Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pre-véraison treatment of salicylic acid to enhance anthocyanin content of grape (Vitis vinifera L.) berries.

BACKGROUND Grape berries produce significant amounts of phenolic compounds as an essential qualitative factor due to their nutritional value and effect on berry color and texture. Salicylic acid (SA) and its derivatives usually lead to enhancement of phenolic content in plant tissues. So, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of SA (0.0, 50.0, 100.0 and 200.0 mM) on the production of phenolic compounds and the derivatives (anthocyanin and flavonoid) in the grape berries with emphasizing on malvidin-3-O-β glucoside as a regular anthocyanin in red grapes. RESULT The obtained results showed that total phenolics content were significantly enhanced in SA treated (100.0 and 200.0 mM) berries compared to untreated ones. Also, SA treatment at all concentrations considerably improved entire anthocyanins content in the berries and, as compared with that of untreated berries, accumulation of malvidin-3-O-β glucoside was higher in salicylic acid treated fruits; especially 200.0 mM concentration caused approximately two times more malvidin-3-O-β glucoside than the control. DPPH scavenging capacity of the fruits treated with SA were significantly higher than those of the untreated berries. The activity of PAL in SA treated fruits significantly increased as compared to the untreated clusters. CONCLUSION A general evaluation of the current results leads us to the conclusion that SA is a suitable and recommendable treatment for improving and increasing phenolics and antioxidant capacity of grape berries. Therefore, spraying grape berries at pre-veraison stage with SA could be a convenient strategy to considerably increase quality and nutritional value of grape berries. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Computational Fluid Dynamic Modelling of Particle Charging and Collection in a Wire-to-Plate Type Single-Stage Electrostatic Precipitator

Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) have been widely used to control particulate pollutants, which adversely affect human health. In this study, a computational fluid-dynamic model for turbulent flow, particle trajectory, and particle charging in ESPs is presented using a pre-developed corona discharge model (Kim et al., 2010), wherein electric field and space charge distributions in the plasma region are numerically calculated. The ESP under consideration is a wire-to-plate single-stage ESP, which consists of a series of discharge wires and two collecting plates. Two different kinds of particulates are considered in this study; fly ash and sucrose particles. Fly ash was selected because many ESPs have been utilized in coal-fired power plants to capture fly ash particles generated from combustion. Sucrose was selected to compare our numerical calculation results with experimental data found in literature. The electrical characteristics of the ESP, particle trajectories, particle charge numbers, and collection efficiencies under various operating conditions are demonstrated. For fly ash, the overall collection efficiencies based on particle mass are 61, 86, 95, and 99% at 45, 50, 55, and 60 kV, respectively, at a flow velocity of 1 m s–1.
Information quality and analyst forecast accuracy

This paper presents a stochastic model of earnings to study and test how the precision of information that analysts have about the unobservable expected earnings growth rates of firms affects the accuracy of analyst earnings forecasts. The article develops a maximum likelihood procedure to estimate the precision of information that analysts have about expected earnings growth rates. Using the I/B/E/S and COMPUSTAT data sets, the authors find that earnings forecast accuracy is positively associated with information precision. This empirical finding helps explain why analyst earnings forecasts are more accurate than the forecasts that are based only on historical earnings data. It implies that investor may be better off relying on information precision rather than the size of a brokerage house to choose forecasting services.
Serum Lipid Profiling In Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy-NaÃƒÂ¯ve HIV Positive Patients In Ghana; Any Potential Risk?

