Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Purification and Identification of Novel Antioxidant Peptides from Enzymatic Hydrolysate of Ginkgo biloba Seed Proteins

Ginkgo biloba seed proteins were hydrolyzed using alkali protease and pepsin to obtain antioxidant peptides. Ginkgo biloba antioxidant peptides (GKAPs) were separated by Sephadex G-25 and Sephadex G-10 gel filtration chromatography. The GKAP B3 exhibited highest antioxidant activity. B3 peptide was separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), and 2 peptides with good antioxidant activity, i.e., GKAPs C8 and C9, were obtained. The molecular weight and amino acid sequences of the peptides were identified by Liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS). The results showed that the molecular mass of GKAP C8 was 452.21 Da and the amino acid sequence was YVGD (Tyr-Val-Gly-Asp), while the molecular mass of GKAP C9 was 988.49 Da and the amino acid sequence was LGNTDYAVH (Leu-Gly-Asn-Thr-Asp-Tyr-Ala-Val-His). GKAPs C8 and C9 exhibited good free radical-scavenging effect and inhibited the autoxidation of the linoleic acid system.
An Overview of Northern Pike Regulations in North America

Abstract Northern pike (Esox lucius) is a popular sport fish in the United States and Canada that is currently managed for multiple angler uses. However, there has been increased concern over lower quality (i.e., smaller fish) northern pike populations. In 1997, the Esocid Technical Committee (ETC) of the North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society surveyed natural resource agencies about their northern pike management. In addition, a round-table discussion on the quality of northern pike management was conducted in 1999. This paper is a summary of the ETC findings. In some cases, northern pike regulations have existed since the late 1800s, but most states and provinces did not use regulations until the 1950s or 1960s. Some agencies currently manage northern pike for angling quality (i.e., more large fish), others have few or no northern pike regulations, and some agencies manage for quality in some water bodies and do not manage northern pike at all in other water bodies. In general, states .
The eumedonid file: a case study of systematic compatibility using larval and adult characters (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura)

Summary Eumedonid crabs have an unusual ecology. They are a specialized group of brachyurans, which are wholly symbiotic with echinoderms. Consequently, this taxon has received much attention from carcinologists, but consensus on the familial status of these crabs has not been reached. Eumedonids have been variously regarded as a subfamily of the Parthenopidae, as pilumnids and as a distinct family. The taxonomic position of the Eumedonidae is appraised using available first zoeal and adult characters. The validity of this family status is challenged, and the present study shows that this group of crabs cannot be distinguished from the pilumnids and therefore supports the view that the eumedonids are a subfamily of the Pilumnidae.
Australian preservice teachers and early reading instruction

ABSTRACT University websites and internet search engines were used to locate information about literacy units addressing early reading instruction offered in Australian primary and early childhood teacher preparation programs. Data concerning course organizational details, the content of literacy units, and the qualifications and research interests of unit coordinators were collected for 40 Australian tertiary institutions. Results indicate that references to early reading content in unit descriptions were generally included with other literacy subject matter, the total tuition time available for early reading instruction was limited, and many unit coordinators did not have expertise in early reading. In addition, it would appear that essential research-based content such as phonics, phonemic awareness, and the alphabetic principle may not be adequately addressed in many units. An amendment to Standard 2.5 of the guidelines set out in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers may assist in resolving some of these issues.
Proteinases and amylases of larval midgut of Zabrotes subfasciatus reared on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) seeds

Proteinase and amylase activities in larval midguts of the bruchid beetle Zabrotes subfasciatus (Boh.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) reared on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ) seeds were investigated. We could detect and isolate a proteolytic activity with a pH optimum of 5.5 (on azo‐casein as substrate) which was activated by thiol reagents and inhibited by several compounds reactive against ‐SH groups. None of the plant protein inhibitors of serine proteinases utilized were effective inhibitors of this activity. This activity has characteristics of a cysteine class proteinase. We could also detect and isolate a proteolytic activity with a pH optimum of 3.5 (on hemoglobin as substrate) which was not influenced by activators or inhibitors of cysteine, serine, or metalloproteinases. This activity was totally inhibited by pepstatin, a specific inhibitor of aspartic proteinases. We conclude that this activity is due to an aspartic class proteinase. We found also that the aspartic class proteolytic activity is higher than the cysteine class proteinase activity in the midguts of Z. subfasciatus. This seems to be contrary to what is found in Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) larvae midguts. An amylolytic activity with the charateristics of an α‐amylase was also detected and isolated.
Dough mixing and breadmaking properties of quinoa‐wheat flour blends

