Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Organic Fertilizer on Yield and Some Yield Components of Durum Wheat

This study aimed to assess the effects of organic fertilizer applications on yield and some yield components of durum wheat (Triticum durum L.). Field trials were conducted under supplemental irrigation conditions in Harran Plain during the growing seasons of 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. In the experiment, Control+ 6 types of organic fertilizer traitments were tested (ie.1.chicken manure, 2.vermicompost, 3.cattle manure, 4.chicken manure + liquid fertilizer, 5.vermicompost + liquid fertilizer, 6.cattle manure + liquid fertilizer). Combined Analysis of two consecutive years’ data indicated that cattle manure+ liquid fertilizer treatment increased grain yield significantly. In the control application, grain yield was 386,381 kg/da while cattle manure+ liquid fertilizer treatment produced 605, 5476 kg / da grain yield. Among all of the treatments ‘cattle + liquid fertilizer’ treatment produced the highest grain yield (605, 5476 kg/da), 94,13cm plant height, , 6,865 cm spike length,. and 55,41 g weight of thousand kernel ,It was concluded that various organic fertilizer applications increased plant height, spike length and thousand kernel weight compared to control plants while the treatments increased grain yield 50 -56% based on the applied organic fertilizers .
Studies on Effect of Various Proportions of Vermicompost and Fertilizers on Physiological Parameters, Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Scented Rice

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important crop in India and is also the hub of food security of the global population. The adoption of modern farming practices and integrated nutrient management are essential to produce crops in line with the observed global standards of quantity and quality. Owing to high grain yield, wetland rice International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 11 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Urban Planning in the ICT Age: The Chronicle of Evolution

This article is an effort to scrutinize the role of ICT development in the chronological transformation of urban planning domain using the exploratory research approach. In this research, it is argued that the theoretical and practical understanding of urban planning should absorb and integrate the bright outcome of the rise of ICT to foster congruent future urban development. The article addresses the trends of transformation in the urban planning domain through the myopic lens of the expansion of ICT era followed by investigating the key drivers shaping the interaction between modern-day urban planning and ICT considering both the dark and bright sides into account.
Biobased Amorphous Polyesters with High Tg: Trade-Off between Rigid and Flexible Cyclic Diols

Almost all biobased polyesters are semicrystalline polymers with relatively low glass transition temperature (Tg). Amorphous polyesters derived from renewable resources with Tg higher than 100 °C are highly desired. In this work, both rigid (2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol (CBDO)) and flexible (1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM)) cyclic diols were polymerized with 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), leading to copolyesters (PECTFs) showing a Tg range 80.3–105.7 °C. Results showed that CBDO units contributed positively to high Tg, and the presence of CHDM could increase the molecular weight. When the content of CBDO units was 45%, PECTF-45 showed a Tg of 103.1 °C, tensile strength of 88 MPa, and tensile modulus of 2140 MPa. In addition, the transparency by cutoff at 700 nm for PECTF-45 was 89.8%, and it showed better solvent resistance compared to polycarbonate (PC). The biobased polyesters demonstrating a satisfying performance were reported in this work.
EFFECT OF SPROUTING USING SALINE WATER ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PROTEIN QUALITY AND FRACTIONATIONS OF EGYPTIAN CLOVER SPROUTS

The effect of salt stress on growth proximate analysis, amino acid profile, protein quality and fractionations in 3 days etiolated clover sprout samples was investigated. Sterilized and non-sterilized clover seeds were sprouting using tap water 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm NaCl solution. The results showed reduction effect of clover sprout characters with higher NaCl concentration. Clover seed sprouting increased the crude protein content using tap water or saline water for sprouting as compared with dry seeds. However using non-sterilized clover seeds for sprouting recorded the higher values of protein (44.73%), lipids (6.21%) and energy (318.51 kcal/g) in etiolated sprouts, while using sterilized seeds recorded higher carbohydrate (21.28%), fiber (14.57%) and ash (4.46%). For amino acids, aspartic acid followed by glutamic acid were the most abundant, while Cysteine and methionine were the least in clover etiolated sprouts. Using saline water for clover seed sprouting caused increases in all amino acid compared with tap water except Methionine, aspartic acid and cysteine. For protein efficiency ratio (PER), essential amino acid index (EAAI%) and biological value (BV), from using saline water for sprouting had the higher values than sprouts from using tap water, but the values are less than dry seeds. On the other hand nutritional index (NI) recorded the higher values in salt stress compared with both using tap water and dry clover seeds. For protein fraction in etiolated clover sprouts albumin was the major protein fraction extracted from NaCl 2000ppm sprout fallowed by prolamin from tap water sprouts, glutelin from NaCl 1000 ppm sprout and globulin from tap water sprout. The clover sprout protein isolated and its fractions could have excellent applications for future product development by virtue of their nutritional and functional properties.
Does maths self-concept mediate the relation between instructional approaches and students’ maths achievement? Evidence from the U.S. TIMSS 2015 data

