Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Qualitative Risk Assessment of Campylobacter jejuni in Street Vended Poultry in Informal Settlements of Nairobi County

Aim: To determine the food safety risks of consumption of street-vended poultry products, to evaluate the determinants of microbial safety and the risk rank of these products. Study Design: A cross-sectional survey was done in the Korogocho and Kariobangi North slums among the consumers and vendors to assess their food safety knowledge and practices. Swab samples of the cooking equipment, utensils, and personnel, raw and cooked portions of poultry were collected for microbial quality evaluation. The most prevalent microorganism was assessed for its qualitative risk rank using the Risk Ranger software. Original Research Article Birgen et al.; EJNFS, 11(1): 28-37, 2019; Article no.EJNFS. 2019.003 29 Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi, from June 2018 to July 2018. Methodology: A total of 15 vendors were exhaustively sampled and included in the study with the food safety and hygiene practices evaluated using a food safety checklist. The snowballing sampling technique was used to locate all the vendors. Samples of raw and cooked street vended poultry products were subjected to microbial analysis. All samples were collected in sterile polythene bags followed by transportation to the laboratory of the Department of Food Science and Technology of the University of Nairobi and microbial analysis. Results: Campylobacter jejuni contamination, in both raw and cooked poultry products, was 8.95±0.94 log10 CFU g-1 and 4.66±2.67 log10 CFU g-1 respectively; the probability of contamination of raw street-vended poultry was found to be 48.96%. The mean weekly intake of the poultry was reported 140.0 g per person. The probability of campylobacter infection in an individual consumer was found as 7.12x10-3 with the predicted illnesses among the population found as 1.11x106 cases. The qualitative risk estimate from the study was reported as 67, above the limit of 48 for medium risk. Conclusion: The study concluded that Campylobacter jejuni posed high food safety risks as a resultant from the consumption of street-vended poultry.
How Has Malaysia Benefited from the High-Resolution Satellite Rainfall? Trends, Gaps and Further Research Opportunities

This paper presents a scientific review on how Malaysia has benefited from the high-resolution satellite rainfall since its first launch in 1998. As a tropical country in which the environment is highly characterised by rainfall dynamics, public domain access of high-resolution satellite rainfall data could be very useful to support the hydrologic and related environmental studies. The scope of this paper includes achievements, the trend of studies, as well as gaps and future opportunities for scientific research. Examining this element is crucial in determining the present information on the status quo of the applications of space-based technology to Malaysian hydrologic research. Furthermore, this information is critical to charter the future action for the policymakers and revision of respective disciplines, including climate change, environmental sustainability, disaster resilience, food security, and education. Based on the search throughout the largest scientific databases of Web of Science and Scopus, five major trends have been identified. Those trends were ranked based on the number of research, 1) Satellite rainfall data performance and quality evaluation (40%), 2) Satellite rainfall data as input to environmental modelling (27%), 3) Rain fade & telecommunication (16%), 4) Satellite rainfall data quality improvement (7%), and 5) Rainfall studies. These trends were identified about 11 years after the satellite rainfall project started in 1998. The major achievement till now is validating the accuracy of the satellite rainfall and also downscaling it for local application.
On the Onset of Cracks in Arteries

We present a theoretical approach to study the onset of failure localization into cracks in arterial wall. The arterial wall is a soft composite comprising hydrated ground matrix of proteoglycans reinforced by spatially dispersed elastin and collagen fibers. As any material, the arterial tissue cannot accumulate and dissipate strain energy beyond a critical value. This critical value is enforced in the constitutive theory via energy limiters. The limiters automatically bound reachable stresses and allow examining the mathematical condition of strong ellipticity. Loss of the strong ellipticity physically means inability of material to propagate superimposed waves. The waves cannot propagate because material failure localizes into cracks perpendicular to a possible wave direction. Thus, not only the onset of a crack can be analyzed but also its direction. We use the recently developed constitutive theories of the arterial wall including 8 and 16 structure tensors to account for the fiber dispersion. We enhance these theories with energy limiters. We examine the loss of strong ellipticity in uniaxial tension and pure shear in circumferential and axial directions of the arterial wall. We find that the vanishing longitudinal wave speed predicts the appearance of cracks in the direction perpendicular to tension. We also find that the vanishing transverse wave speed predicts the appearance of cracks in the the direction inclined (non-perpendicular) to tension. The latter result is counter-intuitive yet it is supported by recent experimental observations.
Trade Globalization and Its Impact on Welfare in Indonesia

