Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Weed Management in Direct-seeded Semi Dry Rice

An experiment was conducted consecutively during kharif 2005, 2006 and 2007 at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam Farm, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh to evolve suitable integrated weed management technique for direct-seeded semi dry rice. Results indicated that all the treatments with hand weeding and herbicide integration were found to be superior to alone application of herbicides in reducing weed growth and increasing rice grain yields. Among the integrated treatments, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin at 1.0 kg/ha integrated with one hand weeding at 30 days after sowing (DAS) recorded the lowest weed growth and highest grain yield and was at par with all other treatments with hand weeding and herbicide integration. Pretilachlor 750 g/ha followed by one hand weeding at 30 DAS and pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha followed by one hand weeding were the cheapest integrated weed management treatments that recorded highest grain yield of semi dry-seeded rice.
Investigation of Non-Saccharomyces Yeast Strains for Their Suitability for the Production of Non-Alcoholic Beers with Novel Flavor Profiles

Abstract Non-alcoholic beers have seen steady growth in recent years and are attracting customer interest. At the same time, consumer demand for non-alcoholic beers is rising. While wort-like flavors are often criticized in beer and also regarded as off-flavors, there is growing demand for beer flavor diversification. The latest research results prove that certain non-Saccharomyces yeast species can produce distinctive fruity flavor profiles during wort fermentation. In this study, 15 different yeast strains were evaluated for their suitability to produce novel flavor profiles during fermentation in wort from malt extract while being tested for their ability to produce less than 0.5% (v/v) ethanol. The yeast strains were therefore analyzed for their sugar utilization and were compared with the maltose-negative reference yeast strain Saccharomycodes ludwigii TUM SL17. Following the fermentation experiments, the beers were analyzed for secondary metabolites and ethanol content before being tasted by trained assessors. The results reveal that all 15 yeasts are suitable for the production of non-alcoholic beers based on their sugar utilization. Particularly promising flavors were produced by three yeast strains of the species Cyberlindnera saturnus, which were reminiscent of cool mint sweets, pear, and banana. Two further yeasts of the species Kluyveromyces marxianus and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera also produced a wide range of pleasant fruity flavors. Although the secondary metabolites were mostly below the odor thresholds based on regular alcoholic beers, this study reveals that the thresholds in non-alcoholic beers can be classified as significantly lower. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/03610470.2021. 2012747 .
A Bayesian network approach for predicting seismic liquefaction based on interpretive structural modeling

ABSTRACT The Bayesian network (BN) is a type of graphical network based on probabilistic inference that has been gradually applied to assessment of seismic liquefaction potential. However, how to construct a robust BN remains underexplored in this field. This paper aims to present an efficient hybrid approach combining domain knowledge and data to construct a BN that facilitates the integration of multiple factors and the quantification of uncertainties within a network model to assess seismic liquefaction. Initially, only using given domain knowledge, a naive network model can be constructed using interpretive structural modeling. Thereafter, some effective information about the naive model is provided to construct a robust model using structural learning of BN from historic data. Finally, the returning predictive results and the predictive results are compared to other methods including non-probabilistic and probabilistic models for seismic liquefaction using the metrics of the overall accuracy, the area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic, prediction, recall and F1 score. The methodology proposed in this paper achieved better performance, and we discussed the power and value of the proposed approach at the end of this paper, which suggest that BN is a good alternative tool for seismic liquefaction prediction.
Significant Psychosocial Influence in Frail People Living with HIV Independent of Frailty Instrument Used

