time-varying delays and discontinuous activation functions. Firstly, based on the definition of the solution in the sense of Filippov for differential equations with discontinuous right-hand sides and the differential inclusions theory, the existence and asymptotically almost periodicity of the solution of interval network system are proved. Secondly, by constructing appropriate generalized Lyapunov functional and employing linear matrix inequality (LMI) techniques, a delay-dependent criterion is achieved to guarantee the existence, uniqueness, and global robust exponential stability of almost periodic solution in terms of LMIs. Moreover, as special cases, the obtained results can be used to check the global robust exponential stability of a unique periodic solution/equilibrium for discontinuous interval neural networks with mixed time-varying delays and periodic/constant external inputs. Finally, an illustrative example is given to demonstrate the validity of the theoretical results.
Calcareous nannofossil assemblages across the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary at the Peniche section (Ponta do Trovão, Lusitanian Basin)

Key-words: Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary, Peniche section, Biostratigraphy, Calcareous nannofossil assemblages, Biocalcification, Carbonate production. The Peniche section has revealed moderately-to-well preserved calcareous nannofossil assemblages across the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary. This good record has allowed the proposition of a refined biostratigraphic scheme. The stage boundary, as defined by ammonites, is comprised within the NJ5b C. impontus (NW Europe; BOWN & COOPER, 1998) or the NJT5b L. sigillatus (Mediterranean Tethys; MATTIOLI & ERBA, 1999) nannofossil subzones. Since in the Lusitanian Basin a mixing of N- and S-Tethyan taxa is observed, both biozonation schemes can be applied. Some nannofossil events (mainly first occurrences) are observed earlier in Portugal than in other Tethyan settings. It is still unclear if these events are real first occurrences. A diversification phase occurred across the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary. This phase is well recorded at Peniche, where a change is observed passing from the Pliensbachian, when assemblages are dominated by muroliths, to the Toarcian showing assemblages where placoliths are abundant. A quantification of nannofossils per gram of rock shows that absolute abundances are the highest across the Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary. Indeed, Peniche exhibits nannofossil abundances very high with respect to correlative levels in other Tethyan settings. The pelagic carbonate fraction (produced by nannofossils) is important in the marly hemi-couplets of Peniche. In some levels, nannofossils account for more than 50% of the total carbonate fraction.
Rapid and Mass Propagation of Economically Important Bamboo Dendrocalamus hamiltonii

An efficient and reproducible protocol for the large scale propagation of Dendrocalamus hamiltonii is described. To establish aseptic cultures, the seeds were disinfected with sodium hypochlorite (4%) for 20 min. For shoot induction, the seeds were further inoculated on MS medium supplemented with cytokinins. Multiple shoots were formed within 3-5 weeks of seed culture. 7-8 shoots were obtained when seeds were inoculated on MS medium supplemented with 35 μM BAP. The initiated shoots were excised from mother explants and further multiplied on MS medium, supplemented with defined plant growth regulators. Best shoot multiplication was observed on MS medium supplemented with BAP (10 μM). A regular subculture in every 3-4 weeks increased the rate of multiplication. To initiate in- vitro rooting, pulse treatment was given in a 2- step procedure. Excised propagules of 3-5 shoots were inoculated on MS medium supplemented with high concentration of auxin (IBA) for 7 days, later on these in vitro shoots were transferred to half strength MS medium without auxin for 10-15 days to obtain well rooted plants. Plantlets were hardened, acclimatized and established in soil, where they exhibited normal growth. As Bamboo rapidly fixes atmospheric carbon into biomass, it can reverse the effect of fossil fuel emission by vehicular usage.
Examining the Impact of Brand Equity and Value Proposition of Ecological Destination on Eco-tourists' Loyalty