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was unknown until the early 1980's and has since infected millions of persons in a worldwide pandemic. HIV infection results in relentless destruction of the immune system leading to the onset of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The AIDS epidemic has resulted in the deaths of over half of its victims [1] with its etiologic agent, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) being one of the commonest lethal infections worldwide. The total number of infections in sub-Saharan Africa continues to increase because of poor resource availability and awareness regarding the disease [2]. The first reported cases of HIV infection in Ghana were recorded in 1986, mainly among women who had travelled outside the country. By the end of December 1999, a cumulative total of 37,298 cases had been recorded. Nearly 90% of the cumulative AIDS cases from 1986-1999 are between the age group of 15-49 years, with 63% of all reported cases being females. The female-to-male HIV/AIDS infection ratio is gradually attaining parity; changing from 6:1 in 1987 to approximately 2:1 in 1998. According to the 2007 HIV Sentinel Survey and National HIV Prevalence AIDS Estimates Reports, an estimated 264,481 people are living with HIV/AIDS out of which 110,666 are males and 153, 815 are females [3]. The primary target of HIV infection is CD4+ lymphocyte because of the affinity of the virus to the CD4+ surface marker. HIV infection leads to progressive impairment of cellular functions, characterised by a gradual decline in peripheral blood CD4+ lymphocyte levels resulting in an increasing susceptibility to a wide range of opportunistic infections and certain malignancies [4]. Secondary infectious acute diseases have more evidently been associated with lipid abnormalities. These acute diseases can produce dyslipemia independent of the infective agent [5,6] and are mediated by different cytokines that regulate the immunological response to infect ion [7] . Hypertriglyceridaemia was the first dyslipidaemia to be reported in HIV infected patients with other lipid abnormalities such as hypocholesterolaemia or hypo HDL-cholesterolaemia also being reported [4]. Disorders of lipid metabolism have been described in patients with HIV infection before the introduction of HAART, including increased serum triglyceride (TG) levels and decreased cholesterol levels observed at various stages of HIV infection [8]. Considering the increasing incidence of HIV infection in Ghana and the fact that a number of infected patients will be put on HAART medication, this study was carried out to ascertain if any relationship existed between lipid profile and the different clinical stages of HIV infection and the potential risks, if any, it might pose to patients who were about to be enrolled on HAART medication.
Combined Hemostasis and Adhesion Prevention with the Novel Agent 4DryField® PH—Initial Observations

Large size peritoneal trauma from extended surgery for high-grade expansive uterus pathology or endometriosis might result in severe diffuse bleeding and peritoneal adhesion formation with objectionable sequelae. This paper introduces 4DryField® PH polysaccharide powder certified for two indications: 1) given as powder 4DryField® PH provides hemostasis; 2) transformed into gel, 4DryField® PH forms an adhesion prevention barrier. Twenty-one women with expanded uterus pathology and/or deep infiltrating endometriosis had surgery including repair of intestine lesions (n = 8), ureterolysis/repair of bladder, including retrograde ureteric stents (n = 5). Subjective impression of hemostatic effect, drain loss and infection parameters were recorded. Six women had scheduled second look laparoscopy. 4DryField® PH applied as powder showed an immediate significant hemostatic effect in all instances, especially in profound diffuse bleeding. Mean drain loss was 497 ± 339 mL, moderate considering the extent of disease. Dripped with saline solution, 4DryField® PH immediately formed a viscous gel acting as a barrier for adhesion prevention. Second look laparoscopy revealed only one patient with significant adhesions. No adverse events were observed; discharge was at Day 6.2 ± 1.4. In this cohort with extended gynecological laparoscopic surgery 4DryField® PH was very effective for hemostasis. The results of second look laparoscopies showed mainly no or minor adhesions. This can be considered very favorable regarding the extent of disease in these patients. Considering the twofold effect in hemostasis and adhesion prevention, 4DryField® PH is a very helpful tool especially in extensive and complicated surgeries. Prospective randomized studies are necessary to prove these promising results in larger series.
Characterization of agro-well water in Malwathu Oya cascade-I in Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka

