Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microbiological Studies of Vegetable LeavesSold in Elele Market, Rivers-State, Nigeria

The present study was carried out to evaluate some vegetable leaves sold in Elele markets for human consumption by investigating whether they harbour bacteria. Out of 300 samples examined, 218 (72.6%) harboured bacterial isolates. Depending on the types of vegetable leaves analysed, water leaves recorded the highest frequency of infected samples (16.0%), following by pumpkin leaves (15.0%), while bitter leaves had the lowest by (13.3%). Species of bacteria isolated were: Escherichia coli (29.3%), Staphylococcs aureus (22.9%), Enterobacter aerogenes (18.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.2%), Shigella species (5.5%), Alcaligenes feacalis (4.6%), Micrococcus species (3.7%) and Salmonella species (2.1%). All samples of water leaves, pumpkin leaves and green leaves harboured ten different bacterial species, with water leaves samples recording the highest occurrence of Escherichia coli (39.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (16.8%), Enterobacter aerogenes (15.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.4%), followed by pumpkin leaves with Escherichia coli (29.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (18.1%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.9%). In contrast, Citrobacter species, Micrococcus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella species could not be isolated from bitter leaves samples. The results of antibiotic susceptibility showed that Gram negative bacteria were highly sensitive (58.5-100%) to ofloxacin, (55.6-100%) to ciprofloxacin, while most of them were less sensitive (0.0-22.7%) to tetracycline. Gram positive bacteria had a susceptibility (90.9-100%) to pefloxacin, (81.8-100%) to ciprofloxacin and Bacillus cereus recorded the least susceptibility (9.1%) to erythromycin. Findings in this study still indicate poor handling practices and risks presented to the consumers at point-of-sale. There is need to educate the vendors and consumers on good sanitary practices during processing, display and sale of vegetables and also dangers associated with misuse of antibiotics. Quinolones could be the drugs of choice in the treatment of bacteria associated with food-borne infection.
Effect of Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre) Powder Intervention on the Blood Glucose Levels among Diabetics

Abstract Gymnema sylvestreis a natural herb. The present study was conducted to study the effect of gurmar leaf powder intervention on the blood glucose level of 20 non-insulin dependent diabetic women, (40-60) years residing in the Udaipur city, Rajasthan. Subjects selected were taking no oral hypoglycemic drug (i.e. newly diagnosed) and were willing to participate in the intervention study. Information regarding name, age, religion, lifestyle pattern, was collected with the help of interview schedule. Anthropometric parameters were collected prior to intervention to assess the nutritional status. Blood glucose levels were assessed before and after intervention period by using one touch horizon glucometer. Everyday 6 gm of gurmar leaf powder was used to intervene the subjects in three divided doses. Dietary survey using 24 hours recall method was also done. (3 days-once in a week). Results of intervention revealed that gurmar leaf powder had positive and encouraging effects over blood glucose levels. No adverse effect was observed on the health status of the subjects and it can thus be concluded that gurmar powder is effective in lowering the fasting as well as postprandial blood glucose levels.
The influence of fermentation and salting on the bacterial, chemical and sensory characteristics of catfish (Clarias buthupogon) based marinate in Nigeria

