Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimization of Conditions for Xylanase Production Using Aspergillus tubingensis Under Different Carbon Sources

Xylanases are hydrolytic enzymes with wide range of applications in food processing, bleaching of pulp in paper manufacturing industry, bio-conversion of biomass wastes to fermentable sugars and enhancing nutrient digestibility in animal feeds. The optimization of growth conditions and evaluation of an appropriate substrate as carbon source among cassava peels, corn cobs, wheat bran and rice husk on xylanase production by novel strain of Aspergillus tubingensis under Solid State Fermentation (SSF) was investigated. The fungal isolate was identified based on ribosomal RNA gene and ITS gene sequencing analysis as Aspergillus tubingensis. Results showed that Corn cobs had the highest xylanase production among the four substrates. Corn cobs recorded the highest value of xylanase production at pH of 6.0 (107.97 U/g), after incubation period of 72 hour (111.23 U/g), at temperature of 30oC (44.26 U/g) and at ratio 1:3 (45.68 U/g). The optimum growth conditions for xylanase production by Aspergillus tubingensis were: pH 6.0, incubation period of 72 hours, temperature of 30oC and substrate concentration of 1:3 (4g of substrate per 12ml of fermentation medium). Corn cobs showed the highest yield of xylanase activity (111.23±0.31 U/g), followed by Rice husk (101.91±0.72 U/g), Wheat bran (89.30±1.16 U/g) and Cassava peel (87.03±0.57 U/g). In conclusion, among the various agro residues that were used as carbon sources, Corn cobs had maximum xylanase activity. Various culture conditions were optimized by using one factor at a time method and the maximum xylanase production was obtained at pH of 6.0, incubation period of 72 hour, temperature of 30oC and substrate concentration of 1:3 under solid state fermentation. It is therefore suggested that some other notable environmental and fermentation factors that influence metabolism-mediated production yields of xylanase like aeration, agitation, carbon and nitrogen sources, metal ion requirement, inoculum size etc. should be optimized for maximum production of enzyme. Keywords: Solid State Fermentation, Cassava peels, Corn cobs, Wheat bran, Rice husk
Folic acid, vitamin B12, and psychotic symptoms among young psychiatric inpatients

Introduction: Folic acid and/or vitamin B12 deficiency are known to be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the association between serum levels of these molecules and psychotic symptoms is not established. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between folic acid and vitamin B12 serum levels and the presence of psychotic symptoms among child and young adult psychiatric inpatients. Material and Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of 165 patients under 25 years of age admitted due to psychiatric disorders between 2005 and 2018 and with folic acid and vitamin B12 serum levels assessed during hospitalization. Two groups of patients were defined according to presence or absence of psychotic symptoms. Rehospitalization was also assessed. Results: Folic acid serum levels were significantly lower (p=0.01) in children and young adults hospitalized for psychiatric disorders with psychotic symptoms compared to patients of the same age with acute psychiatric illness without psychotic symptoms. A similar non-significant trend was found for vitamin B12. Rehospitalization rates were also higher in the first group. Conclusion: Results from this study suggest that low folic acid serum levels are associated with psychotic symptoms regardless of the baseline diagnosis.
Below-Cloud Evaporation of Precipitation Isotope over Mountain-oasis-desert in Arid Area

As raindrops fall from the cloud base to the ground, evaporation below those clouds affects the rain’s isotope ratio, reduces precipitation in arid areas and impacts the local climate. Therefore, in arid areas with scarce water resources and fragile ecological environments, the below-cloud evaporation is an issue of great concern. Based on 406 event-based precipitation samples collected from 9 stations in the Shiyang river basin (SRB) in the northwest arid area, GMWL and LMWL are compared and the Stewart model is used to study the effect of spatial and temporal variation of below-cloud evaporation on isotope values in different geomorphic units at the SRB. Furthermore, factors influencing below-cloud evaporation are analyzed. The results show that (1) the change of d-excess (Δd) in precipitation at the SRB and the residual ratio of raindrop evaporation (f) vary in time and space. With regards to temporal variation, the intensity of below-cloud evaporation is described by: summer < autumn < winter < spring. Regarding spatial variation, the below-cloud evaporation in mountain areas is weaker than in oases and deserts. The intensity of below-cloud evaporation in mountain areas increases with decreasing altitude, and the below-cloud evaporation in oasis and desert areas is affected by local climatic conditions. (2) Below-cloud evaporation is also affected by local transpiration evaporation, especially around reservoirs. Reservoirs increase the relative humidity of the air nearby, weakening below-cloud evaporation. This study deepens our understanding of the water cycle process in arid areas.
Mechanical and Structural Characterization of Pineapple Leaf Fiber

