Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BYOD implementation model in Malaysian schools: The perception and readiness of parents, schools, and teachers

The proliferation of digital technologies has brought upon new possibilities in revolutionizing education. Learning is no longer constrained to face-to-face interaction, but it is opened up to a whole new dynamic of interactive online classrooms. Correspondingly, the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) has embarked on the 21 st Century Learning, which focuses on technology as an enabler. As such, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) implementation can be seen as an effective cost mitigation strategy to lessen the government's burden on providing the optimal 21 st century pedagogical ecosystem. The previous studies found six important factors of BYOD’s implementation, which are infrastructure, safety, knowledge, community, health, and culture. Malaysia is also aiming towards BYOD’s implementation; however, the policy is only focused on four factors, namely knowledge, community, infrastructure, and security, with limited descriptions of each factor. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss all the identified factors and propose a model to implement the BYOD implementation at school. This is a two-pronged study in which an optimal BYOD implementation model is proposed and subsequently, a quantitative analysis on the perception and readiness of schools, teachers and parents towards BYOD is discussed. Due to the disruptive nature of BYOD, the majority means of parents’ responses lean more towards the negative spectrum of the Likert scale. Hence, several proactive recommendations are suggested to ensure BYOD a fruitful pursuit.
Effect of clipping the coat on performance of calves in the field.

The effect of keeping the coats of weaner calves clipped throughout the year has been measured at Rockhampton. Clipping lowered body temperatures and significantly increased growth rate during summer but reduced growth rate, slightly and not significantly, during winter. Individual animals differing in natural coat type differed more in growth rate than would be expected from the effect of the difference in coat cover alone. Differences in growth rate were more consistently related to inherent coat type than to coat cover. It is concluded that coat type is significant as insulation and as a factor affecting efficiency of evaporative cooling, but also as a character correlated with other physiological attributes, some of which are thermoregulatory and some not thermoregulatory. A sleek coat is therefore associated with some qualities which may be advantageous in a cool climate, but the manifold significance of coat type is expressed in a warm climate.
PREVALENCE OF URINARY TRACT INFECTION AND ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY AMONG DIABETIC PATIENTS

The aim of this study was to characterize the prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in patients with diabetes mellitus, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolates and to explore the relationship with glycaemic balance. 1046 patients with diabetes, 84 with type 1 and 962 with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in the study. Each urine sample obtained by midstream collection was evaluated using dipstick and microscopical evaluation of the sediment, followed by uroculture. Most patients were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and the incidence of UTIs was 29.82%. The predominant isolates were E. coli and K. pneumoniae, followed by E. faecalis. The first two isolates were susceptible to cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, carbapenems, combinations with clavulanic acid or sulbactam, less to quinolones and resistant to ampicillin. Isolates strains of E. faecalis have shown a good sensitivity to antibiotics. No difference was noted between the samples with E. coli, K. pneumoniae and E. faecalis in terms of glycaemic balance.
Cowpea mottle virus: field resistance and seed transmission in virus-tolerant cowpea

SUMMARY Cultivars of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) possessing tolerance to infection by cowpea mottle virus (CMeV) under screenhouse conditions exhibited both tolerance and resistance to infection by beetle vectors under field conditions. Resistance to infection was exemplified by delayed and reduced incidence of infection resulting from natural infection pressure, and appeared to be unrelated to vector feeding preference. This suggests that certain cowpea cultivars such as TVu 3901 possess more than one component of resistance (sensu Russell, 1978) to CMeV. Despite some correspondence between results from artificial (mechanical) and natural (vector) inoculation, we suggest that field evaluation is often an important adjunct to greenhouse screening for virus disease resistance since resistance mechanisms operative under field conditions may be overlooked in artificial screening programmes. In the susceptible cultivar TVu 612, when artificially inoculated, CMeV is transmissible through cowpea seed up to 0.4%. In only one instance was CMeV seed transmitted from natural infection. We suggest that apparent inefficiency in seed transmission may in part account for the restricted ecological and geographical distribution of CMeV.
Barking damage by snowshoe hares and red squirrels in lodgepole pine stands in central British Columbia