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) usage among people living with HIV (PLWH) has led to significant mortality declines and increasing lifespan. However, high incidence and early onset of aging-related conditions such as frailty, pose as a new threat to this population. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to characterize frailty by comparing health domains consisting of psychosocial, functional and physical deficits between frail PLWH and matched uninfected controls; identify associated risk factors and the impact on negative health outcomes including mortality risk score, quality of life, healthcare utilization, functional disability and history of falls among virally suppressed PLWH. Cross-sectional study Infectious disease clinic in a tertiary institution Individuals aged >25 years, on ART > 12 months, not pregnant and without acute illness; multi-ethnic, Asian Frailty instruments included Frailty phenotype (FP), FRAIL scale (FS) and Frailty index (FI). FI health deficits were categorized into health domains (psychosocial, functional and physical) and used as standard comparator to characterize frailty. Health domains of frail PLWH were compared with frail matched, uninfected controls. Regression analyses were applied to explore associated risk factors and health-related frailty outcomes. We recruited 336 PLWH. Majority were male (83%), Chinese (71%) with CD4+ count 561 (397–738) cells/µl. Frailty prevalence among PLWH were 7% (FP); 16% (FS) and 22% (FI). Proportions of psychosocial, functional, and physical domains were similarly distributed among frail PLWH measured by different frailty instruments. When compared with matched controls, psychosocial dominance was significant among the PLWH, but not in functional and physical domains. Identified frailty risk factors included poor nutritional status, higher CD4+ count nadir, depression, metabolic syndrome, higher highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and history of AIDS-defining illness (ADI). Frailty influenced the risk for negative health outcomes including increased mortality risk scores, poor quality of life (QOL), frequent healthcare utilization and increased functional disability (p<0.05). This study highlighted the importance of psychosocial influence in the development of frailty among treated PLWH in a multiethnic, Asian setting.
The Effect of Using Online Learning Media and Learning Styles Towards Marine Cadets Learning Motivation

The study aims to determine the interaction of web-based learning media used and the student learning styles in influencing learning motivation during the distance learning process during the pandemic. The research population was cadets of Surabaya Merchant Marine Polytechnic in the second semester. The sample in this study was 196 people, taken using the purposive sampling method. This method used in this research is the Expose Facto survey method with two-way ANOVA analysis for a 2x6 factorial design. The results showed that there was no significant (significant) difference in the learning motivation of marine cadets in terms of the variety of learning media (F=0.997; p>0.05), and there was no significant (significant) difference in learning styles (F=0.640; p> 0.05), moreover, there was no interaction between learning media and learning styles (F=0.407; p>0.05).
The Relationship between Turkish Middle School Students’ 21st Century Skills and STEM Career Interest: Gender Effect

Several conceptual and theoretical studies on the importance of science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) careers and the 21 st century skills required for these careers have been carried out; because they have been accepted as important for the improvement of society and maintenance of economic growth. However, there has not been research within the current educational literature examining the relationship between 21 st century skills and STEM career interests of middle school students. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to examine the presence and level of the relationship between middle school students’ 21 st century skills and their interest in pursuing a STEM career. In addition, the presence of significant differences between male and female students’ STEM career interest and 21 st century skills was also investigated. The participants of the study were 282 middle school students. The research was completed via a quantitative study based on the relational survey model; data collection tools were STEM career interest survey and 21 st century skills scale. A Pearson product-moment correlation method was used to explore the presence and level of the relationship between students’ 21 st century skills and STEM career interest. In addition, an independent samples t-test was used to answer whether there are significant differences between students’ STEM career interest and/or 21 st century skills in terms of gender. The findings showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between students’ 21 st century skills and STEM career interest. In addition, there is not a significant difference between female and male students’ STEM career interest, while there is a significant difference between their 21 st century skills.
Self-Assembled Micellar Glutaminase Allosteric Inhibitor for Effective Therapeutic Intervention

Introduction Kidney-type glutaminase (KGA) has been an important anti-tumor drug target, and KGA allosteric inhibitors attracted much interest for their superior enzymatic specificity with good drug safety profiles. For glutaminase allosteric inhibitors such as BPTES, CB-839 and Selen derivatives, the low solubility remains as the main factor that limits in vivo efficacy. The 1,3,4-Selenadiazole compound CPD 23 showed improved in vivo efficacy but worse solubility; however, the graft polymer polyvinyl caprolactam-polyvinyl acetate-polyethylene glycol (PVCap-PVA-PEG), Soluplus® (SOL) stood out as an excellent delivery carrier for CPD 23. Methods The CPD 23@SOL micelles were prepared, optimized and evaluated through on the basis of solubility improvement and loading capacity. Characterizations of particle size and Zeta potential by dynamic light scattering, morphology by transmission electron microscopy and solid state by X-ray powder diffraction were closely conducted. The biological studies included the tumor cell growth inhibition, blood and liver microsomal stability, in vivo pharmacokinetics and tissue biodistribution. Results At 1:20 ratio of CPD 23:SOL, CPD 23@SOL micelles were well-dispersed, spherical and stable, with size less than 200 nm with encapsulation efficiency of more than 90%. This SOL micellar system significantly increased the aqueous solubility of CPD 23 by 15,000 folds. Particularly, CPD 23@SOL micelles demonstrated higher stability in blood and liver microsomes, showing approximately 86% remaining at 2 h incubation and about 66% at 4 h, respectively. In addition, with or without micellar formulation, CPD 23 maintained essentially the same inhibitory activity in tumor cells. Interestingly, CPD 23@SOL micelles significantly improved the pharmacokinetic exposure, prolonged the in vivo circulation and dramatically changed tissue biodistributions of CPD 23. Conclusion The current work provided an encouraging and practical delivery system for novel Selenadiazoles and glutaminase allosteric inhibitors whose poor water-soluble characteristic has been a bottleneck for the field.
Techno-Economic and Fluid Dynamics Analysis for Growing Microalgae with the Intent of Producing Biofuel Using a System Model