Indonesia was experiencing trade globalization in the form of decreasing and uniforming tariffs and eliminating various non-tariff barriers. Trade globalization had a positive and negative impact on Indonesian's welfare. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effect of Trades Globalization on Indonesians Welfare. The Trade globalization was measured by three variables, namely Trade Openness, Inflation, and Exchange Rate. While Indonesians Welfare was measured by three aspects, namely education aspect using School Enrollment, health aspect using Life Expectancy, and economic aspect using the GDP Per capita. The data used was time series data from 1971-2016. This study applied mix-methods, quantitatively using Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) and qualitatively using desk study. The results indicated that Trade Openness and Exchange Rate were positive and significant indicators in measuring Trade globalization. In addition, School Enrollment and GDP Per capita were also positive and significant indicators in measuring Indonesians Welfare. In general, the test showed that Trade globalization had a negative and significant influence on Indonesians Welfare. This fact suggested the importance of controlling exchange rate stability in Indonesia because the exchange rate could affect people's ability to maintain lives through purchasing power. In addition, globalization measured through Trade Openness could be an accommodation to obtain new technology in various fields, such as in education to improve the quality of human resources, in the health sector to treat various diseases and reduce the risk of death, and in the economy, sector to increase Per capita income.
First report of Telenomus remus parasitizing Spodoptera frugiperda and its field parasitism in southern China

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is a lepidopteran pest that feeds on many economically important cereal crops such as corn, rice, sorghum, and sugarcane. Native to the Americas, it has become a serious invasive pest in Africa and Asia. Recently, this pest was found in China and has spread quickly across the country. As S. frugiperda will most likely become a major pest in China, Integrated Pest Management strategies, including biological control methods, should be developed to manage its populations. Here, we report the detection of Telenomus remus parasitizing S. frugiperda eggs in cornfields in southern China based on morphological and molecular evidence. Our preliminary surveys indicated that the parasitism rates of T. remus on S. frugiperda could reach 30% and 50% for egg masses and per egg mass, respectively. Further application of T. remus against S. frugiperda in biological control programs are discussed.
Are pre-service teachers’ beliefs toward curricular outcomes challenged by teaching methods modules and school placement? Evidence from three Greek physical education faculties

Current research on physical education teacher education (PETE) has shown that pre-service teachers’ beliefs concerning the scope of physical education (PE) remain highly influential during their studies. However, undergraduate programmes seem to have a limited effect on pre-service teachers’ teaching priorities, and this situation is left unchallenged. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the impact of two PE teaching methods modules, which included school placement experiences, over one academic year, on pre-service PE teachers’ belief systems towards four important curricular outcomes. A total of 373 undergraduate pre-service teachers (238 males, 135 females; mean = 21.02, standard deviation = 2.33 years) from three major Greek faculties of PE and sport science twice completed a previously validated four-factor instrument. The results indicated that pre-service teachers shared some similar beliefs about the outcome goals of PE, as they all classified physical activity and fitness as the most important one. The teaching methods modules had a positive impact on their beliefs, which were reinforced; however, their classification did not change over time. Both teaching- and coaching-oriented pre-service teachers classified the curricular outcomes in an identical way. Data suggested that PETE recruits prioritized the fitness learning outcomes, and this was in alignment with utilitarian approaches proposed recently in PE, which forward measurable PE learning outcomes. Also, participants preferred to hold and reinforce their personal belief structures and were not willing to change them, complying with faculty staff dispositions. Implications of these findings and recommendations for more effective school placement experiences are discussed.
A Survey on the Organization and Management of Girls’ Day Secondary Schools in Kaduna State of Nigeria

This research work investigated the Organization and Management of Girls’ Day Secondary Schools in Kaduna State. The research design adopted was a survey design. The independent variables were the respondents which include principals, teachers, students, parents and government officials while dependent variable includes organization and management of girls’ day secondary schools. This study was conducted in Girls’ Day Secondary Schools across Kaduna State. Objectives of the study include to; examine what constitutes the nature of organization of girls-day secondary schools in Kaduna State of Nigeria, and investigate the nature of management of girls’ day secondary schools in Kaduna State of Nigeria. A Multiple sampling technique was adopted to sample six hundred and forty-eight (648) respondents consisting of 300 males and 348 females. Two hypotheses guided the study. The instrument for data collection was the questionnaire which was duly validated and found to be reliable. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that there was a significant difference among the respondents on the organization of Girls’ Day Secondary Schools in Kaduna State, and there was a significant difference among the respondents on the management of Girls’ Day Secondary Schools in Kaduna State. It was recommended that government should improve on the organization of Girls’ Day Secondary Schools in Kaduna State by ensuring that roles are clearly defined and specified for smooth operation of work in the schools. That the right caliber of staff is employed and all necessary facilities made available with close supervision for effective teaching and learning
Social Media Networks And SME Performance In The International Arena: A Case Of SMEs Operating In Kamukunji Area of Nairobi County, Kenya