Barking damage by snowshoe hares (Lepusamericanus Erxleben) and red squirrels (Tamiasciurushudsonicus Erxleben) is common in overstocked stands of juvenile lodgepole pine (Pinusconforta Dougl.) in central British Columbia. Average proportion of potential crop trees damaged by hares was 30.0% and by squirrels was 37.7%. Most hare feeding injuries occurred in heavily stocked (> 20 000 stems/ha) stands, whereas squirrel damage was most common in less dense stands. Both animal species damaged trees in thinned stands, and hence may have a serious impact on stocking control programs in lodgepole pine.
Reproduction in otters in Belarus and north-western Russia

Between 1967 and 1991, otters Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) were collected from Belarus and NW Russia (St. Petersburg, Pskov, and Novogorod regions). Reproductive status was assessed by histological study of the reproductive organs of 99 otters.
Anther Culture of Australian Wheat Germplasm Using Modified C17 Medium and Membrane Rafts

Experiments with wheat anther culture were conducted with the aim of assembling a workable system for doubled-haploid production for Australian wheat breeding. One Australian cultivar, Grebe, carrying the 1BL/1RS translocation was particularly responsive. A modified C17 medium was developed which proved effective when solidified with agarose or when used as a liquid in conjunction with membrane support rafts. The membrane rafts have great potential to assist the development of the anther culture procedure since the medium can be rapidly replenished or replaced with minimal disturbance of the tissue.
DIATOM SUCCESSION TRENDS IN RECENT SEDIMENTS FROM LAKE BAIKAL AND THEIR RELATION TO ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION AND TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Recent environmental change in Lake Baikal has been attributed to anthropogenic influences on the ecosystem, especially through pollution and cultural eutrophication. These hypotheses are tested in this paper principally by diatom analyses in 20 short sediment cores. Most of the cores were collected with a new type of box corer specifically designed for use on Lake Baikal. Most cores contain a good sediment record but turbidites occur in some sediment profiles which may be best recognized using a combination of techniques, such as radiometric dating and percentage dry weight analyses. The most recent sediments, especially those in the southern basin and in the very north of Baikal, contain a record of anthropogenic contamination in the form of lead and spheroidal carbonaceous particles, which confirms that the southern basin of Baikal is most affected by atmospheric sources of pollution. However, there is no sedimentary diatom evidence indicating offshore water quality deterioration in Baikal owing to air pollution or eutrophication. Small increases in diatoms which indicate nutrient enrichment (e.g. Stephanodiscus minutulus, Synedra acus v. radians and Synedra acus v. acus) may reflect local eutrophication of the shallow waters close to the Selenga Delta and certain coastal sites in the southern basin near to the Baikalsk paper and pulp mill. By using numerical techniques, Lake Baikal can be split into at least four regions on the basis of its surface sediment flora: the south, middle and north basins, and the shallow waters surrounding the Selenga Delta region. Diatom analyses reveal that the endemic flora of Lake Baikal has been constantly changing over at least the last 2000 years and that these fluctuations are probably responses to natural climatic variability. Recent sediments of Baikal may be affected by taphanomic processes (e.g. dissolution) and turbidite deposition, and these must be taken into account when interpreting the sedimentary diatom record. The diatom flora of the lake is currently dominated by several species, such as Aulacoseira baicalensis, A. islandica, Cyclotella minuta and Stephanodiscus binderanus v. baicalensis. All these species, except for C. minuta, have become more common in the lake in approximately the last 130 years, and we hypothesize that these changes may be attributed to a number of different processes linked to an ameliorating climate after the end of the Little Ice Age. The results presented here have important implications for this recently designated World Heritage Site, with regard to future pollution controls and catchment management policies.
Detoxification spectrum of the cigarette beetle symbiont Symbiotaphrina kochii in culture