Evidence-based research had shown that elevated alkali treatment of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) compromised the mechanical properties of the fiber. In this work, PALF was subjected to differential alkali concentrations: 1, 3, 6, and 9% wt/wt to study the influence on the mechanical and crystal properties of the fiber. The crystalline and mechanical properties of untreated and alkali-treated PALF samples were investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and tensile testing analysis. The XRD results indicated that crystal properties of the fibers were modified with 6% wt/wt alkali-treated PALF recording the highest crystallinity and crystallite size of 76% and 24 nm, respectively. The FTIR spectra suggested that all alkali-treated PALF samples underwent lignin and hemicellulose removal to varying degrees. An increase in the crystalline properties improved the mechanical properties of the PALF treated with alkali at 6% wt/wt, which has the highest tensile strength (1620 MPa). Although the elevated alkali treatment resulted in decreased mechanical properties of PALF, crystallinity generally increased. The findings revealed that the mechanical properties of PALF not only improve with increasing crystallinity and crystallite size, but are also dependent on the intermediate bond between adjacent cellulose chains.
The Effect Of Partner Capabilities, Economic Benefits And Trust To Continue Channel Partnership by MSMEs

The development of a business model requires SMEs to develop and strive to make their business run smoothly and develop for the better. Therefore, to catch up with big business competitors, it requires business cooperation. This study aims to determine the effect of partner capabilities and economic benefits on the decision to continue a business partnership that mediated by trust. To analyze the model, this study used 80 SMEs that partnered with Lamongan Mart. We used the partial least square (PLS) method to test the hypothesis. The results show that there is a significant effect of partner capability on trust. Economic benefits have a significant effect on trust. The decision to continue the partnership is significantly influenced by the partner's capabilities and economic benefits. Trust has a significant effect on the decision to continue the partnership. In conclusion, trust can mediate partner capabilities and economic benefits to the decision to continue the partnership.
Ticking time bomb: implications of the COVID-19 lockdown on e-waste management in developing countries

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the course of events globally since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in late 2019 giving further credence to the long-standing belief that the world is indeed a global village. There have been different responses by countries to the raging pandemic including the imposition of lockdowns, quarantine and isolation. The imposition of lockdowns, whether full or partial, has not been without major consequences, which has led to information, communication and technological (ICT)-based measures to minimise the effect of the lockdown and as an alternative to physical interactions. The use of ICT devices to bridge the gaps created by the lockdown on schools, businesses and other sectors has led to the increased use of electronic devices. The challenge of electronic waste (e-waste) management in developing countries has been around for a while and the increased use of electronic devices is likely to compound the challenge during and post COVID-19. Whilst the development of ICT-based options as viable alternatives to face-to-face interactions may not be a negative development, this article argues that the existing frameworks are inadequate to manage the resultant increase in e-waste in most developing countries and that there is need now more than ever before for developing countries to exercise caution in embracing these ICT-based options without putting in place measures to ensure that there is increased capacity to manage and dispose of the e-waste created.
Effect of diet on body size and survival of omnivorous crickets

Omnivory is a feeding habit in which animals prey on organisms from two or more trophic levels. Omnivorous species play important roles in predator–prey interactions, food web dynamics, and ecosystem functions. Although cricket species have been considered omnivores, quantified investigations of their feeding habits have not been carried out. Therefore, we compared the developmental time, body size and mortality rate of the band‐legged ground cricket, Dianemobius nigrofasciatus (Matsumura) (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae) reared on diets meant for carnivores and herbivores. Furthermore, to examine whether the crickets can balance their nutritional conditions through their food choices, we set up two additional diet treatments, which comprised diets for carnivores and herbivores provided simultaneously or by rotation. The mortality rate of the carnivore diet treatment was higher than that of the other diet treatments. This result suggests that D. nigrofasciatus is a “herbivore” that also obtains nutrients from resources other than plant materials. Although developmental time did not significantly differ among the dietary treatments, the body size of the crickets that were provided both diets simultaneously was significantly larger than that of the crickets provided with only the diets for either carnivores or herbivores. These results suggest that an appropriate amount of carnivorous feeding is advantageous for the development of the cricket, and indicates that crickets can balance nutrition on their own.
Back to the future of journalist work? Entrepreneurial subjectivity and freelance journalism in Sweden

This article adds to our knowledge of precarious journalist work in advanced welfare states. By drawing on the literature on neoliberal governmentality, it explores how entrepreneurial subjects are constituted, and the particular role of freelance work in this process. The article is based on interviews with 52 freelance journalists in Sweden. The study illustrates how the impermanent and marketized forms of freelance work enforces an entrepreneurial subjectivity onto the individuals who engage in it – a subject position which in turn seems to be necessary when it comes to making it in a fierce freelance market. In this way, the neoliberal discourse of entrepreneurship has a performative effect in that it helps to produce the kind of entrepreneurial subjects needed in order for a competitive precarious labour market to function. At the end of the article, I discuss how the particular role of the Swedish setting, that is, an advanced welfare state with strong worker protection, paradoxically seems to amplify the precarious work done by some professionals as it only protects those on the ‘inside’ of traditional employment, while leaving increasing groups of outsiders, such as freelance journalists, exposed to precarization.
A Study of Job Satisfaction and Its Effect on the Performance of Employees Working in Private Sector Organizations, Peshawar

