Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Some quality attributes of complementary food produced from flour blends of orange flesh sweetpotato, sorghum, and soybean

The study investigated the chemical, functional, and sensory attributes of orange flesh sweetpotato, sorghum, and soybean during storage. Orange flesh sweetpotato flour, sorghum flour, and soybean flour were blended together at four different ratios of 40:40:20, 30:50:20, 20:60:20, and 10:70:20, respectively, while 100% sorghum flour was used as control. The five flour blends were used to prepare complementary foods, and sensory attributes of foods were determined using a nine point hedonic scale. The flour blend with the highest overall acceptability score was packaged in a high density polyethylene bag and stored for the period of eight weeks. During storage, the functional properties and the chemical properties of the flour blend were determined every two weeks. The result obtained for the sensory properties of the complementary food shows that the sample 40:40:20 was accepted by the panellists. The functional properties of the blend during storage ranged from 0.57 to 0.60 g/mL, 69 to 86 %, 3.74 to 4.19 g/g, 2.82 to 3.12 %, and 77.50 to 94.50 % for bulk density, dispersibility, swelling power, solubility, and water absorption capacity, respectively, while the chemical analysis ranged from 7.11 to 9.40 %, 1.02 to 3.59 % and 0.05 to1.28 meq/kg for moisture, free fatty acids, and peroxide value, respectively. The study showed that the flour blend of 40:20:40 had the most preferred functional properties and complementary food produced from it had best attributes in terms of taste, colour, viscosity, and overall acceptability.
EVIDENCE FOR WIND-MEDIATED, SELF AND CROSS POLLINATION OF 'HASS' AVOCADO TREES GROWING IN MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENTS

SUMMARY Pollination experiments were conducted during the 2001 flowering season on the MexicanGuatemalan hybrid, ‘Hass’, avocado growing at two locations in southern California. Pollen deposition was observed on stigmas during floral stages 1 and 2 in flowers borne on trees that were either enclosed in net cages or were open pollinated in order to determine if self pollination occurs in this cultivar in a comparatively humid coastal area and in a dry, inland area. The orchards were provided with beehives to facilitate pollination by bees. Several complimentary, pollinizing cultivars were planted in the orchards but ‘Zutano’ trees were located closest to the ‘Hass’ rows. The seran netting used to make the cages was constructed with an open mesh to facilitate maximum airflow through the cages while preventing bee access to the flowers. The proportion of pollinated stage 1 and 2 flowers were determined and averaged over 8 and 10 days at the two locations. On average, the proportion of flowers being self pollinated within flowers in stage 2 at both the humid and dry locations was 18% regardless of whether the flowers were inside or outside cages. The mean proportion of flowers pollinated in stage 1 in trees at the humid location was about 3.5% both inside and outside the cages. The mean proportion of stage 1 flowers pollinated in trees at the dry location was about 4.5% inside cages and 7.4% outside the cages. The results of this single year of observation demonstrate that self pollination within flowers is a significant event in ‘Hass’ trees growing in a Mediterranean environment and that wind-borne pollen plays a dominant role in cross pollination of stage 1 flowers despite the large numbers of bees working in the bloom.
A Mixed Splicing Procedure for Economic Time Series

This note develops a flexible methodology for splicing economic time series that avoids the extreme assumptions implicit in the procedures most commonly used in the literature. It allows the user to split the required correction to the older of the series being linked between its levels and growth rates on the basis what he knows or conjectures about the persistence of the factors that account for the discrepancy between the two series that emerges at their linking point. The time profile of the correction is derived from the assumption that the error in the older series reflects the inadequate coverage of emerging sectors or activities that grow faster than the aggregate.
An investigation into the general public’s attitudes towards the police in Greater Manchester