The ability of cultures of the cigarette beetle symbiont, Symbiotaphrina kochii Jurzitza ex. W. Gams and v. Arx, to utilize toxins as carbon sources and produce detoxifying enzymes was tested. This yeast could apparently use many of the plant allelochemicals, meal toxins, mycotoxins, insecticides, and herbicides tested as carbon sources, suggesting the ability to detoxify these compounds. Detoxifying enzymes that were detected using representative substrates included aromatic ester hydrolase, glucosidase, phosphatase, and glutathione transferase. This yeast was also able to hydrolyze the organophosphorus insecticide parathion. Thus, this yeast appears to have broad‐spectrum detoxifying capabilities. Either this strain of yeast, improved strains, or other microorganisms to which genetic material from this yeast has been transferred may be of use in decontaminating materials containing multiple toxins.
Sexual dimorphism and sexual dichromatism in the Small-scaled Rock Agama, Laudakia microlepis (Blanford, 1874) (Sauria: Agamidae)

Abstract We analysed the sexual dimorphism of morphological features and colouration of the Small-scaled Rock Agama, Laudakia microlepis, one of the least known agamas of the Iranian Plateau, and also elaborated some of the ecological and behavioural features of the species which might have had a causal role in the evolution of its current pattern of sexual dimorphism and dichromatism. In the populations examined, males can be distinguished from females by having larger bodies and legs, more pointed and more voluminous heads, and sometimes more developed callous scales on the midventral and preanal regions. Out of the 12 body regions examined, only 2 concealed regions, chest and ventral region of the abdomen, show sex-dependent dichromatism. Both sexual dimorphism and sexual dichromatism of the species fit the classical agamid pattern of sexual dimorphism which is the result of an evolutionary interaction between natural selection and sexual selection. Considering the extensive range of the species and the diverse characteristics of its microclimate and microhabitat structure, it provides an appropriate model for studying the evolutionary trajectory of the classical pattern of sexual dimorphism in the Iranian species of Laudakia.
Ecological signature of the end-Triassic biotic crisis: what do bivalves have to say?

In order to understand the causes underlying the Triassic–Jurassic (T/J) mass extinction, we tested different bivalve features for extinction selectivity, i.e. shell mineralogy, age at the Rhaetian and three main autoecologic traits (feeding mechanism, tiering and motility/attachment). Also, diversity and turnover rates throughout the Triassic and the Early Jurassic were analysed in detail. The dataset employed for this analysis was a precise database at genus level including data from Induan to Sinemurian times. Results point to a true mass extinction for bivalves around the T/J boundary. This extinction was not age-selective at the boundary. Certain analyses suggested that shell mineralogy was a character significantly increasing survival odds, but this relationship seems to reflect selectivity on autoecologic traits. There was no difference in extinction proportions between both feeding types (i.e. deposit feeders and filter feeders); among the other traits, deep burrowers, epifaunal-motile and endobyssate forms seem to have been favoured, while shallow burrowers (and probably reclined forms) were more heavily affected. This pattern suggests an environmental stress at the boundary with some particular issues affecting the different life modes. Models linking magmatism in the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province with the end-Triassic mass extinction are a plausible scenario for this kind of perturbation.
Genomic diversity of Ralstonia solanacearum strains isolated from banana farms in West Malaysia.