The aim of the present research was to study the effect of job satisfaction on the performance of employees working in private sector organizations of Peshawar, Pakistan. For that purpose, one hundred and eighty employees (N = 180) were selected as a sample from private organizations of Peshawar. An equal number of employees, i.e., (n = 60), were selected through random sampling method from three types of organizations, viz., hospitals, banks, and universities. A Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ-short form) developed by Weiss et al. (1967) and a self-constructed Performance Evaluation Form (PRF) were used as instruments for the study. Initially, the reliability statistics of both the instruments was calculated to know the significance of the scales. According to the findings of the study, the type of occupation has been shown significant correlation with job satisfaction. Similarly, the positive relationship of job satisfaction with performance of employees was also confirmed. Therefore, it is concluded from the study that satisfied employees were better in performance as compared to dissatisfied employees, thus contributing significant role in the uplifting of their organizations. As there are unstable economic and political conditions of Peshawar, it is therefore necessary for every organization to make their employees motivated and satisfied towards high performance by adopting different techniques and methods.
Numerical and Analytical Study of Electron Plasma Waves in Nonthermal Vasyliunas‐Cairns Distributed Plasmas

The Poison‐Vlasov model in plasma kinetic theory is taken into account to study the propagation of electron plasma waves (or Langmuir waves) in hot, un‐magnetized Vasyliunas‐Cairns distributed plasmas (VCDPs). The longitudinal dielectric plasma response function is obtained for such nonthermal plasmas. The Landau damping rate of Langmuir waves (LWs) in nonthermal VCDP, which propagates with a phase speed greater than the effective thermal speed of the electrons, is also studied. The real and imaginary parts of the wave frequency are investigated analytically as well as numerically and a comparison between the numerical and analytical results is presented. The finding reveals that the dispersion curve and damping rate of the wave are significantly influenced by the simultaneous presence of two nonthermality parameters, that is, ′ α ′ and ′ κ ′ (spectral index) in the hybrid (Vasyliunas‐Cairns) distributed plasmas. It is discussed that results are quite distinctive from that obtained in nonthermal plasmas that have sole presence of either of the nonthermality parameters ′ α ′ or super‐thermality spectral index ′ κ ′ in Cairns or kappa distributed electron plasmas, respectively. The more realistic form of 3D and reduced 1D distribution function of VCDP has been used to analyze LWs in describing nonthermal plasmas with more energetic electron in VCDP case.
Effects of Varieties and Population of Soybean Intercropped with Maize on Yield and Yield Components of Associated Crops

Cereal-legume intercropping practices improve the sustainability of production and productivity. However, identification of suitable crop and plant density of the component crops is essential. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the varietal effects of soybean intercropped with maize and the effect of plant densities of soybean varieties intercropped with maize on yield and yield components of associated crops and the productivity of the system at Wama-Hagelo District, western Ethiopia during 2019. Maize variety ‘P1238W’ (Limu) was intercropped with three varieties of soybean (‘Jalale,’ ‘Boshe’ and local) in a factorial combination of three populations densities of 25%, 50%, and 75% of the recommended population density along with the sole crops of the irrespective varieties of soybean and maize in randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replications. Data was collected on growth, yield and yield related parameters on both crops. The result revealed a plant density of intercropped soybean varieties significantly (P<0.01) affected yield and yield components of maize. Highest values for the number of ears per plant (1.88) and grain yield (7.19 tha-1) of maize were obtained from 25% soybean population and particularly from variety ‘Boshe’ for grain yield. Moreover, plant population and soybean variety significantly (P<0.01) affected grain yield of soybean showing the highest grain yield (1.58 tha-1) of soybean was recorded for variety ‘Boshe’. Generally, the highest LER (Land equivalent ratio) of grain yield (1.65 tha-1) and highest net benefit (44491.40 ETB (Ethiopian Birr) or1334.7USD ha-1) obtained from maize intercropped with ‘Boshe’ variety at a population of 50% revealing intercropping maize with ‘Boshe’ soybean at 50% plant population found to be appropriate to achieve high productivity.
Constraint Analysis and Bladder Wall Low-Dose-Constraint Reduction in Five-Fraction Urethra-Sparing Prostate SBRT