Techno-economic and systems studies on microalgal growth scenarios to date are abbreviated and missing a number of important variables. By including these variables in a detailed model integrating biology, chemistry, engineering, and financial aspects, a more defined systems analysis is possible. Through optimizing the model productivity based on the resulting net profit, the system analysis results in a more accurate assessment of environmental and economic sustainability of specific algal growth scenarios. Photobioreactor algal growth scenario optimization in the system model has resulted in realistic engineering design requirements based on algal growth requirements and fluid dynamics analysis. Results show feasibility for photobioreactor growth scenarios to be economically sustainable when co-products are included, but definite technological advancements and productivity improvements must be made. The main factors inhibiting a cost effective photobioreactor growth scenario are culture density, temperature, and lighting distribution for solar illuminated photobioreactors, and lighting cost for artificially illuminated photobioreactors. Open pond algal growth scenarios do not show any prospect of economic or environmental sustainability with current technology due to the large amount of surface area required, inefficient water use, and iii low culture density. All algal growth scenarios are inferior to petro-diesel regarding energy inputs, carbon emissions, and environmental sustainability. No algal growth scenarios analyzed in this study meet the U.S. requirement of biofuel emitting at least 20% less carbon emissions than diesel from crude oil.
Association between Milk Intake and All-Cause Mortality among Chinese Adults: A Prospective Study

Background: Little is known about the effect of milk intake on all-cause mortality among Chinese adults. The present study aimed to explore the association between milk intake and all-cause mortality in the Chinese population. Methods: Data from 1997 to 2015 of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were used. A total of 14,738 participants enrolled in the study. Dietary data were obtained by three day 24-h dietary recall. All-cause mortality was assessed according to information reported. The association between milk intake and all-cause mortality were explored using Cox regression and further stratified with different levels of dietary diversity score (DDS) and energy intake. Results: 11,975 (81.25%) did not consume milk, 1341 (9.10%) and 1422 (9.65%) consumed 0.1–2 portions/week and >2 portions/week, respectively. Milk consumption of 0.1–2 portions/week was related to the decreased all-cause mortality (HR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.41–0.85). In stratified analysis, consuming 0.1–2 portions/week was associated with decreased all-cause mortality among people with high DDS and energy intake. Conclusions: Milk intake is low among Chinese adults. Consuming 0.1–2 portions of milk/week might be associated with the reduced risk of death among Chinese adults by advocating health education. Further research is required to investigate the relationships between specific dairy products and cause-specific mortality.
Design and Simulation of Photonic Crystal Based Optical Filter of Specified Flat-top Pass Bandwidth

Abstract In this paper, the bandwidth of a photonic crystal (PhC) based band pass filter is tailored to accommodate a carrier wavelength in presence of maximum shifts specified for a coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) system. For desired tailoring we introduce defects, whose distribution is crucial in determining flatness of the filter pass band. To analyze filter performance, transfer matrix method is employed, and a condition guiding distribution of defects within the structure is derived. Design parameters of proposed model are optimized through simulation using MATLAB. To validate the MATLAB simulation results for practical implementation, the filter is further simulated by CST MW Studio. Both simulation results show close agreement with each other. According to ITU-T Recommendation G.694. 2 for a CWDM system, a channel wavelength may undergo a maximum shift of ±(6–7) nm. The flat top pass band of our proposed filter can support such channels. The most striking feature of the filter is that it is expected to perform satisfactorily, even if during fabrication, the dimension of individual unit cell deviates from its estimated value. The choice of silicon and silicon dioxide as PhC materials provides easy realization of integrated filter structure.
On the use of heated needle probes for measuring snow thermal conductivity

