Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ASSESSMENT OF RESISTANCE TO PINK STEM BORER AND APHID INFESTATION IN SWEET SORGHUM CULTIVARS AND THEIR PRODUCTIVITY AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRAITS UNDER FOUR SOWING DATES

Two field trials were conducted at El-Fayoum Governorate, Tamia destrict (29o17N, 30o53E), Egypt, during summer 2017 and 2018 seasons, to evaluate the susceptibility to two dangerous insect pests i.e. pink stem borer (Sesamia cretica) and corn leaf aphid (Rhopalosiphum maidis) under natural infestation, the productivity, quality of ten sorghum cultivars (Brands, Dale, Honey, Leoti, Planter, Rex, Rio, Tracy, Umbrella and Williams) sown under four sowing dates (Mid. April, May, June and July). The results of the separate and combined seasons indicated that all noticeable signs of damage parameters of pink stem borer and corn leaf aphid significantly increased gradually with delaying sorghum sowing. Sowing in mid June or July suffered more damage to both insects as compared with early sowing. Regarding the noticeable damage signs. It significantly differed among the ten sweet sorghum cultivars, where, Rio, Dale and Williams cultivars recorded the least infestation which gave evidence that those cultivars were relatively tolerant to both insects, while, Honey and Umbrella cultivars recorded the highest infestation features. Quality traits (TSS, Sucrose% and reducing sugars) insignificantly differed among the four sowing dates and cultivars. Juice Extraction Percentage (JEP), glucose ratio (GR) and juice purity significantly differed among the four sowing dates. The values of JEP and juice purity decreased gradually as sowing date delayed, while, GR recorded the lowest value on May sowing as compared with other three sowing dates. On the contrary, Syrup Extraction Percentage (SEP), Total Fermentable Sugars (TFS) and Fiber % were insignificantly differed among the four sowing dates. Great variation has been detected for all processing parameters among the tested cultivars except TFS%. The results also showed that all productivity traits were significantly decreased as sowing date delayed to reach its minimum at July sowing. Productivity clarified that average stripped stalk wt. , stripped stalk, juice, syrup and ethanol yields significantly differed among the tested cultivars (except forage yield). Rio cultivar yielded the highest productivity traits, while, Honey cultivar exhibited the lowest ones. The variation observed among the tested sorghum cultivars for all studies traits were markedly related to the tolerance and susceptibility of used the tested cultivars to pink stem borer and corn leaf aphids which measure by many constant parameters as discussed previously. In general, Rio, Dale and Williams sorghum cultivars sown on mid April sowing dates exhibited the higher productivity and quality traits and the lower damage signs or to some extend characterized as relatively tolerance to pink borer and corn leaf aphid infestation.
Overcoming the challenge of bunch occlusion by leaves for vineyard yield estimation using image analysis

Accurate yield estimation is of utmost importance for the entire grape and wine production chain, yet it remains an extremely challenging process due to high spatial and temporal variability in vineyards. Recent research has focused on using image analysis for vineyard yield estimation, with one of the major obstacles being the high degree of occlusion of bunches by leaves. This work uses canopy features obtained from 2D images (canopy porosity and visible bunch area) as proxies for estimating the proportion of occluded bunches by leaves to enable automatic yield estimation on non-disturbed canopies. Data was collected from three grapevine varieties, and images were captured from 1 m segments at two phenological stages (veraison and full maturation) in non-defoliated and partially defoliated vines. Visible bunches (bunch exposure; BE) varied between 16 and 64 %. This percentage was estimated using a multiple regression model that includes canopy porosity and visible bunch area as predictors, yielding a R2 between 0.70 and 0.84 on a training set composed of 70 % of all data, showing an explanatory power 10 to 43 % higher than when using the predictors individually. A model based on the combined data set (all varieties and phenological stages) was selected for BE estimation, achieving a R2 = 0.80 on the validation set. This model did not show validation metrics differences when applied on data collected at veraison or full maturation, suggesting that BE can be accurately estimated at any stage. Bunch exposure was then used to estimate total bunch area (tBA), showing low errors (< 10 %) except for the variety Arinto, which presents specific morphological traits such as large leaves and bunches. Finally, yield estimation computed from estimated tBA presented a very low error (0.2 %) on the validation data set with pooled data. However, when performed on every single variety, the simplified approach of area-to-mass conversion was less accurate for the variety Syrah. The method demonstrated in this work is an important step towards a fully automated non-invasive yield estimation approach, as it offers a solution to estimate bunches that are not visible to imaging sensors.
HyFlex Course Delivery: Addressing the Change in Course Modality Brought on by the Pandemic