ABSTRACT There is no consensus about whether a teacher-centred or student-centred instructional approach is more effective for students’ maths achievement. Prior studies have highlighted the role of students’ maths self-concept as a predictor and mediator for maths achievement. This study examined whether instructional approaches were related to students’ maths achievement and whether the relation between instructional approaches and maths achievement was mediated by students’ maths self-concept. The study used a sample from the 2015 TIMSS United States national data of 4th grade teachers and students. The results of structural equation modelling indicated that student-centred instructional approach was not associated with students’ maths achievement. Nor was the relation between student-centred instruction and students’ maths achievement mediated through students’ maths self-concept, indicating that maths self-concept is not the mechanism through which student-centred instruction was associated with maths achievement. Our study discussed the possible ways that student-centred instruction may encourage or discourage students’ maths self-concept and suggestions to overcome the methodological limitation of TIMSS data.
Effect of NPK Fertilization on the Growth, Yield, Quality and Mineral Nutrition of New Sweet Plant in Morocco ( Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni)

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is an herbaceous perennial plant of the Asteraceae family, originating from the Amambay region in the north-east of Paraguay, where it grows wild in sandy soils. Dry leaves are the economic part of the stevia plant, with a high concentration of steviol glycosides, which are many times sweeter than sugarcane and sugarbeet but importantly without any calories. Fertilizer requirement for stevia is moderate and varies according to the environment and soil type. Due to the short time of stevia introduction as a new crop in Morocco, there is no information available on nutrient requirement. The aim of the present work is to determine the optimum nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) levels for higher dry leaf yield and steviol glycosides content and their accumulation in stevia in north-western Moroccan conditions. The experiment consisted of 27 fertilization treatments combinations of N (100, 200, and 300 kg ha-1), P (50, 100, and 150 kg ha-1), and K (80, 160, and 240 kg ha-1) and a control treatment, each in three replicates. The results indicated that significantly higher fresh biomass yield, fresh and dry leaf yield, and total steviol glycosides yield were obtained with T24 treatment (300N, 100P, 240K) (96.53, 69.87, 19.56, and 2.13 g plant-1, respectively). Also, T24 led to higher N content (1.81%) than the control (0.40%). However, higher P and K contents were obtained with T25 (300N, 150P, 80K) and T3 (100N, 50P, 240K) treatments, respectively. The growth parameters viz., plant height and stem diameter were significantly higher with T16 treatment (200N, 150P, 80K) while, the stevioside and total steviol glycoside contents were higher in T6 (100N, 100P, 240K) stevia leaves. The T24 could be considered as an economically optimum level of nutrients for stevia.
Influence of Ethanol Organosolv Pulping Conditions on Physicochemical Lignin Properties of European Larch

Over the years, the organosolv pulping process has proven to be a valuable pretreatment method for various lignocellulosic feedstocks. The objective of this study was to characterize and assess the potential applicability of the organosolv lignin fraction from European larch sawdust, as no research has been conducted in this field so far. Eight different samples were prepared from the European larch sawdust under varied reaction conditions and one milled wood lignin sample as reference. The reaction temperature and sulfuric acid loading were varied between 420 and 460 K and 0.00 and 1.10% (w/w on dry wood basis) H2SO4, respectively. The antiradical potential (via DPPH• method), chemical structure (via ATR-FTIR, 1H NMR, 31P NMR, and thioacidolysis), as well as the molecular weight distribution of the isolated lignins were analyzed and compared. Results from thioacidolysis show a direct correlation between the amount of β-ether bonds broken and pulping process severity. Similarly, both antiradical potential and phenolic hydroxyl group content exhibit a direct relationship to reaction temperature and catalyst loading. On the contrary, the content of aliphatic hydroxyl groups and the average molecular weights both decreased with increasing process severity. The high content of phenolic hydroxyl groups and antioxidative potential of the larch organosolv fractions, especially for the sample isolated at 460 K and 1.10% H2SO4 loading, indicate good applicability as antioxidants as well as feedstocks for further downstream valorization and require additional research in this area.
Salicylic acid or thiamin increases tolerance to boron toxicity stress in wheat