The Internet has significantly changed the world and so has social media. Social media has offered a free for all stage for using social network and friends to create awareness and SMEs can leverage on this and advance their business in the international arena. The general objective of the study was to analyze the effect of social media networks on SME performance in the International Arena, with special focus on those operating in Kamukunji area of Nairobi County, Kenya. The study aimed to achieve the following specific objectives; to assess the influence of use of social media networks in customer relations on SMEs Performance in the International Arena and to analyze the influence of use of social media networks while sourcing for inputs on SMEs Performance in the International Arena. Theories underpinning this study included Social Exchange Theory and Social Penetration Theory. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population of this study comprised of 838 SME firms operating at Kamukunji in Nairobi County. Since the study population was large, the study considered 10% of the population. The researcher interviewed 84 respondents from the shops selected using stratified random sampling technique. Questionnaires were used to obtain important information about the population. Data collected was both quantitative and qualitative in nature. Descriptive statistical tools helped the researcher to describe the data and determine the extent used. Analysis was done quantitatively and qualitatively by use of descriptive statistics. This included percentages, mean and standard deviation which were presented using tables and charts to give a clear picture of the research findings. Results showed that social media platforms have the potential to promote customer relations as well as to source for inputs. Utilization of social media platforms was found to have enhanced SMEs performance in the International Arena to a great extent. The study concluded that customer relations and sourcing for inputs all have significant effects on SMEs performance in the International Arena. The study recommended that in order to promote SMEs performance in global arena, SMEs must invest in building stronger customer relationships especially through utilization of social media platforms Further SMEs should seek to learn and adopt social media tools that provide an opportunity for growth of the business through increased sales, profits and providing employment for Kenyans.
Donor age is associated with platelet storage properties: in vitro quality of platelets from young donors and aged donors with and without Type 2 Diabetes

Background and Objectives Previously it has been shown that platelet (PLT) storage performance is consistent by donor. Differences involved metabolic activity, which might be caused by mitochondrial (dys)function, associated with age and age-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to test PLTs from young donors in comparison with PLTs from older donors with or without diagnosis for T2D. Materials and methods Fifteen whole blood donors <30 year were selected, and single-donor platelet concentrates (sPC) were prepared from buffy coats (BC) and plasma. Also, 2x11 sPC were prepared from matched donors >45 years with and without T2D. The sPC were stored for 8 days and analyzed at regular intervals for in vitro quality.
Increasing biological nitrogen fixation by white clover-rhizobia symbiosis

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the process of converting atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia through legumeâ€“rhizobia symbiosis. The nitrogen fixed by rhizobia in root nodules is available for plant use. This process can be harnessed to improve N fertility on farm. Field surveys across New Zealand (NZ), within a farm and within paddocks, have revealed large spatial variability of rhizobial population size and symbiotic effectiveness with white clover. These results indicate that naturalised rhizobia may not be supporting optimal BNF. Over 500 strains of clover-nodulating rhizobia were isolated from NZ pasture soils, with more than 90 demonstrating greater N-fixation capacity with white clover than the commercial inoculant strain TA1. Seven NZ isolates were tested for nodule occupancy and all seven had significantly higher occupancy rates than TA1 in an in vitro assay, indicating increased competitiveness of those strains. In addition, novel seed-coating technology improved the survival of TA1 and isolate S10N9 from 1 month to more than 4 months compared with a standard coating formulation. There is potential to increase the symbiotic capacity of white clover in pastures through use of more effective and competitive rhizobial strains, along with their improved survival on seed provided by a new coating technology.
Comparison of risk-taking tendencies between White and Asian American undergraduate students

Risky patterns of behavior result in a huge number of unnecessary costs, injuries, and deaths. These specific patterns vary within subpopulations, and some significant differences have been demonstrated between ethnicities. The aim of the present study was to address the dearth in research on patterns of risk-behavior in Asian-Americans, specifically college students, by examining self-report and performance-based assessments of general risk-taking tendencies in this population. Asian-American college students were found to be less sensation-seeking, less likely to suffer from alcohol-related problems, and less responsive to peer influence. However, no significant differences in impulsivity or generalized risk-taking were evident. These patterns could be explained in a variety of ways, including the fact that some of the factors on the impulsivity assessment used in this study, such as lack of attention, seemed unrelated to risktaking tendencies, and by the fact that the participants did not have much at stake on the generalized riskiness assessment. Further research using self-report and functional brain imaging are essential to providing a better idea regarding the nature of these patterns, which may have implications for preventing certain types of risk behaviors, or unnecessary riskiness in general. Riskiness in Whites and Asians ii.
Genetic Trend of Length of Productive Life in Holstein and Slovak Simmental Cattle in Slovakia