Teacher preparation programs need quality training courses that offer flexible, interactive alternatives to isolating online courses and classroom-based programs that limit students to a specific place and time. The HyFlex course design provides a solution by combining internet video instruction (such as Zoom), regular online learning, and face-to-face classroom experiences into one course where students can choose the method that best meets their individual learning needs and even alternate between methods throughout the course session. HyFlex aligns with learner centered instruction and offers a unique opportunity for educators to receive quality licensure courses. This article explores existing literature on the HyFlex course delivery method and discusses a case study done to examine student outcomes resulting from its use in a post-baccalaureate special education teacher licensure program.
Is NMDA-Receptor-Mediated Oxidative Stress in Mitochondria of Peripheral Tissues the Essential Factor in the Pathogenesis of Hepatic Encephalopathy?

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric syndrome of increased ammonia-mediated brain dysfunction caused by impaired hepatic detoxification or when the blood bypasses the liver. Ammonia-activated signal transduction pathways of hyperactivated NMDA receptors (NMDAR) are shown to trigger a cascade of pathological reactions in the brain, leading to oxidative stress. NMDARs outside the brain are widely distributed in peripheral tissues, including the liver, heart, pancreas, and erythrocytes. To determine the contribution of these receptors to ammonia-induced oxidative stress in peripheral tissues, it is relevant to investigate if there are any ammonia-related changes in antioxidant enzymes and free radical formation and whether blockade of NMDARs prevents these changes. Methods: Hyperammonemia was induced in rats by ammonium acetate injection. Oxidative stress was measured as changes in antioxidant enzyme activities and O2•− and H2O2 production by mitochondria isolated from the tissues and cells mentioned above. The effects of the NMDAR antagonist MK-801 on oxidative stress markers and on tissue ammonia levels were evaluated. Results: Increased ammonia levels in erythrocytes and mitochondria isolated from the liver, pancreas, and heart of hyperammonemic rats are shown to cause tissue-specific oxidative stress, which is prevented completely (or partially in erythrocyte) by MK-801. Conclusions: These results support the view that the pathogenesis of HE is multifactorial and that ammonia-induced multiorgan oxidative stress-mediated by activation of NMDAR is an integral part of the disease and, therefore, the toxic effects of ammonia in HE may be more global than initially expected.
Acute Effects of Different Activity Types and Work-To-Rest Ratio on Post-Activation Performance Enhancement in Young Male and Female Taekwondo Athletes