Pulse-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and BOX-PCR patterns were used to determine the phylogenetic relationships among 32 strains of Ralstonia solanacearum collected from banana farms in West Malaysia. Eighty two percent (25 stains) were biovar 3 and the remainders were biovar 4. Cluster analysis based on PFGE and BOX-PCR fingerprinting showed that there was significant genetic variation among all strains within this species in West Malaysia. Patterns of DNA fingerprinting in both methods were significantly correlated with sampling sites and revealed the regional similarity among the strains. The PFGE patterns varied from 78 to 99% while BOX-PCR patterns showed a high degree of variation among R. solanacearum strains. Genomic fingerprinting by PFGE also revealed one that was significantly correlated to biovar type while BOX-PCR pattern analysis was unable to differentiate various biovars. This study clearly showed that R. solanacearum strains were phylogenetically similar within a region but diverse between regions despite biovar designation.
Epidemiology Survey of Antibiotics Use in Hospitals and Veterinarian Practices in Northern Regions of Cameroon

Antibiotics are used in veterinary practice as growth promoter to improve animal production and to control animal diseases. Routine antimicrobials consumption led to resistant-strains selection an spread within animals, their environment, farmers and animal products consumer. As for animals, antibiotics are widely recommended for bacterial infections in human medicine. By the same process, antibiotic-resistance emergence in human is current event. This is why in our study the aim was to assess antibiotic use frequencies in human and veterinary practices without previous antibiogram or species identification. We focused on cocci gram prositif infections in Cameroon northern regions. Our results revealed high rate of ceftriaxone (24%), amoxicillin (29%) and cloxacillin (14%) prescription by health practitionner for cocci gram positif and Staphylococci infections. In livestock Penicillin-streptomycin (42%) and oxytetracyclin (38%) are the most use for mastitis, penicillin-diclofenac mix and penicillin-streptomycin were frequently indicated for dermatosis. Antibiotics are widely prescribed in northern regions either in human or in veterinary medicine and may lead to antibiotic-resistance.
Effects of Simulated Solar UVB Radiation on Early Developmental Stages of the Northwestern Salamander (Ambystoma gracile) from Three Lakes

Abstract Solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) has received much attention as a factor that could play a role in amphibian population declines. UV can be hazardous to some amphibians, but the resultant effects depend on a variety of environmental and behavioral factors. In this study, the potential effects of UV on the Northwestern Salamander, Ambystoma gracile, from three lakes were assessed in the laboratory using a solar simulator. We measured the survival of embryos and the survival and growth of larvae exposed to four UV treatments in controlled laboratory studies, the UV absorbance of egg jelly, oviposition depths in the lakes, and UV absorbance in water samples from the three lakes. Hatching success of embryos decreased in the higher UV treatments as compared to the control treatments, and growth of surviving larvae was significantly reduced in the higher UVB irradiance treatments. The egg jelly exhibited a small peak of absorbance within the UVB range (290–320 nm). The magnitude of UV absorbance differed among egg jellies from the three lakes. Oviposition depths at the three sites averaged 1.10 m below the water surface. Approximately 66% of surface UVB radiation was attenuated at 10-cm depth in all three lakes. Results of this study indicate that larvae may be sensitive to UVB exposure under laboratory conditions; however, in field conditions the depths of egg deposition in the lakes, absorbance of UV radiation by the water column, and the potential for behavioral adjustments may mitigate severe effects of UV radiation.
Parâmetros genéticos para idade ao primeiro parto estimados por diferentes modelos para rebanhos da raça Nelore