The importance of brand equity and value proposition has long been acknowledged by both academic scholars and marketing practitioners. Considerable researches in consumer products have supported brand equity and value proposition as the major predictors of loyalty. Despite the widespread recognition that the associations between brand equity, value proposition and loyalty are well documented, little understanding of how they influences loyalty in the eco-tourism context. Thus, this research was aimed to explore the impact of brand equity and value proposition of ecological destination on eco-tourists' loyalty towards Kaeng Krachan National Park. This study employed the questionnaires as the means in collecting data with the prospect samples of 419 Thai tourists. The samples were recruited by purposive sampling and quota sampling by specifying two destinations of Kaeng Krachan National Park including Kaeng Krachan dam and Praneun Trung hill. The eco-tourists' attitudes towards brand equity (brand awareness and brand image of ecological destination) and value proposition (functional, emotional and self-expressive benefits) as well as the impact of these mentioned variables on loyalty were investigated. The empirical findings supported brand image, brand awareness, functional benefits and emotional benefits as the determinants of future revisit intention as hypothesized. Furthermore, brand awareness, functional value and emotional benefits were found to be the prerequisite of word of mouth recommendation. Discussions of the findings are also included.
Time attitude profiles in adolescents: Predicting differences in educational outcomes and psychological wellbeing

The purpose of the present study was to examine two research questions. Are there interpretable time attitude profiles based on positive and negative attitudes toward the past, the present, and the future in adolescents? If so, do time attitude profiles predict concurrent differences in adolescents' educational outcomes and psychological wellbeing? Results indicated that there are adolescent time attitude profiles. Adolescents ( M age = 16; N = 300) were grouped into three clusters: (a) an Optimistic profile ( n = 85, 28.3%), (b) a Tendentially Pessimistic profile ( n = 69, 23%), and (c) a Balanced profile ( n = 146, 48.7%). Adolescents with the Optimistic profile reported substantially higher positive time attitude scores and substantially lower negative time attitude scores than sample mean scores across Adolescent Time Perspective Inventory-Time Attitude subscales (ATPI-TA; Mello & Worrell, 2007). Tendentially Pessimistic adolescents reported similar scores for positive and negative attitudes toward all three time periods. Scores for negative time attitudes among Tendentially Pessimistic adolescents were substantially higher than sample mean scores, and scores for positive time attitudes among Tendentially Pessimistic adolescents were substantially lower than sample mean scores. The Balanced profile was characterized by more pronounced positive attitudes than negative attitudes toward all three time periods, and this cluster's scores were closest to the overall sample means across ATPI-TA subscales. Differences in adolescent time attitude profiles predicted concurrent differences in educational outcomes and psychological wellbeing. Optimistic adolescents reported higher scores for college type, educational expectations, grade point average, considering the future, and self-esteem than adolescents with Balanced or Tendentially Pessimistic profiles. Optimistic adolescents also reported the lowest scores for perceived stress. In contrast, adolescents with the Tendentially Pessimistic profile reported lower scores for college type, educational expectations, grade point average, considering the future, and self-esteem than adolescents with Balanced or Optimistic profiles. Moreover, Tendentially Pessimistic adolescents reported the highest scores for perceived stress.
Effect of Game-Based Learning Activities on Children’s Positive Learning and Prosocial Behaviours

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of game-based learning activities (GBL) on children’s positive learning and prosocial behaviours. Games in this research are referred to a set of games with rules which are adapted or designed by the researcher based on the National Pre-school Standard Curriculum for preschool mathematics education. The games involved the use of cards, game board, and dice. Children played the games in groups. This research used quasi-experimental with non-equivalent control group pre test/post-test research design. The treatment group consisted of 23 preschool children using GBL while the control group consisted of 24 preschool children who use traditional methods of teaching and learning. An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare the mean score of children’s learning behaviours between treatment and control group. There was a significant difference in the mean scores for treatment group (M = 38.74, SD = 5.5) and control group (M = 23.00, SD = 14.79) conditions; t (45) = -4.795, p = 0.00. Data collected for prosocial behaviour were based on the frequency of occurrence of behaviours that have been identified and presented in the form of graphs. The results showed that the treatment group gained much higher frequency of occurrence in prosocial behaviours compared to the control group. These results suggest that GBL is effective in nurturing children’s positive learning and prosocial behaviours. The research can serve as a guideline especially to rural preschool teachers in applying GBL in their classroom.
Size at onset of sexual maturity and onset of spawning in female Panulirus homarus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palinuridae) in Sri Lanka

The average length at which female spiny lobsters Panulirus homarus attain sexual maturity was determined in Sri Lanka from 1986 to 1988 by observing changes in length of the tail, which later provldes the substratum for attachment of fertilized eggs. Results were confirmed by observing the presence of spermatophores on the females' sternum. The slze at onset of oviposition (spawning) was estimated by considering the '50 % ovlgerous' level Results indicate that female P. homarus attain sexual (gonad) matunty after a rostral carapace length (RCL) of between 38 and 47 mm is reached. The size at onset of oviposition (spawning) was estimated as 59 5 mm RCL.
Participatory diagnostic survey of constraints to youth involvement in cocoa production in Cross River State of Nigeria