Catfish (Clarias buthupogon) was treated with 10% w/w NaCl and 15% w/w NaCl with or without the addition of spices (1% w/w garlic powder and 1% w/w red pepper) and allowed to ferment naturally and at room temperature (28 ± 2°C) for two weeks. Bacterial, chemical and sensory analyses were carried out on the unfermented non-salted and fermented salted samples of the fish species. Results obtained revealed that fermentation and salting caused a remarkable reduction in the total bacterial count from 2.29×106 to 3.80×105 cfu/g. There was also reduction in pH from 7.29 to 5.26. The predominant bacteria isolated from the samples were Lactobacillus sp, Staphylococcus spp for the unfermented non salted and fermented salted samples respectively while total titratable acidity increased from 0.63 to 1.44%. Chemical analysis result showed that fat and ash contents increased with fermentation and salting while moisture, protein and Nitrogen free Extracts (NFE) contents decreased with fermentation and salting of C. buthupogon. Free fatty acid, peroxide value and total volatile base (TVB) also showed increase with fermentation. Peroxide value ranged from 5.22 mEq/kg for unfermented non-salted to 8.43 mEq/kg for fermented 15%w/w salted products while total volatile base increased from 5.63 mgN/100 g unfermented non-salted to 16.85 mgN/100 g for fermented 10%w/w salted products. Sensory analysis indicates that stew containing fermented samples treated with 10%w/w NaCl and spices were more preferred than others. Key words: Catfish, microbial, chemical, sensory, marinate, fermentation.
Variable selection for inhomogeneous spatial point process models

In this work, we consider variable selection when modelling the intensity and clustering of inhomogeneous spatial point processes, integrating well‐known procedures in the respective fields of variable selection and spatial point process modelling to introduce a simple procedure for variable selection in spatial point process modelling. Specifically, we consider modelling spatial point data with Poisson, pairwise interaction and Neyman–Scott cluster models, and incorporate LASSO, adaptive LASSO, and elastic net regularization methods into the generalized linear model framework for fitting these point models. We perform simulation studies to explore the effectiveness of using each of the three‐regularization methods in our procedure. We then use the procedure in two applications, modelling the intensity and clustering of rainforest trees with soil and geographical covariates using a Neyman–Scott model, and of fast food restaurant locations in New York City with Census variables and school locations using a pairwise interaction model. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 43: 288–305; 2015 © 2015 Statistical Society of Canada
A Simplified Descriptor System Approach to Delay-Dependent Stability and Robust Performance Analysis for Discrete-Time Systems with Time Delays

A simplified descriptor system approach is proposed for discrete-time systems with delays in terms of linear matrix inequalities. In comparison with the results obtained by combining the descriptor system approach with recently developed bounding technique, our approach can remove the redundant matrix variables while not reducing the conservatism. It is shown that the bounding technique is unnecessary in the derivation of our results. Via the proposed method, delay-dependent results on quadratic cost and performance analysis are also presented.
Assessment of the Norway spruce plantation growth on a mountain forest site disturbed by windrowing and ameliorated by green alder.

Sach F. , Cernohous V. 2014: Assessment of the Norway spruce plantation growth on a mountain forest site disturbed by windrowing and ameliorated by green alder. Beskydy, 7 (2): 107–114 Mechanized windrowing in the top region of the Orlicke hory Mts. has disturbed hundreds of hectares of immission clearcuts during eighties. The soil surface on the Velka Destna Mountain was disturbed in 1987. One year later the Forest Research Station at Opocno established on this place the long-term research plot. Degree and extent of soil surface disturbance were recorded. Besides other experiments, the experimental Norway spruce plantation was established on three strips: control strip, strip treated by fertilizers or limestone (1991), and strip ameliorated by Alnus viridis plantation (1992). The effect of site degradation by mechanized windrowing has been indicated by young spruce growth for a long time period. The assessment of 17 years old spruce growth on the control strip shows significantly greater height increment on negligibly disturbed sites comparing to that on remarkably and very remarkably disturbed sites. Amelioration of spruce trees brings perspective outcomes on the strip biologically amended by Alnus viridis. High atmospheric depositions especially of nitrogen compounds, fungal disease by Ascocalyx abietina, climatic fluctuations, and high values of groundlevel ozone have brought new problems into spruce plantation performance since 1999. Nevertheless, it has been more substantially reduced by green alder.
Racism and Intolerance in Eastern Australia: a geographic perspective