The current research investigated public attitudes towards the police using a questionnaire given to 100 participants recruited from Greater Manchester. The participants were recruited using an opportunity sampling technique and were of a mix of genders and from a range of ages. The research aimed to find out if there were differences in attitudes towards the police between a variety of variables which were gender, age, victimisation and contact with the police. The questionnaire, designed in the style of a 5 point Likert scale, combined relevant items from 3 existing questionnaires relating to confidence in the police, personal characteristics of the police and perceived police fairness. Scores on the questionnaires were analysed using the computer program SPSS to discover any trends among the participants. A 2x3 ANOVA found a significant effect of gender and age on confidence in the police. Males and younger participants had significantly lower confidence in the police than females and older participants. Four independent t-tests concluded that contact with the police and having been a victim of crime did not significantly affect confidence. A discussion of the findings concludes that two out of the four hypotheses were significantly proven, and ideas for future research are proposed.
Plasmid Profile Analysis of Aminoglycoside-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolated From Urinary Tract Infections

Background: Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) is the primary cause of human urinary tract infections (UTIs) worldwide. Moreover, there has been renewed and growing interest in using older antibiotics for treatment, such as aminoglycosides. Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine the plasmid profile patterns of UPEC isolates harboring the aminoglycoside resistance gene aac(3)-IIa. Patients and Methods: A total of 276 uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) samples were isolated from UTI patients at the Tehran heart cente rin Tehran, Iran. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing against five aminoglycosides was performed by the disk diffusion method, and the aac(3)-IIa gene was detected via PCR. Moreover, plasmid profiling was carried out on those UPEC isolates harboring the aac(3)-IIa gene. Finally, the similarities among these isolates were determined on the basis of their plasmid profiles. Results: The highest level of resistance was seen for tobramycin (24.6%), and the aac(3)-IIa gene was found in 51 isolates. Twentyseven different plasmid profiles were identified among the isolates harboring the aac(3)-IIa gene, with the 15 kb plasmid being the most common. Moreover, no significant correlation was found between the resistance patterns and the number of plasmids. The cluster analysis based on the plasmid profiles grouped the isolates into five different clusters, of which cluster one was the largest (containing 14 of 51 isolates). Conclusions: Our data suggest the monitoring of aminoglycoside resistance, and its consideration in the empirical therapy of UPEC infections.
Field Evaluation of Transgenic Tobacco Containing Genes Encoding Bacillus thuringiensis ∂-Endotoxin or Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor: Efficacy Against Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki HD-73 delta-endotoxin or cowpea, Vigna unguiculata , trypsin inhibitor (CpTI) were evaluated for efficacy against artificial infestations of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) under field conditions. Mortality of H. zea larvae was significantly higher and leaf damage significantly lower for the genotype containing Bacillus thuringiensis gene compared with nontransgenic control. Few H. zea larvae survived beyond first instar on the Bacillus thuringiensis genotype. Larval mortality was also higher and leaf damage lower on the CpT1 genotype than its corresponding control, but the effect was less consistent and less pronounced than that produced by the Bacillus thuringiensis genotype. Neither transgenic genotype had a significant effect on natural infestations of the other phytophagous or predacious insects that were monitored.
Formal Credit, Corruption and the Informal Credit Market in Agriculture: a Theoretical Analysis

The paper presents a theory of interest rate determination on informal credit in backward agriculture when there is a market for formal credit. The farmer has to bribe the official of the formal credit agency in order to get formal credit. The official and the moneylender play a non-cooperative game in choosing the amount of formal credit and the informal interest rate, respectively. The informal-sector interest rate and the effective formal-sector interest rate (incorporating the bribe) are equal in equilibrium. A reduction in the formal interest rate and/or an increase in the price of the product may lead to an increase in the equilibrium bribing rate and the informal interest rate when the formal credit and the informal credit are complementary to each other.
Recognition of Prior Learning Within Formal Adult Education in Denmark