Youth's roles in cocoa production cannot be undermined considering the need to ensure succession plan, industry success, and guaranteed future. The study diagnosed constraints hindering youth involvement in cocoa production in Cross River State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 20% of cocoa producing Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Cross River State resulting in three LGAs. To obtain a sample for the study, snowball techniques were used to select 45 youths, who are cocoa farmers, per LGA to give sample size of 135 cocoa farmers. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents (95%) were male, and between ages 21 and 40 years (82.5%). Regarding educational status, the majority of respondents (66.7%) have secondary school education while few (5%) realized above 2,500USD/ha from cocoa farm annually. The study revealed that respondents agreed that there are numerous constraints militating against youth involvement in cocoa farming. Eight major constraints identified among these constraints are youth rural-urban migration, high cost of cocoa production due to incidence of pests and diseases and youth interest in commercial motorcycle "Okada" business. Respondents ranked non-availability of basic amenities, rigorous nature of cocoa farming and youth interest in commercial motorcycle business first, second and third respectively. Stakeholders identified during Focus Group Discussion (FGD) included STCP/IITA, SOCCODEVI and ADP. STCP/IITA and ADP were however the closest to the cocoa farming community. The study concluded that there are constraints discouraging youth involvement in cocoa farming. Hence, to ensure good succession plans, the study recommended that all stakeholders must make effort to address the various constraints identified by respondents.
EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL REEXAMINATION OF CLASSIC CONCRETE BEAM TESTS

The classic series of beam tests conducted by Bresler and Scordelis some 40 years ago to investigate the behavior of reinforced concrete in shear, is commonly regarded as a benchmark against which finite element analysis models can be calibrated. A nominally identical set of beams was recently tested at the University of Toronto. Aspects of behavior of the original and duplicate beams are compared and discussed, including load–deformation response, load capacity, and failure mode. Generally, it was found that most aspects of behavior were well replicated. Test observations reveal that the behavior of the beams is highly influenced by crushing of concrete beneath and adjacent to the loading plates. In the case of the beams containing no shear reinforcement, failure was influenced by the reinforcement anchorage plates. The disturbances around the loading plates and anchor plates introduce complex three-dimensional effects, making the modeling of these beams using two-dimensional finite element techniques di.
Inflation Convergence and the New Keynesian, Phillips Curve in the Czech Republic

The New Keynesian Phillips Curve has become an important part of modern monetary policy models. It describes the relationship between inflation and real marginal cost, which is derived from micro-founded models with rational expectations, sticky prices, and forward and backward looking behaviour. This answers the previous critique of the Phillips Curve. We estimate several specifications of the New Keynesian Phillips Curve for the Czech Republic between 1996 and 2009. We show that the GMM suffers under the problem of weak instruments leading to biased estimates. In turn, the FIML is robust and yields significant estimates of structural parameters implying a strong forward looking behaviour.
Acquisition of aspect in self-organizing connectionist models

Abstract Two connectionist networks, DISLEX and DevLex-II, were used in this study to model the acquisition of lexical and grammatical aspect. Both models use multi-layered self-organizing feature maps, connected by associative links trained according to the Hebbian learning rule. Previous empirical research has identified a strong association between lexical aspect and grammatical aspect in child language, on the basis of which some researchers argue for innate semantic categories or prelinguistic predispositions. Our simulations indicate that such an association can emerge from dynamic self-organization and Hebbian learning in connectionist networks, without the need of a priori assumptions about the structure of innate knowledge. Our modeling results further attest to the utility of self-organizing neural networks in the study of language acquisition.
A pasting lemma and some applications for conservative systems

We prove that in a compact manifold of dimension n ≥ 2, C1+α volumepreserving diffeomorphisms that are robustly transitive in the C1-topology have a dominated splitting. Also we prove that for three-dimensional compact manifolds, an isolated robustly transitive invariant set for a divergence-free vector field cannot have a singularity. In particular, we prove that robustly transitive divergence-free vector fields in three-dimensional manifolds are Anosov. For this, we prove a ‘pasting’ lemma, which allows us to make perturbations in conservative systems.
SYSTEMATIC AND STOCHASTIC VARIATIONS IN PULSAR DISPERSION MEASURES