Malwathu Oya cascade is one of the largest and intensively cultivated small tank cascade systems in Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka. Agro-wells are the most valuable resource for many farmers in this cascade area as these shallow dug wells have a good potential to sustain crop production during the dry season. However, deterioration of groundwater quality during the dry period has been reported in many parts of the dry zone. Therefore, this study focused on the characterization of agro-well water for its suitability for irrigation in the Malwathu Oya cascade based on its quality and availability. Groundwater samples were collected during March to September 2012 to cover the dry period during which the water quality deterioration has been reported in the dry zone. Electrical Conductivity (EC), pH, concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, and depth of groundwater were measured from 20 selected agro-wells. The residual sodium carbonate (RSC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and sodium percentage (Na %) were calculated using the measured parameters. Based on the depth of groundwater available at the end of dry season, 35%, 25%, 25% and 15% of the wells recorded low, moderate, high and very high groundwater potential, respectively. The EC data showed that 35%, 55% and 10% of the wells had good, doubtful and unsuitable quality of irrigation water, respectively. According to SAR and RSC, all the wells had water good for irrigation. Based on the percentage sodium, 10% of the wells had excellent, 60% had good, 25% had permissible and 5% had doubtful quality irrigation water. According to the US salinity hazard diagram 40% of wells had medium salinity and low sodium hazard. Fifty percent of the samples had high salinity and low sodium hazard while 10 % of the samples had very high salinity and medium sodium hazard. Based on the water quality parameters measured, 25%, 15%, 50% and 10% of the wells in Malwathu Oya cascade fall into good, permissible, doubtful and unsuitable category for irrigation, respectively. Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 25 (1): 46-55 (2013)
IDENTIFICATION OF MALICIOUS VEHICLE IN VANET ENVIRONMENT FROM DDOS ATTACK

Security is one in all the main problems in VANET. Cooperation among inter-vehicular networks and device networks placed inside the vehicles or on the road need to be further investigated and analysed. As the number of vehicles grows the trust between them should also be maintained for the flexible communication. There are lots of analysis regarding VANET for driving services, traffic data services, user communication and knowledge services. This network, with its huge size, plays a critical role in communication because all types of people use it to achieve daily routine required service. A small error in these can cause great disaster in roads specially. Imagine an attacker take control over a worldwide VANET-based network then he will be able to break it and cause chaos in all roads . VANET will perform effective communication by utilizing routing info. Some researchers’ area unit contributed tons within the space of VANET. During this article in the main that specialize in important options, performance improvement, over read of routing protocol and represents the previous work has in hot water conveyance unintended network (VANET).
The Effectiveness of the Conceptual Maps Strategy in Improving Conversational Skills of the Upper Basic Stage Students in Jordan

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the conceptual maps on improving the conversational skills of the students in the upper basic stage in Jordan. Data was collected via from a test developed by researcher which consisted of (50) items. The sample of the study consisted of (72) students, (9 th and 10 th ) grades, randomly selected from one of Aljamia District schools in Amman, distributed in two groups: experimental and control, then applied the same tribal test as a post-test for the same groups after teaching the experimental group students on how to use the concept of conceptual map. The results showed that there was a positive effect among the experimental group in the field of conversational skills, and there were statistically significant differences among the students who were suffering from speech anxiety while talking with their teacher or classmates. Key w ords : Conversational Skills, Traditional Education, Map concept, Upper Basic Stage Students.
Agile Requirements Engineering in Practice: Status Quo and Critical Problems

Requirements Engineering (RE) is being treated differently in agile development when compared to more traditional development processes. Yet, there is little empirical knowledge on the state of the practice and contemporary problems in agile RE. As part of a bigger survey initiative (Naming the Pain in Requirements Engineering), the main goal of this paper is to build an empirical basis on such aspects of agile RE, based on the responses of representatives from 92 different organisations. Our survey data analyses revealed that agile RE concentrates on free-text documentation of requirements elicited with a variety of techniques. The backlog is the central means to deal with changing requirements. Commonly traces between requirements and code are explicitly managed and testing and RE are typically aligned. Furthermore, continuous improvement of RE is performed due to intrinsic motivation and RE standards are commonly practiced. Among the main problems, we highlight incomplete requirements, communication flaws and moving targets. Those problems were reported to happen commonly in agile projects and to have critical consequences, including project failure. Overall, our findings show that most organisations conduct RE in a way we would expect and that agile RE is in several aspects not so different from RE in other development processes.
Production of extra quarks at the Large Hadron Collider beyond the Narrow Width Approximation