The paper presents key findings of a study on recognition of prior learning (RPL) within adult education in Denmark. In 2007, a major reform extended the possibilities of RPL in adult education. Although some institutions have a relatively high level of RPL activity, the study reveals comprehensive barriers to using RPL across all education areas. The most important barrier is lack of awareness, and institutions responsible for RPL to some extent fail to inform the public about RPL. But there are also a range of other barriers, for instance that many representatives of educational institutions find it difficult to connect skills development at enterprises with RPL in the formal education system. Another important finding is that RPL is primarily used to give access to an institution’s own programs rather than other kinds of application. In addition to this, educational institutions find it difficult to see RPL as a profitable activity. Furthermore, there is resistance among some teachers to the principles of RPL. These findings indicate a range of challenges to strengthening the spread of RPL.
Emotional Communication and Attachment Security in Infants At Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders

of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Professor Daniel S. Messinger. No. of pages in text. (50) Thirty-two infants and their parents were observed at 6 months in the Face-toFace/Still-Face (FFSF) paradigm. Attachment security was assessed in the Strange Situation Paradigm (SSP) at 15 months. Eighteen of these infants had an older sibling with a clinically diagnosed ASD (ASD-siblings) and 14 had older siblings with no ASD (comparison-siblings). Results suggested that at fifteen months, before diagnostic outcomes are available, ASD-sibs are no more likely to evidence insecurity in attachment, or attachment disorganization, than are COMP-sibs. Additionally, 15-month secure and insecure infants differed with respect to 6-month gazing at their parent’s face during the still-face (SF) and reunion (RE) episodes as well as the amount they were tickled by their parent in the RE episode. Parent tickling in the RE episode appeared to be differentially associated with later attachment security between ASD and COMP-sibs. For COMP-sibs insecurity in attachment at 15-months was associated with more parent tickling in the RE episode. For ASD-sibs it was not. Results suggest that infant and parent emotional behaviors at 6 months of age in a standardized emotion-eliciting paradigm provide a window into the processes of developing attachment security.
THE USE OF RED ONCOM POWDER AS POTENTIAL PRODUCTION MEDIA FOR FIBRINOGENOLYTIC PROTEASE DERIVED FROM Bacillus licheniformis RO3

The high cost of enzyme production is one of the barriers to successful application of enzyme in the industry. Selection of media is a critical factor for the enzyme production. Main factors for optimization of enzyme production include nutritional components and environmental conditions for growth and production of fibrinogenolytic protease. In this study, Bacillus licheniformis RO3 isolated from red oncom, an Indonesian fermented food was tested for its fibrinogenolytic protease production by using several media. Three types of media were analyzed, i.e. Luria-Bertani broth (LB), 1⁄2 LB + 1% skim milk (LBS), and 1⁄2 LB + 1% red oncom powder (LBO). Protease activity was tested by using spectrophotometric method with casein as a substrate and fibrinogenolytic activity was confirmed based on zymography assay using fibrinogen substrate. In LB media, B. licheniformis RO3 was able to produce protease with activity of 0.024 U/ml or 0.157 U/mg at 36 h fermentation. In LBS media, the highest protease activity was 0.022 U/ml or 0.152 U/mg at 48 h fermentation. The best result was shown by B. licheniformis RO3 grown in LBO media with the highest protease activity of 0.051 U/ml or 0.283 U/mg at 48 h. Zymographic profiles showed that crude enzyme from B. licheniformis RO3 consisted of six fibrinogenolytic bands with molecular weight of 20, 27, 32, 40, 70, and >140 kDa. These results indicate that red oncom powder can be used as a potential media for fibrinogenolytic protease production.
Clinical characteristics and outcome of H1N1 (2009) pneumonia with special reference to radiological features in a tertiary care hospital in northern Karnataka