Abstract Racism has become a fact of life in Australia over the past decade or so, yet there are relatively few studies of its nature or extent, and still fewer on its geography. Using a social constructivist approach, this study draws on a survey of 5056 respondents to investigate attitudes to racism and cultural diversity in New South Wales and Queensland, and of perceptions of out-groups as instances of ‘strangers in our midst’. On racism, results show the presence of a continuum of attitudes ranging from generally tolerant to generally intolerant, a presence which cuts across compositional (social or aspatial) characteristics to emphasise the existence of a distinctive geography, an everywhere different nature to racist and non-racist attitudes which transcends urban–rural and traditional social layers. On the other hand, perceptions of out-groups are not uniformly correlated with presence or absence of cultural diversity. In many cases, the ability to make judgements about significant ‘others’ or out-groups has been shown to relate more to abstract notions of self and national identity, reproduced in public by mainstream news media and political leaders. In particular, it may reflect an Anglo (or Anglo-Celtic) view on nationalism, which is a hallmark of the ‘new racism’: an assimilationist or ethnocultural view of Australian society which is different from the ‘civic nation’ ideal envisaged by multiculturalism. That the geography of attitudes and perceptions people have towards and about different cultural groups is so ‘everywhere different’ has important implications for attempts to address and redress issues of intolerance in Australia.
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND EARNINGS MANAGEMENT: THE ROLE OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS

The agency perspective of corporate governance emphasises the monitoring role of the board of directors. This study is concerned with analysing whether independent directors on the board and audit committee (recommendations of the ASX Corporate Governance Council, 2003) are associated with reduced levels of earnings management. The results support the hypotheses that a higher proportion of independent directors on the board and on the audit committee are associated with reduced levels of earnings management. The results are robust to alternative specifications of the model. This study adds to the very limited research into the relationship between corporate governance and earnings management in Australia. It also provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of some of the regulators’ recommendations, which may be of value to regulators in preparing and amending corporate
Genetic Factors Involved in the Genesis of Helicobacter Pylori-Induced Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is the second most frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in the world, and is the most common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract in East Asian populations (Parkin et al., 1997; Parkin et al. 1999). Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is an established risk factor for developing gastric cancer and its precancerous lesions, which was evidenced by numerous epidemiological studies (Hamilton & Aaltonen, 2000; Tsuji et al., 2006). More than 50% of the world’s population is estimated to be infected with this bacterium (Danesh, 1999). It is demonstrated that the risk of the subjects with H. pylori infection is from 2to 6fold (Eslick et al., 1999). In addition, some trials on H. pylori eradication revealed that cure of its infection reduces the gastric cancer development in high-risk populations (Fukase et al., 2008; Wong et al., 2004).
Performance evaluation of linear crosstalk impairments in array waveguide grating router in WDM networks

Theoretical analysis is carried out to evaluate the performance of a Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) network transmission system in the presence of crosstalk due to an array waveguide grating router. It is found that linear crosstalk induced by the array waveguide induces higher penalty when the number of add/drop channels is increased and therefore imposes severe limitation on the maximum number of add/drop channels and the number of users accessing the WDM network.
Modeling whistler wave generation regimes in magnetospheric cyclotron maser

Abstract. Numerical analysis of the model for cyclotron instability in the Earth's magnetosphere is performed. This model, based on the self-consistent set of equations of quasi-linear plasma theory, describes different regimes of wave generation and related energetic particle precipitation. As the source of free energy the injection of energetic electrons with transverse anisotropic distribution function to the interaction region is considered. A parametric study of the model is performed. The main attention is paid to the analysis of generation regimes for different characteristics of energetic electron source, such as the shape of pitch angle distributions and its intensity. Two mechanisms of removal of energetic electrons from a generation region are considered, one is due to the particle precipitation through the loss cone and another one is related to the magnetic drift of energetic particles. It was confirmed that two main regimes occur in this system in the presence of a constant particle source, in the case of precipitation losses. At small source intensity relaxation oscillations were found, whose parameters are in good agreement with simplified analytical theory developed earlier. At a larger source intensity, transition to a periodic generation occurs. In the case of drift losses the regime of self-sustained periodic generation regime is realized for source intensity higher than some threshold. The dependencies of repetition period and dynamic spectrum shape on the source parameters were studied in detail. In addition to simple periodic regimes, those with more complex spectral forms were found. In particular, alteration of spikes with different spectral shape can take place. It was also shown that quasi-stationary generation at the low-frequency band can coexist with periodic modulation at higher frequencies. On the basis of the results obtained, the model for explanation of quasi-periodic whistler wave emissions is verified.
Poverty Levels and Maternal Nutritional Status as Determinants of Weight at Birth: An Ordinal Logistic Regression Approach