The study assessed conditioning activities’ (CAs’) effects involving different work-to-rest ratios (WRR) on taekwondo athletes’ physical performance. Adolescent taekwondo athletes (age: 16 ± 1 years) randomly participated in the control six experimental conditions. Each condition was composed of standard warm-up and CA composed of plyometrics (P) or repeated high-intensity techniques (RHIT) performed using three different WRR: 1:6, 1:7, self-selected rest time (SSRT). After rest, athletes performed countermovement jump (CMJ), taekwondo specific agility test (TSAT), 10 s frequency speed kick test (FSKT-10s), multiple frequency speed kick test (FSKT-mult). P1:7, SSRT induced techniques higher number in FSKT-10s (p < 0.001 for all comparisons) and lower TSAT time (p < 0.01 for all comparisons) compared with control. Kicks-number recorded during FSKT-mult was lower in the control compared with RHIT1:6 (p = 0.001), RHIT1:7 (p < 0.001), RHITSSRT (p < 0.05), P1:7 (p < 0.001), and SSRT (p < 0.001). Kicking decrement index (DI) during FSKT-mult was lower after RHIT1:6 compared with control (p = 0.008), RHIT1:7 (p = 0.031), P 1:6 (p = 0.014), PSSRT (p = 0.041). (1) P1:7 and PSSRT can be used to improve taekwondo-specific agility and kicks-number, (2) RHIT1:6 is beneficial to maintain low DI, and (3) plyometric and different WRR-repeated-techniques can enhance kicks-number.
Teacher entrepreneurial ecosystems: How local communities support teacher entrepreneurs

Teacher entrepreneurs pursue innovative opportunities to create value for their students and colleagues; however, it is unclear how local communities enable teacher entrepreneurs and why some communities provide fertile ground for teacher entrepreneurship while others stifle teacher entrepreneurs. To address the limited understanding of how communities can support teacher entrepreneurship, this paper draws from entrepreneurial ecosystems research and the micro-foundations approach to develop a multi-level framework to explain the attributes of “teacher entrepreneurial ecosystems. ” The main insight is that where teachers engage in entrepreneurship matters and that, in addition to teacher- and school-based characteristics, important contextual differences exist at the community-level in the depth of support for teacher entrepreneurs. Specifically, the theory explains how key differences in teacher entrepreneurial ecosystems influence teacher entrepreneurship and, in turn, how the activities of teacher entrepreneurs influence the diversity, coherence, and resilience of their ecosystems. The theory contributes by explaining how teacher entrepreneurial ecosystems function, motivating an agenda for studying teacher entrepreneurial ecosystems that catalyzes research at the entrepreneurial ecosystem and education interface, and generating insights that can help teachers and school administrators to harness their local communities and empower teacher entrepreneurs.
Leptin and Vascular Cell Adhesion Protein 1 as Physiological Biomarkers in Serum of Women Suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis is defining as a common chronic and inflammatory disorder of systematic autoimmune disease. Leptin is a small peptide hormone involved in the inflammatory and immunomodulators processes of several diseases. AIM: The study aimed at evaluating the level of leptin and Vascular Cell Adhesion Protein 1 (VCAM-1) and proves that they act as vital markers in the serum of rheumatoid arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 80 serum samples from women were obtains (56 serum samples were distributing for women with rheumatoid arthritis and 24 serum samples for uninfected women who were considered a healthy group). RESULTS: There are no significant difference in the concentration of the leptin hormone in the serum of both patients and healthy women, and that age, period, and severity of the disease had no effect on the level of leptin hormone. However, the results confirmed that at the probability level p < 0.05 the VCAM-1 concentration increased significantly in patients’ serum when compared with the healthy group, and demonstrated that age groups only affected the VCAM-1 biomarker level. CONCLUSIONS: Our current study concludes that leptin levels in the serum were not impacts by the inflammatory state in patients with rheumatism, whereas VCAM-1 level in rheumatic patients may be associate with inflammatory reactions.
Mindfulness, relationship quality, and conflict resolution strategies used by partners in close relationships