Background: In late March 2009, an outbreak of respiratory illness, later proved to be caused by swine origin influenza A (H1N1) virus (S-OIV) was identified in Mexico. Thereafter many countries worldwide have reported the incidence of this pneumonia. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical characteristics and radiological features of positive cases of confirmed Influenza A H1N1 (2009) infection in a tertiary care hospital in northern part of Karnataka. Material and Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical charts, laboratory investigations and radiographs of 57 positive cases of Influenza A H1N1 (2009) infection was done. Throat swab of all these patients were confirmed by real time RT- PCR assay (reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method). Results: A total of 57 cases were infected with influenza A H1N1 (2009) virus. They belonged to 20 to 40 years of age, with the mean age being 35. Acute onset cough, fever and breathlessness were the most common clinical presentation. Some of them had chest pain, sore throat, rhinitis, hemoptysis and vomiting. Twenty patients had co-morbid conditions like type 2 diabetes mellitus, IHD and one of them was a case of carcinoma breast on chemotherapy. Features of leucopenia, leucocytosis, thrombocytopenia, raised liver function parameters and raised blood serum creatinine were the major laboratory features. Radiologically, almost all of the patients had confluent ground glass appearance on chest radiographs, with bilateral distribution of the patchy infiltrations in multiple lung zones. A typical consolidation was conspicuous by its absence. Pleural effusion was present in 14% of the cases. A total of 35 patients required mechanical ventilation and 26 of them succumbed to death. Hypoxemia and thrombocytopenia were the major risk factors for the mortality with H1N1 pneumonia. It was also observed that involvement of four or more lung zones and bilateral peripheral opacities was associated with higher mortality in these patients. Raised liver function test parameters and raised serum creatinine levels were the indicators for development of MODS. Mortality on mechanical ventilator for these patients was very high (p<0.0008). Conclusions: The present study revealed the serious nature of H1N1 pneumonia with high mortality due to ARDS and MODS in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. This emphasizes the need for early institution of the antiviral therapy and close monitoring in these patients.
Hydrological drought and the role of refugia in an endangered riffle-dwelling fish, Nooksack dace (Rhinichthys cataractae ssp.)

Understanding the impacts of hydrological drought, and the role that refugia play in mitigating these impacts, is crucial to the conservation of freshwater fishes. This is especially true for species adapted to riffles, which are typically the first habitats to dewater at low discharge. We examined the relationship among decreasing stream discharge, abundance, and habitat use for Nooksack dace (Rhinichthys cataractae ssp.), an endangered riffle-dwelling species. A complementary experimental manip- ulation examined the effects of flow on growth rate across a discharge gradient in riffle and pool habitats. We found that low-velocity habitats and decreased discharge in experimental channels result in reduced dace growth and that decreasing stream flow was coincident with declines in Nooksack dace abundance. This study demonstrates the sensitivity of Nooksack dace to hydrological drought, and insofar as Nooksack dace are ecologically typical of small riffle-dwelling invertivore fishes, our results suggest that use of pools does not mitigate sublethal effects of declining flows on growth, although pools may provide refuge from the most negative effects of drought (i.e., stranding of fish).
Validation of a semi-trailer steering model

A 5-axle articulated vehicle, consisting of a 2-axle tractor unit and a pivotal bogie steering trailer, was subjected to a number of prescribed manoeuvres at low and high speed. The test data is compared to predictions made with a yaw-roll model of the vehicle. The performance of the trailer steering system during high and low speed manoeuvres is quantified and compared to predictions from a previous theoretical study. Conclusions are drawn about the effectiveness of the bogie steering strategy. Finally, planned future research into active trailer steering systems is outlined.
The record of the lalter glacial and interglacial periods in theGuadalquivir marshlands (Mari López drilling, S.W. Spain)

El estudio de un sondeo de 65 m en las marismas del Guadalquivir permite reconocer siete intervalos que reflejan cambios climaticos y eustaticos e intensa neotectonica durante tres periodos interglaciares (IS 7? , 5 Y 1) Y dos glaciares (15 6-Riss-, 154, 3 Y 2-Wurm). Se discute el valor de las 'vetas' como indicadores paleogeograficos.
Potential Distribution of the Alien Invasive Brown Tree Snake, Boiga irregularis (Reptilia: Colubridae)1

Abstract: The Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis) is native to Southeast Asia and Australia and has been introduced to Guam. There it causes major ecological and socioeconomic problems and is considered to belong to the 100 worst alien invasive species worldwide. We used a maximum entropy-based Climate Envelope Model to identify worldwide areas outside the species' known range that are potentially suitable under current climatic conditions. Projections revealed that this invasive alien species potentially occurs in tropical and some subtropical regions. In the closer vicinity of the snake's known distribution, highest suitability was found for the Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaiian Islands, Madagascar, New Caledonia, and Fiji Islands. If predictions are interpreted as depicting invasiveness potential of B. irregularis, strategies to prevent invasion should focus on these regions. An analysis of potential distributions under different future anthropogenic climate-change scenarios showed that the Fiji Islands, Hawaiian Islands, and Northern Mariana Islands will remain overall most suitable habitat for the Brown Tree Snake. In addition, we noted an increase of suitability in New Zealand.
Are Debris Disks and Massive Planets Correlated?