Summary Flour blends of quinoa-wheat containing 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% of manually dehulled quinoa meal or flour were evaluated for dough mixing and breadmaking properties and liking of the bread by a small panel. Increasing amounts of quinoa meal or flour increased farinograph absorption and dislike of bread for most of the panel. Dough development time increased with increase in meal but decreased with increase in quinoa flour. At 10% inclusion levels differences in liking from control 100% wheat flour bread were smaller for flour or water extracted meal to most of the panel, than with 10% non-extracted meal. This suggests that 10% inclusion of flour or water extracted meal may have potential for further investigation.
Antioxidant response to NaCl stress in salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive cultivars of cotton

The mechanism(s) importing salt tolerance to plants remains unresolved. Although cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is classified as salt-tolerant plant, variation in salt tolerance has been observed among different cultivars. The purpose of this study was to determine if more salt-tolerant cultivars contain higher constitutive or inducible levels of antioxidants than more salt-sensitive cultivars. Greenhouse-grown salt-tolerant (cv. Acaia 1517-88 and Acala 1517-SR2) and salt-sensitive (cv. Deltapine 50 and Stoneville 825) cotton plants treated with either 0 or 150 mM NaCl were analyzed for differences in growth and antioxidant capocities. The 150 mM NaCl treatment resulted in more than 40% reduction in growth of Deltapine 50 and Stoneville 825 and less than 30% reduction in the Acala cultivars. The more salt-tolerant cultivars had higher constitutive levels of catalase (121-215%) and u-tocopherol (312-420%). The salt treatment resulted in a 38 to 72% increase in peroxidase activity and a 55 to 101% increase in glutathione reductase activity in the Acala cultivars while the activities of these enzymes remained constant or decreased in the more sensitive cultivars. The Acala cultivars also exhibited a lower oxidized/reduced ascorbic acid ratio and a higher reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio than the more sensitive cultivars when grown at 150 mM NaCl. When subjected to a one-time salt treatment, lipid peroxidation in Deltapine 50 increased 51% over Acala 1517-88. These data indicate that protection from oxidative damage by higher levels of antioxidants and a more active ascorbate-glutathione cycle may be involved in tbe development of salt tolerance in cotton. Louisiana State Univ. in Shreveport and Louisiana State Univ. Agric. Center, Red River Res. Stn. Approved for publication by the Director of the Louisiana Agric. Exp. Stn. as manuscript no. 93-84-7172. Financial support was provided in part by Cotton Incorporated contract no. 91-723.
Random Effects Misspecification Can Have Severe Consequences for Random Effects Inference in Linear Mixed Models

There has been considerable and controversial research over the past two decades into how successfully random effects misspecification in mixed models (i.e. assuming normality for the random effects when the true distribution is non‐normal) can be diagnosed and what its impacts are on estimation and inference. However, much of this research has focused on fixed effects inference in generalised linear mixed models. In this article, motivated by the increasing number of applications of mixed models where interest is on the variance components, we study the effects of random effects misspecification on random effects inference in linear mixed models, for which there is considerably less literature. Our findings are surprising and contrary to general belief: for point estimation, maximum likelihood estimation of the variance components under misspecification is consistent, although in finite samples, both the bias and mean squared error can be substantial. For inference, we show through theory and simulation that under misspecification, standard likelihood ratio tests of truly non‐zero variance components can suffer from severely inflated type I errors, and confidence intervals for the variance components can exhibit considerable under coverage. Furthermore, neither of these problems vanish asymptotically with increasing the number of clusters or cluster size. These results have major implications for random effects inference, especially if the true random effects distribution is heavier tailed than the normal. Fortunately, simple graphical and goodness‐of‐fit measures of the random effects predictions appear to have reasonable power at detecting misspecification. We apply linear mixed models to a survey of more than 4 000 high school students within 100 schools and analyse how mathematics achievement scores vary with student attributes and across different schools. The application demonstrates the sensitivity of mixed model inference to the true but unknown random effects distribution.
Panic Disorder with Choking Phobia : a Case Report

Abstract Panic disorder is a form of anxiety disorder characterized by repeated panic attacks and preoccupied with worrying that a panic attack will occur. Panic attacks are characterized by fears of a disaster or loss of self-control even though there is really nothing to worry about. Other symptoms experienced during a panic attack are heart palpitations (similar to a heart attack), shortness of breath, feelings of suffocation, and the body feels weak. If this disorder is not detected early, it will affect the daily life of the patient. This case report presents the case of a 34-year-old woman who experiences symptoms of panic disorder with choking phobia that is managed with antidepressants and cognitive behavior therapy. In addition, there is discussion of differential diagnosis and the role of cognitive behavior therapy in handling this case.
Agricultural labour productivity and credit constraints: implications for consumption in rural Ghana