National genetic evaluation of lengh of productive life in Slovakia was carry out from the year 2014 till 2018, three times per year (March, June and October). The survival analysis was performed using Weibull sire model. The heritability obtained from Weibull model was different between populations (0.13 in Holstein and 0.05 in Slovak Simmental, respectively). RBVs of Holstein sires born up to 1999 shows decreasing tendency in all five years. A desirable tendency started from the year 2000. Differences between RBV in particular years are due to descent censored records during the evaluated period. Similar trends showed in Slovak Simmental bulls RBVs. Culled cows reached average 305-day milk yield 6499 kg and 4645 kg in Holstein and Slovak Simmental breeds, respectively. The length of productive life there was 898 days in Holstein and 985 days in Slovak Simmental cows. Age at first calving reached 930 days in Slovak Simmental and 851 days in Holstein heifers. The progress of both traits in the years 2014–2018 was lower in Holstein population, +288 kg milk and +76 productive days than in Slovak Simmental cows.
Investigation of some blackberry cultivars in terms of phenological, yield and fruit characteristics

This study was conducted to determine the phenological, yield and fruit quality characteristics of 4 different blackberry cultivars (Jumbo, Chester, Bursa 1 and Bursa 2) grown under the ecological conditions of Isparta, Turkey. The Jumbo and Bursa 1 cultivars stood out due to their earliness. The highest yield per plant was obtained from Bursa 1 with 5135.2 g, while Bursa 2 cultivar had the lowest yield with 1137.4 g among cultivars. Fruit width, fruit length, berry weight and shape index varied between 16.30-17.23 mm, 17.20-23.26 mm, 3.25-4.75 g and 1.06-1.35, respectively. The highest values of these properties were observed in the Jumbo cultivar, while the lowest values were measured in Chester. The pH, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and ripening index values ranged from 3.04 (Chester) to 3.16 (Bursa 1), 7.10 (Jumbo) to 9.52 (Chester), 0.98 (Chester) to 1.07 (Bursa 1) and 7.17 (Jumbo) to 9.71 (Chester), respectively. The results revealed that the Bursa 1 is the most suitable cultivar for the ecological conditions of Isparta.
Reply to the reviews for our manuscript “Life time of soil moisture perturbations in a coupled land-atmosphere simulation” in ESDD

In order to evaluate whether the initialization of soil moisture has the potential to improve the prediction skill of coupled climate models Earth System Models (ESMs) at seasonal to decadal time scales, an elaborated AMIP-type experiment was conducted. ::: For ::: this :::: task :: a ::::::: coupled ::::::::::::: land-atmosphere :::::: model :::: with ::::::::: prescribed ::::: ocean :::: was ::::::: utilized. : The experiment design considered soil moisture initialization in different seasons and years, and yields information about the life-time 5 (memory) of extreme yet realistic soil moisture perturbations. Our analyses were focused on root zone soil moisture (RootSM) as it comprises the part of the soil that directly interacts with the atmosphere via bare soil evaporation and transpiration. We found that RootSM memory differs not only spatially but also depends on the time of initialization. Long memory up to one year is evident mostly for dry soil moisture regimes, after heavy precipitation periods or prior to snow covered con10 ditions. Short memory below two weeks prevails in wet soil moisture regimes and prior to distinct precipitation periods or snow melt. Furthermore, RootSM perturbations affect other land surface states, e.g. soil temperature and leaf carbon content, and even induce anomalies with specific memory in these variables. Especially for deep layer soil temperature these anomalies can last up to several years. As long as RootSM memory is evident, we found that anomalies occur periodically in 15 other land surface states whenever climate conditions allow for interactions between that state and RootSM. Additionally, anomaly recurrence is visible for RootSM itself. This recurrence is related to the thickness of the soil layer below the root zone and can affect RootSM for several years. From our findings we conclude that soil moisture initialization has the potential to improve the predictive skill of climate models on seasonal scales and beyond. However, a sophisticated, multi-layered soil 20 hydrology scheme is necessary, to allow for the interactions between RootSM and the deep soil layer reservoir.