Using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Science Program Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems (FEPS), we have searched for debris disks around nine FGK stars (2-10 Gyr), known from radial velocity (RV) studies to have one or more massive planets. Only one of the sources, HD 38529, has excess emission above the stellar photosphere; at 70 μm the signal-to-noise ratio in the excess is 4.7, while at λ < 30 μm there is no evidence of excess. The remaining sources show no excesses at any Spitzer wavelengths. Applying survival tests to the FEPS sample and the results for the FGK survey recently published in Bryden et al., we do not find a significant correlation between the frequency and properties of debris disks and the presence of close-in planets. We discuss possible reasons for the lack of a correlation.
Introduction of variability into pantograph–catenary dynamic simulations

Currently, pantograph–catenary dynamic simulations are mainly based on deterministic approaches. However, the contact force between catenary and pantograph depends on many key parameters that are not always quantified precisely and can vary in time and space. To get a better chance of addressing extreme or combined critical conditions, methodologies to consider variability are thus necessary. Aerodynamic forces and geometrical irregularities of catenaries are thought to be significant sources of variability in measurement and this paper proposes methods to take them into account. Results are compared with measurements to correlate the effect of the considered parameters with experimentally observed variability. Finally, a virtual certification example is shown, with a study of the influence of speed on the impact of variability.
Field line distribution of density at L =4.8 inferred from observations by CLUSTER

Abstract. For two events observed by the CLUSTER spacecraft, the field line distribution of mass density ρ was inferred from Alfven wave harmonic frequencies and compared to the electron density ne from plasma wave data and the oxygen density nO+ from the ion composition experiment. In one case, the average ion mass M≈ρ/ne was about 5 amu (28 October 2002), while in the other it was about 3 amu (10 September 2002). Both events occurred when the CLUSTER 1 (C1) spacecraft was in the plasmatrough. Nevertheless, the electron density ne was significantly lower for the first event (ne=8 cm−3) than for the second event (ne=22 cm−3), and this seems to be the main difference leading to a different value of M. For the first event (28 October 2002), we were able to measure the Alfven wave frequencies for eight harmonics with unprecedented precision, so that the error in the inferred mass density is probably dominated by factors other than the uncertainty in frequency (e.g., magnetic field model and theoretical wave equation). This field line distribution (at L=4.8) was very flat for magnetic latitude |MLAT|≲20° but very steeply increasing with respect to |MLAT| for |MLAT|≳40°. The total variation in ρ was about four orders of magnitude, with values at large |MLAT| roughly consistent with ionospheric values. For the second event (10 September 2002), there was a small local maximum in mass density near the magnetic equator. The inferred mass density decreases to a minimum 23% lower than the equatorial value at |MLAT|=15.5°, and then steeply increases as one moves along the field line toward the ionosphere. For this event we were also able to examine the spatial dependence of the electron density using measurements of ne from all four CLUSTER spacecraft. Our analysis indicates that the density varies with L at L~5 roughly like L−4, and that ne is also locally peaked at the magnetic equator, but with a smaller peak. The value of ne reaches a density minimum about 6% lower than the equatorial value at |MLAT|=12.5°, and then increases steeply at larger values of |MLAT|. This is to our knowledge the first evidence for a local peak in bulk electron density at the magnetic equator. Our results show that magnetoseismology can be a useful technique to determine the field line distribution of the mass density for CLUSTER at perigee and that the distribution of electron density can also be inferred from measurements by multiple spacecraft.