This paper explores the effects of both finite width and interference (with background) in the pair production and decay of extra heavy quarks with charge 2/3 at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This dynamics is normally ignored in standard experimental searches and we assess herein the regions of validity of current approaches, also evaluating the performances of a set of current experimental analyses at 8 and 13 TeV for the deterimination of the excluded regions in the $(M_{\rm VLQ},\Gamma_{\rm VLQ})$ plane, $M_{\rm VLQ}$ being the mass of the VLQ and $\Gamma_{\rm VLQ}$ its width. Further, we discuss the configurations of masses, widths and couplings where the latter breaks down.
Mutagenic effect of sodium azide (NaN3) on M2 generation of Brassica napus L. (variety Dunkled)

The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of different doses (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8%) of sodium azide (SA) on M2 generation of Brassica napus (variety Dunkled) on some qualitative, quantitative and biochemical parameters. The result showed that days to germination, days to flowering and days to siliqua maturation were delayed (9.4, 98 and 153 days respectively) in higher treatment as compared to control (5.4, 96 and 147 days respectively). Higher concentration of SA (0.8%) decreased germination percentage (88.56%), plant height (97.95 cm), stem diameter (3.49 cm), number of branches/plant (3.49), number of leaves/plant (10), number of siliqua/plant (64.68), number of seed/siliqua (20.09) and 1000 seeds weight (3.91g) as compared to control. An increase was noticed for siliqua length (5.42 cm) in higher concentration of SA (0.8%) as compared to control (5.24 cm). Proximate analysis showed a significant decrease in oil, oleic acid and glucosinolates contents percentage (42.6%, 54.9%, and 58.5 μmol/g respectively) in higher concentration of SA (0.8%) as compared to control (44.7%, 58.1% and 71.3 μmol/g respectively) while a significant increase was noticed in proteins, moisture, linoleic acid and erucic acid percentage (28.4%, 5.9%, 9% and 37.3% respectively) in higher concentration of SA (0.8%) as compared to control (26.8%, 5.5%, 8.4% and 35.2% respectively.
Heterogeneous Beliefs, a Short-Sale Restriction, and the Cross Section of Stock Returns: An Evidence from China

We find a negative cross-sectional relation between heterogeneous beliefs and future stock returns in China, where short sale is prohibited in our sample period. Compared to other empirical works, which often be done in a market without short sale prohibition, we obtain this strong negative results after controlling several characteristics of stocks, such as size, leverage, book to market ratio and momentum. This negative relationship supports theoretical conjecture on heterogeneous beliefs (Miller(1977)). Our heterogeneous beliefs proxy is unexplained turnover, which is turnover of individual stocks adjusted by market turnover and its momentum. We also control the liquidity and idiosyncratic uncertainty in the robust test. These two factors are often attributed to the reason of the negative relation between turnover and future returns.
Wage premium of fatherhood and labor supply in Japan

Using data from the Japanese Panel Survey of Consumers (JPSC)1994-2006, we examine the effect of child birth on fathers’ wage rates and labor supply in Japan. We also compare effects of fatherhood among different cohorts by dividing the JPSC sample into two birth year cohorts (born in or before 1960 and born after 1960). We find that birth of child significantly increase hourly wage rates by 2.8 percents and annual work by 65 hours. Comparing with results in the U.S. (Lundberg and Rose 2002), the effect of child birth on labor supply is large but the effect on wage rates are relatively small in Japan. We also find that child birth have different impact on labor market outcome between the early and the later cohorts. In the early cohort, birth of child significantly increases wage rates but has no significant effect on labor supply. On the contrary, birth of child does not increases wage rates but significantly increases labor supply in the later cohort. Finally, we examine how gender difference of children matters. Although the impact of gender difference is not so large, the effect of birth of sons is larger than the effect of birth of daughters.
Two-Step Robust Diagnostic Method for Identification of Multiple High Leverage Points