BACKGROUND Mindfulness is a specific state of attention which involves a constant focus on what is happening at the present time in a way that is neither judgmental nor evaluative. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of mindfulness for relationship quality and conflict resolution strategies in close relationships. Five components of mindfulness were examined: observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE The study included 153 participants (79 women, 74 men; aged 19-60 years). 39.2% of the respondents were married, 20.9% were engaged, 39.9 were in romantic relationships. The mean duration of the close relationship was 6.25 years. The following measures were used: the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Patterns of Problem Solving Questionnaire, and the Dyadic Adaptation Scale. RESULTS Acting with awareness, dialogue and avoiding conflict escalation strategy were predictors of relationship quality. The relationship status (marriage and engagement) was also a predictor of relationship quality. Gender, age, and duration of the relationship were not predictors of relationship quality. The results showed correlation between mindfulness and relationship quality (r = .28). There was a positive correlation between nonjudging and satisfaction in the relationship and between describing and emotional expression. Also, there was a negative correlation between nonreactivity and compatibility. Mindfulness was positively correlated with dialogue and negatively correlated with escalation of and withdrawal from a conflict. CONCLUSIONS Mindfulness is important to the relationship’s quality and conflict resolution strategies. Among the components of mindfulness, especially acting with awareness is important to relationship quality.
Experimental investigation of the incremental conductance maximum power point tracking algorithm at high perturbation rates

One of the most commonly utilised maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms for photovoltaic (PV) generators is the incremental conductance (INC) algorithm. Yet, the operating characteristics of this algorithm at high perturbation frequencies, when the system response to MPPT perturbations is never allowed to settle, have not been addressed in the literature. This study characterises system behaviour in this operating mode experimentally for a standalone PV system with a dc motor–pump load. Results show that the INC algorithm operating at a high perturbation rate offers higher energy utilisation efficiency and better system performance despite the resulting non-periodic waveforms of the system.
Road Traffic Noise Modeling at Roundabouts

It is well known that the specific dynamics of traffic at road intersections can greatly influence noise levels in urban and suburban areas. This is especially true when modeling noise at roundabouts, where temporal and spatial variations in vehicle kinematics can cause different noise levels than free-flow traffic on open road segments. Depending on the way noise prediction models account for traffic flow, these dynamic effects are more or less accurately captured. In this paper, a case study is presented, consisting of a road traffic noise level analysis in the vicinity of three suburban roundabouts in the City of Zagreb. Noise calculations were conducted by means of specialized noise prediction software using static and analytic noise models (modified RLS 90 and European interim method). Accuracy of the obtained noise contour maps was demonstrated by comparing the simulated and the observed noise levels at three receiver points along every roundabout. The aim of this research is to establish the level of reliability of applied noise models and to determine whether they can be used in road traffic noise prediction for suburban roundabouts in Croatia.
Pigmentation and Flavonoid Metabolite Diversity in Immature ‘Fuji’ Apple Fruits in Response to Lights and Methyl Jasmonate

Artificial pigmentation of apple fruits has been intensely evaluated to generate less pigmented red apples, which are profitable because of the changes in fruit quality. In this study, we analyzed the diversity of flavonoids and the patterns of flavonoid metabolic gene expression under light irradiation with or without methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment in immature (S1) and color-turning (S2) staged ‘Fuji’ apples. Further, we assessed the metabolic regulation at the gene level between anthocyanin and flavonol in light-responsive apple skins. UV-B exposure within 3 days was found to significantly stimulate anthocyanin accumulation in apple skin compared to other light exposure. S1 skin was more sensitive to UV-B and MeJA treatment, in the aspect of indaein accumulation. The enhancement of apple pigmentation following treatment with adequate levels of UV-B and MeJA was maximized at approximately 72 h. Red (range from 4.25 to 17.96 µg·g−1 DW), blue (range from 4.59 to 9.17 µg·g−1 DW) and UV-A (range from 3.98 to 19.12 µg·g−1 DW) lights contributed to the induction of idaein content. Most genes related to the flavonoid pathways increased their expression under UV-B exposure, including the gene expression of the transcription factor, MdMYB10, a well-known upstream factor of flavonoid biosynthesis in apples. The boosted upregulation of MdMYB10, MdCHS, MdF3H MdLDOX, and MdUFGT genes due to MeJA in UV-B was found and may contribute the increase of idaein. UV-A and UV-B caused higher quercetin glycoside content in both S1 and S2 apple skins than longer wavelengths, resulting in significant increases in quercetin-3-O-galactoside and quercetin-3-O-glucoside. These results suggest that the application of adequate UV-B with MeJA in less-pigmented postharvest apples will improve apple color quality within a short period.
Deciphering the microbial community structures and functions of wastewater treatment at high-altitude area