Abstract Heated needle probes provide the most convenient method to measure snow thermal conductivity. Recent studies have suggested that this method underestimates snow thermal conductivity; however the reasons for this discrepancy have not been elucidated. We show that it originates from the fact that, while the theory behind the method assumes that the measurements reach a logarithmic regime, this regime is not reached within the standard measurement procedure. Using the needle probe without this logarithmic regime leads to thermal conductivity underestimations of tens of percents. Moreover, we show that the poor thermal contact between the probe and the snow due to insertion damages results in a further underestimation. Thus, we encourage the use of fixed needle probes, set up before the snow season and buried under snowfalls, rather than hand-inserted probes. Finally, we propose a method to correct the measurements performed with such fixed needle probes buried in snow. This correction is based on a lookup table, derived specifically for the Hukseflux TP02 needle probe model, frequently used in snow studies. Comparison between corrected measurements and independent estimations of snow thermal conductivity obtained with numerical simulations shows an overall improvement of the needle probe values after application of the correction.
A Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modelling on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology in Higher Education

With technology advancements in society, many theories and models evolved for explaining the technology acceptance of people in different contexts, especially in education. This study’s main objective is to confirm the factors influencing the actual use behaviour of technology in the higher education sector, based on the framework of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). This objective was executed by means of the modern statistical technique, meta-analytic structural equation modelling (MASEM). This study synthesized 44 samples from 38 quantitative studies of UTAUT constructs, covering 16550 participants in higher education institutions. The result confirms the validity of the UTAUT model, except the direct effect of facilitating conditions on use behaviour. Therefore, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions are the significant positive predictors of the teachers and students’ behavioural intention to use the technology. The behavioural intention can also significantly predict the actual technology use behaviour of teachers and students. Moreover, the resulted model can explain the higher variance of the technology use behaviour among student population than the teacher population. It is anticipated that this study’s findings can add the strong evidence of the validity and usefulness of the UTAUT model to the technology acceptance literature. Moreover, the practitioners with the help of this research’s findings can guide the fut ure integration of technology in higher education effectively.
Investigating the Attitude of Domestic Water Use in Urban and Rural Households in South Africa

South Africa is a semi-arid, water-stressed country. Adequate measures should be put in place to prevent water wastage. This paper aims to assess domestic water wastage and determine the proper attitude towards household water management in rural and urban communities in South Africa. This study was conceptualised in two stages. Firstly, critical observations were used to examine the attitude of households towards water usage in both urban and rural communities (Durban and Thohoyandou, respectively). Secondly, structured questionnaires and interviews were used to identify the factors that influenced the participants’ attitudes towards domestic water usage. This study concludes that, irrespective of the literacy level, accessibility to limited water supply, information available through advertisements about water scarcity, and better water management in an urban community, the rural community has a better attitude towards domestic water usage and water management. The result (83.3%) also indicated that the rural community strongly agreed to be water savers in their homes. However, in the urban community, the results from the participants were somewhat evenly distributed; the participants strongly agreed and disagreed at 36.2% and 32.2%, respectively. Other results of the study also showed that variables such as family upbringing, inaccessibility of domestic water, and advertisement play a major role in influencing the attitude of the rural community to water usage. These variables were statistically significant at p < 0.001. However, the immediate environment was shown to be not statistically significant at p < 0.911. Based on the study results, it is recommended that households should be encouraged to generate greywater collection systems to reduce water use and improve water reuse. The government could introduce a rationed allocation (shedding) of domestic water in urban communities to draw attention to the prevalence of water scarcity in the nation.
The effect of porosity of submerged break water structured on non-breaking wave transformation

Development of an innovative porous submerged breakwater structure which could be used for the purpose of coastal restoration is underway in the Coastal & Offshore Engineering Instituteâ€™s research laboratory. Prior to developing the structure, laboratory investigations on models (typifying porous submerged breakwater structures) that could provide experimental information of the influence of porosity on non-breaking wave transformations have been undertaken. A series of tests to study the effect of porosity of submerged breakwater model structures on the process of non-breaking wave transformations have been carried out. A hollow framework-shaped test model was used. Three models each with three different porosities ranging from 0.40 to 0.80 were constructed. From laboratory tests, results obtained have been analysed to check the performance of the models to attenuate waves. Test results have indicated that the transmission coefficient, KT increased with increasing model porosity. The wave reflection coefficient, KR of the model tested ranged from 0.01 to 0.31. Energy loss of the primary waves was found to be highest when the parameter kd was equal to 1.9 and lowest when the porosity of the model was found to be large.