Problem statement: High leverage points are extreme outliers in the X-direction. In regression analysis, the detection of these leverage points becomes important due to their arbitrary large effects on the estimations as well as multicollinearity problems. Mahalanobis Distance (MD) has been used as a diagnostic tool for identification of outliers in multivariate analysis where it finds the distance between normal and abnormal groups of the data. Since the computation of MD relies on non-robust classical estimations, the classical MD can hardly detect outliers accurately. As an alternative, Robust MD (RMD) methods such as Minimum Covariance Determinant (MCD) and Minimum Volume Ellipsoid (MVE) estimators had been used to identify the existence of high leverage points in the data set. However, these methods tended to swamp some low leverage points even though they can identify high leverage points correctly. Since, the detection of leverage points is one of the most important issues in regression analysis, it is imperative to introduce a novel detection method of high leverage points. Approach: In this study, we proposed a relatively new two-step method for detection of high leverage points by utilizing the RMD (MVE) and RMD (MCD) in the first step to identify the suspected outlier points. Then, in the second step the MD was used based on the mean and covariance of the clean data set. We called this method two-step Robust Diagnostic Mahalanobis Distance (RDMDTS) which could identify high leverage points correctly and also swamps less low leverage points. Results: The merit of the newly proposed method was investigated extensively by real data sets and Monte Carlo Simulations study. The results of this study indicated that, for small sample sizes, the best detection method is (RDMDTS) (MVE)-mad while there was not much difference between (RDMDTS) (MVE)-mad and (RDMDTS) (MCD)-mad for large sample sizes. Conclusion/Recommendations: In order to swamp less low leverage as high leverage point, the proposed robust diagnostic methods, (RDMDTS) (MVE)-mad and (RDMDTS) (MCD)-mad were recommended.
The first scarabaeid beetle (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae) described from the Mesozoic (Late-Cretaceous) of Africa

A full description is given of the first scarabaeid beetle documented from the Mesozoic (Late Cretaceous) of Africa (Orapa, Botswana). Brief and partial descriptions of this beetle have appeared in two previous review papers of fossils from the Orapa Diamond Mine. This work represents an updated analysis and interpretation of the fossil based on character comparison and phylogenetic analysis. The new genus and species, Ceafornotensis archratiras, are described in Melolonthinae incertae sedis. Phylogenetic analysis suggests a sister group relationship with the tribe Phaenognathini (Melolonthinae incertae sedis). Although phytophagy in the adult beetle cannot be confirmed, it is proposed that angiosperms could have contributed to a proportion of its diet (larval or adult). This beetle may belong to a stem lineage of pleurostict scarabaeids which later experienced major radiation in response to widespread environmental changes brought about by continuing radiation of the angiosperms.
Towards a function for an Arabidopsis protein involved in sucrose dynamics

System based models of plants rely on descriptions and assigned functions of genes, and currently 50% of the genes in Arabidopsis thaliana has either no assigned function or a function based on homology only. Mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK's) are key players in cell signalling and are conserved among eukaryotes, though their targets are highly diverse. A recent study has described a small Arabidopsis protein (80), without homology to any described protein, as a phosphorylation target of the MAPK's MPK3/6. Further work established α-glucan phosphorylase (PHS) as interacting with 80 and described a delayed senescence phenotype for 80 knock-out plants. This work has examined the effect of flagellin and sucrose on the stability of the 80 protein in seedling culture. In whole plants the effect of 80 on glucose, sucrose and the glucose residue content of the soluble heteroglycan (SHG) pool, as well as 80's stability during senescence has been investigated. 80 was found to be degraded under induced leaf senescence, in a way similar to that of induced darkness in whole plant systems. At day-time leaves from 80knock-out plants exhibited an increase in sucrose and no changes in glucose content. At night-time 80knock-out plants exhibited an increased sucrose:glucose ratio. 80knock-out leaves did not exhibit significant changes in sucrose and glucose content during senescence. In seedlings, 80 was found to be stabilised by sucrose and flagellin, though the sucrose dependent stabilisation was partly inhibited by flagellin.