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of credit constraints on agricultural labour productivity as well as the impact of credit constraints and agricultural labour productivity on rural households' consumption in Ghana. ,This study uses the Ghana Living Standard Survey round six (GLSS 6) as the main source of data, which happens to be one of the most comprehensive household datasets in Ghana. Quantitative estimation techniques (namely: Endogenous Switching Regression and Two Stage Least Squares) are used to address possible endogeneity and selection into credit markets. ,First, large households are prone to credit constraints while age (experience) and compliance with extension advice reduce credit constraints. Second, the determinants of agricultural labour productivity for both constrained and unconstrained households are age, sex, farm equipment, herbicide and farm size. Third, household size, education and livestock rearing influence agricultural labour productivity of constrained households. Fourth, credit constraints, irrespective of how they are measured, impede agricultural labour productivity while access to credit fosters labour productivity. Lastly, credit constraints robustly reduce consumption while agricultural labour productivity strongly enhances rural households' consumption. ,The first contribution is that, unlike most previous studies, we do not focus on the widely used measure of productivity – output per unit land, but on agriculture labour productivity in particular. Secondly, unlike most previous studies which examine the effect of credit constraints either on productivity alone or consumption alone, our study examines the impact of credit constraints on both. Thirdly, unlike the existing literature which uses one or two measures of credit constraints, we use a wide range of measures of credit constraints – seven different measures of credit constraints. Lastly, our empirical strategy solves at least two critical econometric problems – sample selection bias and endogeneity.
Energetic Electron Depletions in the Nightside Martian Upper Atmosphere Revisited

Energetic electron depletions are a notable feature of the nightside Martian upper atmosphere. In this study, we investigate systematically the variations of the occurrence of depletions with both internal and external conditions, using the extensive Solar Wind Electron Analyzer measurements made on board the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution. In addition to the known trends of increasing occurrence with decreasing altitude and increasing magnetic field intensity, our analysis reveals that depletions are more easily observed in regions with near horizontal magnetic fields and under low solar wind (SW) dynamic pressures. We also find that below 160 km, the occurrence increases with increasing CO2 density, a trend mostly visible in weakly magnetized regions. These observations have important implications on the formation of electron depletions: (1) Near strong magnetic anomalies, closed magnetic loops preferentially form and shield the atmosphere from direct access of SW electrons, a process that is modulated by the upstream SW condition; and (2) in weakly magnetized regions, SW electrons precipitate into the atmosphere unhindered, but at sufficiently low altitudes, they are either “absorbed” due to inelastic collisions with ambient neutrals or shielded again in response to a change in magnetic connectivity from open to closed. Our analysis further reveals that both the ionospheric plasma content and thermal electron temperature are reduced in regions with depletions compared to regions without, supporting SW electron precipitation as an important source of external energy driving the variability in the deep nightside Martian upper atmosphere and ionosphere.
Work antecedents and consequences of work-life balance: A two sample study within New Zealand

Abstract Work-Life Balance (WLB) still needs further development to understand the antecedents and consequences, rather than just focusing on work-family conflict. In response, the present article explores two different models. Two distinct employee samples were used with a range of professions. Sample 1 is a general sample of New Zealand employees (n = 165) and Sample 2 is a sample of Māori employees, the indigenous people of New Zealand (n = 150). Using structural equation modeling, the results from Sample 1 found the best model fit is for work demands and job autonomy being related to WLB, which in turn was related to job satisfaction, with job satisfaction then related to turnover intentions. In Sample 2, we find the best model fit is for job control being related to WLB, with WLB then predicting job satisfaction and affective commitment; job satisfaction is then related to turnover intentions and affective commitment related to organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) and turnover intentions. Both samples produced similar results, supporting the notion that antecedents and consequences of WLB follow a similar mediated pattern. Overall, this study highlights factors that help build and diminish WLB and confirm the importance of WLB and its central role in employee lives.
Methane emissions from anaerobic ponds on a piggery and a dairy farm in New Zealand