Com objetivo de estimar parâmetros geneticos e estudar a utilizacao de diferentes efeitos em avaliacoes geneticas para idade ao primeiro parto (IPP) por diferentes modelos, foram utilizados registros de IPP de animais da raca Nelore, nascidos entre os anos de 1990 e 2005. Foram considerados os seguintes modelos (M): M1, incluindo o efeito fixo de GC1 (constituido pelos animais nascidos na mesma fazenda e ano), alem da covariavel, peso aos 365 dias de idade (efeito linear e quadratico), totalizando 24.263 registros de IPP; M2, considerando os efeitos fixos de GC1, ano e estacao de paricao, totalizando 59.792 registros de IPP e M3, incluindo os efeitos fixos de GC2 (agrupando os animais nascidos na mesma fazenda, ano e que conceberam no mesmo manejo reprodutivo), ano e estacao de paricao, totalizando 59.792 registros de IPP. As estimativas dos componentes de variância e herdabilidade e os valores geneticos (VG) foram obtidos pelo metodo da maxima verossimilhanca restrita, com a inclusao da matriz de parentesco disponivel. As diferencas esperadas na progenie (DEPs) foram obtidas dividindo os VG por dois. Apos a obtencao desses resultados, foram realizadas correlacoes entre os VG e o ranqueamento das DEPs dos reprodutores para IPP, utilizando-se o procedimento PROC CORR (SAS, 2003). Ao se considerar o ano e a estacao de parto nos modelos de analise (M2 e M3), esses produziram um maior R2, indicando que tais modelos conseguiram explicar, em maior grau, as diferencas existentes entre os animais para IPP. As herdabilidades estimadas foram de baixa magnitude (0,14 e 0,15). As correlacoes entre os VG obtidas por diferentes modelos foram 0,73 (M1 x M2); 0,91 (M2 x M3) e 0,66 (M1 x M3).
Assessment of spatial distribution of ascospores of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum for regional disease forecasting in carrots

Abstract Sclerotinia sclerotiorum causes yield losses in a broad range of plant hosts, including carrot, for which a disease risk forecasting model has been previously developed. Detecting and quantifying airborne ascospores as a component of a sclerotinia rot of carrot (SRC) forecast model is currently accomplished using a Sclerotinia semi-selective medium (SSM) in the blue plate test (BPT) which has a threshold of 5 ascospores per plate. To improve the efficacy of applying the SRC forecast model, data from nine years of air sampling were analysed to determine the number of sampling sites needed to accurately estimate the concentration of airborne ascospores in a region (c. 40 km2) of intense carrot production. In six years, ascospore counts were correlated between sites in 20–100% of the possible pairwise comparisons among air sampling sites. The most consistent relationships among the sites were observed during periods of no detection or detection below the BPT threshold. In most years, periods when ascospore counts surpassed the BPT threshold were consistent among sites, but there were some fields and years when these periods were inconsistent. Based on the observations, one air sampling site should be sufficient to detect ascospores when counts are low, increasing to two or more sites during periods when ascospores are detected near or above threshold levels, and cropping and environmental conditions are conducive to disease.
Global software development governance: Challenges and solutions

Global software development (GSD) has become a rising software development model in the last few years. Although much research has been performed in terms of GSD management, GSD governance research is scarce at the present time and presents multiple challenges that need to be addressed. In this paper, a systematic mapping study has been conducted, the aim of which was to discover the main issues dealt with in GSD governance literature, as well as to point out the particular research gaps that are still present in this domain. This allowed us to find out new challenges to be addressed, along with possible solutions to these. The results reveal a lack of research in key aspects such as tools, culture, people, and information, all of which provides a great opportunity for future approaches while also highlighting new opportunities in GSD governance research.
Long-term and country scale projection of even-aged forest management: a case study for Fagus sylvatica in Croatia

Abstract Out of the 901,848 ha forests of the European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Croatia, 383,473 ha are even-aged beech forests with irregular age-class structure. Potential forest management of the even-aged beech forests (including the conversion of coppice even-aged beech forests) was studied using a dynamic model system, in the context of long-term planning at the national level in Croatia. Three management policy scenarios were defined regarding the area control method, that is, planned area for annual regeneration felling was given as a function of (1) total forest area (conservative approach scenario–CAS), (2) area of stands older than 50 years (moderate approach scenario–MAS), and (3) area of stands older than 80 years (intensive approach scenario–IAS). Projections of future trends in the annual area of regeneration, age-class distribution, standing volume and annual felling, and thinning cut were obtained for each scenario. Management according to the Scenario 3 would lead to achievement of a best age-class balancing and more sustainable management in the next 50 years. The structure of the growing stock and the quality of harvested timber would also improve as a result of this approach. Intensive regeneration felling (4460 ha per year) and conversion of coppice forests (420 ha per year) is required to reach this goal.