Aim: To compare and analyze dose constraints and target coverage results and to reduce Bladder Wall (Bwall) V18.12 for prostate Stereotactic-Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) when Seminal Vesicles (SSVV) are included or not. Several indicators based on intersection volumes are obtained to predict constraint fulfillment. Background: Due to prostate’s low alpha-beta ratio and the possibility of increasing the therapeutic ratio several moderate and extreme hypofractionation schemes have been proposed. The scheme selected was a fivefraction urethra-sparing prostate SBRT. Materials and Methods: 150 patients divided into two groups according to the inclusion of SSVV in PTV or not were analyzed. Histograms, average values, standard deviations and degrees of fulfillment were obtained for each constraint or goal and group. A possible reduction of the Bwall V18.12 was addressed by re-optimizing fifty randomly chosen patients. Predictors of constraint fulfilling were obtained by using the intersections of Bwall and Rectum Wall (Rwall) with the PTV. Results: Significant differences in Rwall V32.62 and V29 were obtained when evaluating the influence of SSVV inclusion. A reduction of 12% in the Bwall V18.12 constraint was achieved without compromising coverage and OARs doses. No dependence on the inclusion of SSVV was found. Conclusions: Statistically significant differences have been found in Rwall intermediate-dose constraint when SSVV was included. A reduction of 12% in the Bwall V18.12 constraint has been achieved without compromising the PTV coverage and the rest of OARs constraints. Constraint fulfillment predictors could be useful to evaluate the feasibility of prostate SBRT prior to the planning process for every single patient.
Spatial Changes of Landscape and Urban Planning for the Ethnic Settlements under the Background of Urbanization

With the stable development of new countryside construction, the changing of the landscape pattern in the Chinese countryside attracts more attention, especially in the ethnic townships which are hardly accessible. To explore the development of ethnic areas, it is crucial to understand the spatial and temporal variation of the landscape pattern. In this study, the landscape pattern change was analyzed at both patch type level and landscape level. The land use data (format: vector) got from Aerla Town (a typical Daur ethnic township in Inner Mongolia) for the duration from 2008 to 2013 was analyzed by ArcGIS platform and Fragstats. For the patch level, the grassland, farmland, and forestland turned into construction land gradually. Regarding the landscape level, the landscape diversity index and landscape connectivity index were relatively low, the heterogeneity index and the landscape fragmentation were relatively high, and the landscape fragmentation index was increasing. Then with considering the social and economic development in Aerla Town, the Pearson correlation analysis and grey correlation method are used to get the main driving force of landscape change. The results indicated that population changes and GDP growth were the main driving forces of landscape pattern change. Finally, the driving forces which resulted in the variation of landscape pattern incorporating the economic, cultural, policy, and natural effects were discussed. The research could provide basic information and a theoretical foundation for the development of minority areas in Northeast China.
Full-Level Domain Adaptation for Building Extraction in Very-High-Resolution Optical Remote-Sensing Images

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved tremendous success in computer vision tasks, such as building extraction. However, due to domain shift, the performance of the CNNs drops sharply on unseen data from another domain, leading to poor generalization. As it is costly and time-consuming to acquire dense annotations for remote-sensing (RS) images, developing algorithms that can transfer knowledge from a labeled source domain to an unlabeled target domain is of great significance. To this end, we propose a novel full-level domain adaptation network (FDANet) for building extraction by combining image-, feature-, and output-level information effectively. At the input level, a simple Wallis filter method is employed to transfer source images into target-like ones whereby alleviating radiometric discrepancy and achieving image-level alignment. To further reduce domain shift, adversarial learning is used to enforce feature distribution consistency constraints between the source and target images. In this way, feature-level alignment can be embedded effectively. At the output level, a mean-teacher model is introduced to enforce transformation-consistent constraint for the target output so that the regularization effect is enhanced and the uncertain predictions can be suppressed as much as possible. To further improve the performance, a novel self-training strategy is also employed by using pseudo labels. The effectiveness of the proposed FDANet is verified on three diverse high-resolution aerial datasets with different resolutions and scenarios. Extensive experimental results and ablation studies demonstrated the superiority of the proposed method.
The efficiency of banks and stock performance: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

Abstract The aim of this study is to extend the literature by extensively investigating the efficiency of banks in Saudi Arabia and examining its relationship with stock performance through relying on six measures of efficiency (three price efficiencies and three technical efficiencies). This study employs the data envelopment analysis (DEA) on all listed Saudi commercial banks over the period 2006–2018 ensuring the robustness of the results, and the multiple-regression analysis method is used to empirically test the impact of the efficiency changes on bank stock returns. The results indicate that Saudi banks are more technically efficient, and their price efficiencies are more volatile. Furthermore, changes in bank efficiency are positively related to stock performance; however, these positive relationships are only statistically significant with the changes in profit and scale efficiency measures implying that investors pay much attention to the improvement in bank profitability and future dividends.