Abstract Boron (B) toxicity is an important environmental constraint that limits crop productivity. Salicylic acid (SA) and thiamin participate in the processes underlying plant adaptations to certain types of abiotic and biotic stress. This study aimed to investigate the individual and combined effects of SA or thiamin and B on physiological attributes of wheat under normal and B-toxicity conditions. Seeds were soaked in SA or thiamin and excess B was applied for 10-day after planting the seedlings. Growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments, B and some elements concentrations, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), proline, other free amino acids, soluble proteins and carbohydrates were measured. Application of SA or thiamin showed an increase in tolerance towards high B as indicated by H2O2, amino acids, soluble proteins and carbohydrates contents. The results support the conclusion that SA and thiamin alleviate B toxicity not at the level of B content but by affecting other elements and osmo-protective metabolite.
Three-dimensional quantitative analysis of amyloid plaques in the whole brain with high voxel resolution

Amyloidosis of the central nervous system is one of the main pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Changes in the number and the load of amyloid plaque (Aβ) deposition are important indicators of the progression of AD. However, the quantitative analysis of amyloidosis at the subcellular level in the whole brain remains a substantial challenge. In this study, an automatic analysis method was established for assessing amyloid plaques in the whole brain, including convenient whole brain labeling, imaging with a fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography system (fMOST) and an automated three-dimensional (3D) analysis method. Validation using immunostaining showed that the detection rate of amyloid plaques larger than 10 µm was 97.71%±0.18%. We achieved a 3D dataset of amyloid plaques in the whole brain of a 5XFAD transgenic mouse at a resolution of 0.32 μm×0.32 μm×2 μm and quantitatively analyzed the 3D distribution of amyloid plaques in different brain regions and nuclei through automated registration, segmentation and counting. The results indicated that the combination of the fMOST system with a whole brain staining method enables the acquisition and quantitative analysis of a brain-wide dataset of amyloid plaques, which may contribute to elucidating the underlying pathogenesis of AD and therapeutic drug discovery.
Preparation of Activated Carbon Electrode from Pineapple Crown Waste for Supercapacitor Application

A pineapple crown activated carbon (PCAC) was prepared from pineapple crown waste using one step carbonisation and physical activation method for electrode super capacitor cells. The pineapple crown waste was also activated by using KOH activation in a ratio of 1 : 1 to the total mass. The pre-carbonised PCAC has a thermal resistance temperature of 300°C while the carbonised one has high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) with a surface area of 700 m 2 g -1 , a pore volume of 0.362 m 3 g -1 and an average pore diameter of 22 nm. The surface morphology of pineapple crown electrode shows a good fibre structure with a diameter of 42-73 nm. The electrochemical properties of supercapacitor cells have an excellent specific capacitance which is as high as 150 F g -1 while its energy and power densities are 5.2 Wh Kg -1 and 42 W Kg -1 , respectively
Antibacterial activity of Jatropha curcas against Isolates of Clinical Origin

The antibacterial activities of ethanol, methanol and aqueous extracts of Jatropha curcas leaves were observed in vitro against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae was analyzed using agar well diffusion method. The pattern of zone of inhibition varied with different plant extract, the solvent used, and the organism tested. The antibacterial activities of the methanolic extract were significantly higher (p<0.05) and the most susceptible organism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the lowest concentration. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) exhibited by Pseudomonasaeruginosa in the ethanolic extract and aqueous extract was 5mg/ml and 75mg/ml respectively. Jatropha curcas proved to be effective over the use of antibiotics by inhibiting the activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which was resistant when tested with standard antibiotics. The antibacterial activity of the extract could be enhanced if the components are purified. This plant therefore holds a promise as a potential source of new drug for treating infections caused by these clinical pathogens.
Nonstationary convective drying of raspberries, assisted by microwaves and ultrasound

Abstract This study was conducted to investigate the drying characteristics and quality of raspberries dried in non-stationary conditions. Seven drying programs were carried out, including convective (CV) drying as a reference. The non-stationary-hybrid programs were based on continuous CV drying with intermittent microwave and ultrasound assistance. The Midilli–Kucuk model was used successfully to describe the drying kinetics of raspberry fruits. The comparison between moisture ratio, drying rate, diffusion coefficient, energy consumption, and quality analysis, showed that non-stationary-hybrid drying improves process kinetics and results in less color change, higher anthocyanin retention, and better texture profile analysis characteristics with optimal energy usage than other methods. In addition, the physical and microstructural changes occurred during different drying processes were discussed.
End group modification of polyethylene glycol (PEG): A novel method to mitigate the supercooling of PEG as phase change material