Over 1000 anaerobic ponds are used in the treatment of wastewater from farms and industry in New Zealand. These anaerobic ponds were typically designed as wastewater solids holding ponds rather than for treatment of the wastewater. However, visual observation of these uncovered ponds indicates year-round anaerobic digestion and release of biogas to the atmosphere. The release of biogas may be associated with odour nuisance, contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is a waste of potentially useful energy. The aim of this study was to measure the seasonal variation in quantity and quality of biogas produced by an anaerobic pond at a piggery (8000 pigs) and a dairy farm (700 cows). Biogas was captured on the surface of each anaerobic pond using a floating 25 m2 polypropylene cover. Biogas production was continually monitored and composition was analysed monthly. Annual average biogas (methane) production rates from the piggery and dairy farm anaerobic ponds were 0.84 (0.62) m3/m2.day and 0.032 (0.026) m3/m2.day, respectively. Average CH4 content of the piggery and dairy farm biogas was high (74% and 82%, respectively) due to partial scrubbing of CO2 within the pond water. The average daily volume of methane gas that could potentially be captured by completely covering the surface of the piggery and dairy farm anaerobic ponds was calculated as ~550 m3/day and ~45 m3/day, respectively (assuming that the areal methane production rate was uniform across the pond surface). Conversion of this methane to electricity would generate 1650 kWh/day and 135 kWh/day, respectively (with potentially 1.5 times these values co-generated as heat) and reduce GHG emissions by 8.27 t CO2 equivalents/day and 0.68 t CO2 equivalents/day, respectively. These preliminary results suggest that conventional anaerobic ponds in New Zealand may release considerable amounts of methane and could be a more significant point source of GHG emissions than previously estimated. Further studies of pond GHG emissions are required to accurately assess the contribution of wastewater treatment ponds to New Zealand’s total GHG emissions.
Evidence for the presence of growth-promoting factors in Lombok Turbinaria murayana extract stimulating growth and yield of tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.)

Abstract Many studies have evidenced the negative effects of synthetic fertilizers toward the environment and also the crop products itself. Hence, the improvement of organic fertilizers is necessary to resolve this problem. Seaweeds or marine macroalgae are considered to be an excellent natural resource in different aspects of agricultural fields. Brown macroalgae Turbinaria murayana (TM) is often found in Indonesian coastal areas with high bioavailability throughout the year. This study evaluated the potentials of TM as biofertilizer in tomato plants (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.). Evaluation of phytohormones present in TM crude extract was conducted with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Macro and micronutrients available in TM crude extract were determined by atomic absorbance spectroscopy (AAS). A concentration of 4% TM crude extract was applied to tomato plants. The vegetative properties of the treated tomatoes were observed such as growth and yield. Current results evidenced the presence of growth-promoting factors (kinetin, gibberellin and ABA) and essential elements (N, P, K, Ca, Fe and Mn) in TM crude extract. Application of 4% TM extract to tomato plants significantly increased vegetative growth compared to untreated plants; plant height, leaf number and branch number, approximately 58.4%, 87.5% and 200%, respectively. Similar results were also found in the response of generative growth. Application of 4% liquid extract significantly improved flower and fruit number compared to control; 53.6% and 125%, respectively. These results suggest that TM crude extract is a potential source for developing organic fertilizers.
Effect of Foot Morphology and Anthropometry on Bipedal Postural Balance

Maintenance of accurate postural balance is imperative to avoid falls and inca-pacities especially in overweight and older population. Normal postural balance is affected by various factors like age, gender, body characteristics like lean muscle mass, soft tissue mass, stature, foot anthropometry, etc. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1000 young population of north Karnataka in which human stature, weight, body mass index, foot anthropometric parameters, etc. along with postural sway were measured. The correlation of these parameters with human stature, weight and postural sway was studied. Data obtained were tabulated, graphically represented and statistically analyzed. Correlation coefficient was for-mulated for each variable. Foot length and width showed positive significant correlation with height, weight and other variables. Study observations were compared with those obtained from previous studies. The study observations will enable us to understand the influence of foot anthropometry on postural balance and help researchers to formulate weight transfer strategies, thereby facilitating management and rehabilitation of patients with postural instability.
DO DURATION OF STAY AND PARK VISITATION MATTER? AN EVALUATION OF PARK DISTANCE

Among ways to keep up with healthy lifestyle include physical activities. Recent statistics by the Ministry of Health (2016) indicated a drastic increase in the prevalence of non-communicable disease from 1990 to 2016 and the number is expected to increase or remain high. In response to the issue, the Eleventh Malaysia Plan 2016-2020 was formulated to improve Malaysians’ wellbeing by providing ample open spaces to encourage an active lifestyle. This paper aims to investigate the association of proximity to neighbourhood park and its level of utilisation. 680 respondents were involved in the questionnaire survey conducted at 7 selected neighbourhood parks. The output of the Pearson Correlation evinced that proximity to neeighborhood parks was highly associated to the level of park utilisation. There was a strong and positive relationships between (i) park distance and numbers of visitations (r = 0.841,n = 680,p = 0.000< 0.01), (ii) park distance and length of stay (r = 0.803, n = 680, p = 0.000< 0.01), and (iii) number of visitations and length of stay (r = 0.644, n = 680,p = 0.000< 0.01). The results also indicated that that the longer the distance of the park from home, the longer the time spent at the park. Whereas, the shorter the distance of the park from home, the higher the utilisation of the park.