Introduction: The proper operation of wastewater treatment plants is a key factor in maintaining a stable river and lake environment. Low purification efficiency in winter is a common problem in high-altitude wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and analysis of the microbial community involved in the sewage treatment process at high-altitude can provide valuable references for improving this problem. Methods: In this study, the bacterial communities of high- and low-altitude WWTPs were investigated using Illumina high-throughput sequencing (HTS). The interaction between microbial community and environmental variables were explored by co-occurrence correlation network. Results: At genus level, Thauera (5.2%), unclassified_Rhodocyclaceae (3.0%), Dokdonella (2.5%), and Ferribacterium (2.5%) were the dominant genera in high-altitude group. The abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus removal bacteria were higher in high-altitude group (10.2% and 1.3%, respectively) than in low-altitude group (5.4% and 0.6%, respectively). Redundancy analysis (RDA) and co-occurrence network analysis showed that altitude, ultraviolet index (UVI), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) and total nitrogen (TN) were the dominated environmental factors (p < 0.05) affecting microbial community assembly, and these five variables explained 21.4%, 20.3%, 16.9%, 11.5%, and 8.2% of the bacterial assembly of AS communities. Discussion: The community diversity of high-altitude group was lower than that of low-altitude group, and WWTPs of high-altitude aeras had a unique microbial community structure. Low temperature and strong UVI are pivotal factors contributing to the reduced diversity of activated sludge microbial communities at high-altitudes.
Empirical Risk Minimization under Random Censorship

We consider the classic supervised learning problem where a continuous non-negative random label Y (e.g. a random duration) is to be predicted based upon observing a random vector X valued in R with d ≥ 1 by means of a regression rule with minimum least square error. In various applications, ranging from industrial quality control to public health through credit risk analysis for instance, training observations can be right censored, meaning that, rather than on independent copies of (X,Y ), statistical learning relies on a collection of n ≥ 1 independent realizations of the triplet (X, min{Y, C}, δ), where C is a nonnegative random variable with unknown distribution, modelling censoring and δ = I{Y ≤ C} indicates whether the duration is right censored or not. As ignoring censoring in the risk computation may clearly lead to a severe underestimation of the target duration and jeopardize prediction, we consider a plug-in estimate of the true risk based on a KaplanMeier estimator of the conditional survival function of the censoring C given X, referred to as Beran risk, in order to perform empirical risk minimization. It is established, under mild conditions, that the learning rate of minimizers of this biased/weighted empirical risk functional is of order OP( √ log(n)/n) when ignoring model bias issues inherent to plug-in estimation, as can be attained in absence of censoring. Beyond theoretical results, numerical experiments are presented in order to illustrate the relevance of the approach developed.
In-Store Marketing Strategies towards Customer Attitude to Private Label Brands using Cue Utilization Theory

The research aimed to find out instore marketing strategies that can influence consumer attitudes towards private label brands based on “cue utilization theory”. The research belonged to the category of explanatory research since it uses primary data with the population of consumers who have shopped for private label products in Hypermart Tanjungpinang, and sample as many as 174 respondents with convenience sampling techniques. The analysis approach uses partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that private label marketing has a positive and significant effect on private label attitudes; private label marketing and store environment positively and significantly influence private label attitudes through the mediation role of perceived quality variants; product related attributes have a positive and significant influence on private label attitudes; the national brand promotion attitudes does not moderate the relationship between private label marketing and perceived quality variants on private label attitude; and price consciousness does not moderate the relationship between private label marketing and perceived quality variants on private label attitudes.