Th is paper explo res the possible influence of household poverty levels and maternal nutritional status on child's weight at birth. The 2003 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) measures weight at birth on an ordinal scale. Therefore, modelling techniques that take cognizance of ordinal responses are suitable fo r this situation. Ord inal logistic regression technique was employed for all analyses. Quintiles of wealth index were used as a measure of assets owned by households while body mass index was used to assess maternal nutritional status. Other demographic characteristics such as mother's age at birth of the child, educational attainment, locality (urban/rural) and geo-political zones were controlled for in the models. The sample size for survey was 5138. Wealth index and maternal nutrit ional status were positively associated with ch ild's weight at birth, wh ile mother's educational attain ment was not statistically significant. Significant and positive association of wealth index was evident with middle and richest when compared with those in the poorest category of wealth index. Mothers that were underweight are less likely to give birth to heavier child ren while those that were overweight or obese are more likely to give birth to children with heavier weights compared with mothers with normal BMI.
Homocysteine and Malondialdeyde (MDA) Levels Associated with the Occurrence of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) in Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) in Malaysia

Introduction: Atherosclerosis and following cardiovascular disease (CVD) are known as important reasons of the increased morbidity and mortality observed in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). The association of serum malondialdehyde (MDA), homocysteine as well as other cardiovascular risk factors in relation to existence and cause of CVD were investigated. Methods: In these study 66 CRF patients without dialysis and 107 patients receiving dialysis were recruited and further stratified into group with CVD and without CVD as case groups. Those without renal failure and CVD were assigned as control group (n=33). Results: The patients with CRF showed a significant increase in plasma levels of MDA, homocysteine and C-reactive protein (CRP) compared to control. The positive association were observed between homocysteine, creatinine and MDA (all p<0.01) and another positive association were between CRP and age, creatinine and MDA (all p<0.05). Analysis of association risk factors showed that only age, CRP and lipid profile had significant association with CVD events. Conclusion: The results demonstrated elevation in plasma values of MDA, homocysteine and CRP in patients with CRF, with or without CVD. However, these modifications may be lead to atherosclerosis and consequence CVD event. These parameters may be important with respect to the high morbidity and mortality of CVD found in patients with CRF.
Effects of the Thermal Characteristics of Snow Entrainment in Avalanche Run-Out at Bird Hill, South Central Alaska

Snow entrainment has a large impact on avalanche flow regime. It adds mass to the moving avalanche body which can amplify a fluidized or lubricated flow regime. Recent studies have demon- s trated the importance of the thermal characteristics of the entrained snow for avalanche rheology. Fluidi- zation and lubrication, typical for dry respectively wet avalanches, lead to increased run-out distance, velocity and impact pressure. At Bird Hill, located south-east of Anchorage, Alaska, along the Seward Highway and the Alaska Railroad, small avalanches have historically produced unexpectedly large and fast avalanches with long run-out distances. Deposition of large debris piles on the highway and the rail- r oad indicate significant snow entrainment. Bird Hill is unique for its maritime sub-arctic snowpack, small release zones, consistent steep slopes and minimal transition zones. In this project we will implement the 2-D dynamical run-out model RAMMS in order to examine the impact that the thermal snow cover proper- ties in the avalanche path have on avalanche flow regimes after entrainment. In agreement with current research, our early simulation results, presented in this paper, show that for avalanches to starve at the steep slopes of Bird Hill, snow cover temperature and density is equally or even more critical than the amount of entrained mass along the avalanche track. Snow cover characteristics can be correlated to weather data and monitored from weather station data. Our final project results may explain particular av- alanche behaviors at Bird Hill that can improve run-out assessments and thereby support decision-mak- ing of road closures at this dangerous highway and railroad corridor.
Self-Management Training for Chronic Stable Angina: Theory, Process, and Outcomes