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a kind of phase change material with high phase change enthalpy and good compatibility with the environment. However, there is relatively large supercooling for PEG, limiting their practical applications. To reduce their supercooling degree, herein we use three different small molecules (acryloyl chloride, acetyl chloride, and thionyl chloride) to modify PEG and study the effects of different end group modification on their phase change properties. Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR) spectroscopy are used to confirm the molecular structure of the PEG with different molecular weights and functionalities after chemical modification. Crystal structures of the PEG before and after the modification are verified by X‐ray diffractometry (XRD) method and show no change. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results show that the end group modification is quite effective for mitigating the supercooling of PEG with double ‐OH end groups but not effective for PEG with mono ‐OH end group. The mechanism for the change of supercooling behavior is proposed. The costs of different modification methods are estimated and compared.
Cesium Oleate Precursor Preparation for Lead Halide Perovskite Nanocrystal Synthesis: The Influence of Excess Oleic Acid on Achieving Solubility, Conversion, and Reproducibility

In the colloidal synthesis of inorganic perovskite materials, cesium oleate (CsOL) is the most commonly used Cs precursor. Yet, despite its ubiquitous use in literature, CsOL has been observed to be insoluble at room temperature and leads to surprisingly inconsistent results in CsPbX3 nanocrystal synthesis, depending on the Cs salt from which the precursor is derived. We show that under the conditions used in most reports, the amount of oleic acid (OA) added, while stoichiometrically sufficient, still leads to incomplete conversion of the Cs salts to CsOL. This results in a mixture of Cs sources being present during the reaction, causing decreased homogeneity and reproducibility. When a 1:5 Cs:OA ratio is used, complete conversion is readily obtained, even under mild conditions, resulting in a precursor solution that is soluble at room temperature and yields identical synthetic results, regardless of the initial Cs source. Furthermore, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of solutions prepared using varyin.
An extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF) for online measurement of atmospheric aerosol particles

Abstract. Real-time, online measurements of atmospheric organic aerosol (OA) composition are an essential tool for determining the emissions sources and physicochemical processes governing aerosol effects on climate and health. However, the reliance of current techniques on thermal desorption, hard ionization, and/or separated collection/analysis stages introduces significant uncertainties into OA composition measurements, hindering progress towards these goals. To address this gap, we present a novel, field-deployable extractive electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (EESI-TOF), which provides online, near-molecular (i.e., molecular formula) OA measurements at atmospherically relevant concentrations without analyte fragmentation or decomposition. Aerosol particles are continuously sampled into the EESI-TOF, where they intersect a spray of charged droplets generated by a conventional electrospray probe. Soluble components are extracted and then ionized as the droplets are evaporated. The EESI-TOF achieves a linear response to mass, with detection limits on the order of 1 to 10 ng m−3 in 5 s for typical atmospherically relevant compounds. In contrast to conventional electrospray systems, the EESI-TOF response is not significantly affected by a changing OA matrix for the systems investigated. A slight decrease in sensitivity in response to increasing absolute humidity is observed for some ions. Although the relative sensitivities to a variety of commercially available organic standards vary by more than a factor of 30, the bulk sensitivity to secondary organic aerosol generated from individual precursor gases varies by only a factor of 15. Further, the ratio of compound-by-compound sensitivities between the EESI-TOF and an iodide adduct FIGAERO-I-CIMS varies by only ±50 %, suggesting that EESI-TOF mass spectra indeed reflect the actual distribution of detectable compounds in the particle phase. Successful deployments of the EESI-TOF for laboratory environmental chamber measurements, ground-based ambient sampling, and proof-of-concept measurements aboard a research aircraft highlight the versatility and potential of the EESI-TOF system.
The influence of environmental drivers and restoration intervention methods on postmine restoration trajectories

Mining activity causes major changes in site topography, soil physical and chemical properties, hydrology, and biological assemblages. Reassembling plant communities in these highly altered environments is dependent on interactions between environmental drivers and management intervention techniques through time, yet the long‐term effects of these interactions have rarely been quantified. This study examined a 19‐year‐old, postmining woodland restoration chronosequence in southwest Australia to understand plant community compositional development in postmine restoration sites. We tested the effects of environmental drivers (rainfall regimes, site aspect, slope) and management intervention techniques (substrate ripping and material properties) in terms of four restoration criteria: species richness, plant density, vegetation cover, and compositional similarity to reference sites. Irrespective of environmental drivers or management intervention techniques, vegetation cover increased through time, while plant density and species richness declined. Bray–Curtis similarity to reference communities remained unchanged. Within these trends, ripping and first‐year rainfall significantly affected restoration criteria outcomes; species richness and plant density were greatest when rainfall in the first winter immediately following site restoration was low but followed by a high summer rainfall. The most effective ripping depth was dependent on rainfall, deep‐ripped sites performed best when rainfall was high, and nonripped sites performed best under low‐mean rainfall conditions. Measured restoration criteria had not reached the levels of the target reference community after 19 years, which may be attributable to the still‐developing vegetation structure. This emphasizes the importance of assessing postmining restoration outcomes over longer time frames (>>5 years) with implications for determining appropriate, time‐dependent completion criteria.