We analyze deterministic and random temporal variations in the dispersion measure (DM) from the full three-dimensional velocities of pulsars with respect to the solar system, combined with electron-density variations over a wide range of length scales. Previous treatments have largely ignored pulsars’ changing distances while favoring interpretations involving changes in sky position from transverse motion. Linear trends in pulsar DMs observed over 5–10 year timescales may signify sizable DM gradients in the interstellar medium (ISM) sampled by the changing direction of the line of sight to the pulsar. We show that motions parallel to the line of sight can also account for linear trends, for the apparent excess of DM variance over that extrapolated from scintillation measurements, and for the apparent non-Kolmogorov scalings of DM structure functions inferred in some cases. Pulsar motions through atomic gas may produce bow-shock ionized gas that also contributes to DM variations. We discuss the possible causes of periodic or quasi-periodic changes in DM, including seasonal changes in the ionosphere, annual variations of the solar elongation angle, structure in the heliosphere and ISM boundary, and substructure in the ISM. We assess the solar cycle’s role on the amplitude of ionospheric and solar wind variations. Interstellar refraction can produce cyclic timing variations from the error in transforming arrival times to the solar system barycenter. We apply our methods to DM time series and DM gradient measurements in the literature and assess their consistency with a Kolmogorov medium. Finally, we discuss the implications of DM modeling in precision pulsar timing experiments.
Breathing Intolerance Index and Control of Ventilation, a Non-invasive Method for Evaluating Inspiratory Muscle Endurance at Rest and Exercise, in Patients with Cardiomyopathy: One Year Follow-up

Rationale: Inspiratory muscle endurance as expressed by the tension-time index of the diaphragm [TTI=(Pdi/ Pdimax) × (Ti/Ttot)] in normal subjects and cardiorespiratory disorders requires the use of esophageal and gastric balloons. A noninvasive technique can be used in which the ratio of tidal volume to vital capacity (Vt/VC) is substituted for Pdi/Pdimax, with the resulting relationship [(Ti/Ttot) × (Vt/FVC)] called the breathing intolerance index (BIT). The response to medical management of BIT in patients with cardiomyopathy with chronic heartfailure has not been assessed before and after medical management. Objectives: To compare control of ventilation and BIT in patients with stable dilated cardiomyopathy at rest and exercise, and to analyze BIT, oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide elimination at baseline and approximately one year after initiating medical management. Methods: Control of ventilation and BIT were assessed in 24 patients (mean age 55.5 years; 17 males) at rest and at peak exercise during bicycle ergometry, at baseline and approximately 14 months later. Results: Median peak VO2 was 12.9 mL/kg/min and 14.3 mL/kg/min at baseline and followup, respectively (p<0.036, adjusted for age, gender and BMI). It increased 4.3 times from rest to peak exercise at baseline and 4.7 times at followup (NS). Peak V’O2 increased by 10.5% between baseline and followup (p=0.036 after adjusting for age, sex and BMI). BIT did not change significantly. Peak V’O2/BIT increased significantly from baseline to follow-up (p=0.008, adjusted for age, sex and BMI). No patients died or experienced acute heart failure during the study. Conclusions: Peak V’O2 in relation to non-invasively measured peak tension-time index of the respiratory muscles (BIT) increases significantly after one year of medical management, indicating increased efficient oxygen utilization as cardiac function improves. BIT is useful for noninvasively assessing inspiratory muscle endurance and relating oxygen uptake to ventilation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and chronic congestive heart failure
Exclusion of ethnic groups from the realm of humanity: prejudice against the gypsies in Britain and in Romania

Prejudice against ethnic minorities is investigated not only as the establishment of difference between social groups on valued dimensions but also as the denial of similarities that would prevent the inclusion of both ingroups and outgroups in the superordinate category of human-beings. The present study sought to explore the two concepts that are advanced to describe the phenomenon of dehumanisation of outgroups: their ontologisation and their infrahumanisation in relation to the Gypsy minority. British and Romanian participants were asked to rate their national ingroup and the Gypsies using characteristics judged typically human and typically animal following the ontologisation and infrahumanisation literature. The results indicated that the ontologisation of the Gypsies occurs in both national samples whereas their infrahumanisation is only verified for the British participants. The implications of these findings are discussed from the perspectives of the infrahumanisation and ontologisation.