Chronic stable angina (CSA) is a cardinal symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), charac‐ terized by pain or discomfort in the precordium, shoulder, back, arm, or jaw [1]. Angina pain symptoms—or equivalents such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and nausea—are considered stable if they are experienced over several weeks in the absence of major deterioration [1-3]. Those affected by CSA typically have CAD involving one or more large epicardial arteries, although individuals diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, endothe‐ lial dysfunction, or valvular stenosis/deficiencies may also exhibit angina [1]. Symptoms usually occur predictably upon physical exertion and are relieved by rest or nitroglycerin [1]. The severity of symptoms experienced can vary, typically ranging from Canadian Cardiovas‐ cular Society [CCS] class I to class III angina. A number of factors can also aggravate symptoms including heightened emotional states, diet, smoking, and weather [1,4].
Mobile Money Users' Functionings and Freedoms: Amartya Sen's Capability Approach

Over the last decade Amartya Sen's Capability Approach has emerged as the leading alternative to standard economic frameworks for thinking about poverty, inequality and human development generally. Professor Sen has developed, refined and defended a framework that is directly concerned with human capability and freedom [1]. This framework as it looks at peoples' freedoms and the means that enable them attain such freedoms, was found suitable for this study. This study therefore looked at mobile money users' functionings and freedoms in both rural and urban settings. The framework was therefore established to be suitable in studying societal development that focuses on the people, the development being yearned for and the means to attain such development.
An NMR study of the dehydration of NaBr . 2 H 2 O and Na 2 SO 4 . 10 H 2 O crystals

Heat storage in water vapour sorption in salt hydrates is one of the most promising techniques for compact, high efficiency and long term storage of solar heat. However the dehydration and hydration processes are not fully understood and current state of development is not sufficient for a large-scale introduction of this promising technique. In this project, moisture profiles of dehydrating grains of Na2SO4·10H2O and NaBr·2H2O crystals (dehydrated from one side only) were measured with a 4.7 T NMR-setup. NMR is an effective way to measure moisture content in porous materials, because it is specific to water and it is non-destructive, in contrast to other moisture measurement techniques. In these moisture profiles, a drying front is observed, progressing with √ t. This is explained by a simple diffusion model. From this model, the water vapour diffusion coefficients of samples with different grain sizes were calculated. For example, for grain diameter 1.0-2.0 mm: for Na2SO4·10H2O Dv = 2.2 ·10−5 m/s and for NaBr·2H2O : Dv = 1.4 ·10−5 m/s. These values are high compared to the vapour diffusion coefficient of air Dv = 2.82 · 10−5 m/s [1]. An important result from this project is that big grains dry faster than small grains. From the data, making hard conclusions about the correlation between Dv and grain diameter d is impossible. More measurements are required to verify the hypothesis stated in literature [2] that Dv ∝ d. In this project, also single crystals were investigated. The Na2SO4·10H2O single crystal turned out to dry homogeneously and much faster than grains of crystal. This is attributed to fast, liquid-like transport of water through through the single crystal. This could also explain why big grains dry faster than small grains. Initially, the NaBr·2H2O single crystal dried homogeneously, but after a certain time, a drying front appeared. It also dried slower than the granular samples with the bigger grain sizes. Possibly, water in NaBr·2H2O crystals is not able to redistribute itself as easily as water in Na2SO4·10H2O crystals.