Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Micropropagation of Baccharis antioquensis (Asteraceae) and photoinduction of polyphenols by UV radiation

Polyphenols are a large diversity of chemical types and interactions that can be responsible for a multiplicity of protective functions ranging from toxicity and light/UV shielding to signal transduction. Bacharis antioquensis has been described as a potential source of new photoprotective compounds with antioxidant capacity associated to polyphenol s compounds. The aim of the present work was to develop a micropropagation protocol of B. antioquensis and evaluate the production of polyphenols by in vitro plants exposure to UVB radiation. Branches in juvenile stage of B. antioquensis were collected, desinfected and cultured on half strength Murashige and Skoog medium, supplemented or not with growth regulators (TDZ, BA or GA 3 ) on light/darkness conditions and liquid/solid media. After UV treatments, the absorption coefficient in the UVA-UVB range, the antioxidant capacity and the total phenol content (TPC) from all tissue cultures and the wild tissue were evaluated. Growth regulators, light conditions and type of culture medium (solid or liquid) had a favorable effect on the response of explants. Treatments containing BA + GA 3 regulators (2 and 0.5 mg/L respectively) and TDZ (0.5 mg/L) showed positive results in bud growth in liquid medium and darkness. Results showed that UVR exhibited promoting effects on the accumulation of polyphenols, enhancing the absorption coefficient in the UVA-UVB range, the antiradical capacity and the TPC of B. antioquensis in vitro plants. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(2): 754-764. Epub 2018 June 01.
When Computers were New: Shifts in the Journalistic Sensorium (1960s–1990s)

Abstract In an attempt to escape the presentist and pro-innovation biases that sometimes taint (digital) journalism studies scholarship, this article proposes an oral history of newsroom computerization before the boom of the Internet, from the early 1960s to the late 1990s. Our work is informed by three theoretical and methodological sensibilities: (1) a plea for genealogical approaches of “new” technologies made by scholars at the intersection of media history and STS, (2) an interest in reframing journalism history as the history of newswork, (3) an overall sensibility for the materiality of journalism, which leads us to study the history of newsroom computerization through the lens of shifts in the journalistic sensorium. Drawing on interviews with newsworkers active during the key decades of the 1960s to the 1990s in the province of Quebec, Canada, our findings show that they primarily remember computers as personal tools (and not as newsroom-wide transformations) that were easily incorporated to their work habits. Furthermore, we show how the introduction of computers affected the senses of journalists doing work: newsmaking sounds, feels and moves differently with computers. Altogether, we argue that these transformations have epistemological consequences, as newswork shifts from analogue craft to screenwork.
Projection Methods for Uniformly Convex Expandable Sets

Many problems in medical image reconstruction and machine learning can be formulated as nonconvex set theoretic feasibility problems. Among efficient methods that can be put to work in practice, successive projection algorithms have received a lot of attention in the case of convex constraint sets. In the present work, we provide a theoretical study of a general projection method in the case where the constraint sets are nonconvex and satisfy some other structural properties. We apply our algorithm to image recovery in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to a signal denoising in the spirit of Cadzow’s method.
Larvicidal and Adulticidal Activities of Neem Oil against Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.) (Tephritidae)

In the laboratory, a neem oil-based formulation was evaluated for its insecticidal potential against the South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus (Wied.), as efficient alternative for growers harvest fruits more harmless for the human consumption. The commercial product was evaluated against eggs in vitro, guavas infested with eggs and young larvae, and adults. The application of 0.8% neem oil significantly reduced the larval hatching of A. fraterculus. Neem oil at 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8% significantly reduced the number of pupae and adults per fruit infested with eggs. Guava infested with A. fraterculus eggs and treated with neem oil at 0.8% exhibited a reduction of 90.0% and 92.6% of pupae and adults per fruit, respectively. The same dosage to guava infested by larvae achieved a 44.6 and 51.4% reduction of pupae and larvae, respectively. At 360 minutes after treatment, 0.8% of neem oil provided 67.9% of corrected adult mortality. This double insecticidal effect of neem oil and lack of phytotoxicity in ripe guavas at the tested concentrations demonstrate its potential in biorational management.
Characterization of traditional Algerian cheese “Bouhezza” prepared with raw cow, goat and sheep milks

“ Bouhezza ” is an Algerian traditional fermented soft-ripened cheese, found and consumed in the Northeast of Algeria. The objective of this study was to explore the preparation process (traditional making diagram) of “ Bouhezza ” cheese and to study the effect of the type of raw milk (cow, goat and sheep) on the yield and organoleptic characteristics of the fresh “ Bouhezza ” cheese. “ Bouhezza ” cheese was handmade in a traditional way using milk of three species (cow, goat and sheep). The milk used has been the subject of physicochemical and bacteriological analysis. Cheese yield for sheep’s milk is higher (p < 0.05) than cheese yield for cow’s and sheep’s milk. For sensory analysis, score registered for cheese of cow’s milk ≥ 5 suggested higher acceptability for this cheese. Here, we exposed the “ Bouhezza ” cheese, its history, origin and manufacturing processes. From the physicochemical and bacteriological analysis of milk, results show that all criteria analyzed respond almost to the required standard. The sensory qualities of the three types of cheese show that cow cheese was classified as the most satisfactory cheese for the majority of criteria (taste. color and texture). Finally, and for higher yield, results supported the use of sheep milk as a raw material.
Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activity of baobab (Adansonia digitata) leaves and stem bark extracts on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

The phytochemical analysis and antibacterial activity of methanolic and ethanolic leaf and stem bark extracts of baobab tree on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were carried out using agar well diffusion method. The clinical bacterial isolates of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were obtained from Microbiology laboratory, Kaduna State University, Kaduna. The bacteria isolates were re-confirmed and identified based on their morphology, cultural characteristics and biochemical tests. The bacteria isolates were confirmed to be Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of Alkaloids, Saponins, Flavonoids, Tannins and Terpenoids. The methanolic leaf extract showed a wide range of activity on test isolates, with varying zones of inhibitions as 12 mm, 10 mm, 7 mm, and 4 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and 13 mm, 9 mm, 7 mm, and 3 mm against Escherichia coli at concentration of 1000 mg/ml, 500 mg/ml, 200 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml respectively. The ethanolic leaf extract also showed a wide range of activity on test isolates with varying zones of inhibitions, such as 11mm, 6mm, 5mm and 3mm against S. aureus and 8mm, 7mm, 5mm, and 4mm against E. coli at the concentration of 1000 mg/ml, 500mg/ml, 200 mg/ml and 100mg/ml for each respectively. The methanolic stem bark extract showed less antibacterial activity against the test isolates with the inhibition of 5mm and 4mm against S. aureus and 4mm and 3mm against E.coli at concentration of 1000 mg/ml and 500 mg/ml respectively with no zones of inhibition at concentration of 200 mg/ml and 100mg/ml. The ethanolic stem bark extract also showed no antibacterial activity with no zones of inhibition against the test isolates at concentration of 1000 mg/ml, 500 mg/ml, 200mg/ml and 100 mg/ml. The methanolic leaf extract inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E.coli at concentration of 100 mg/ml with minimum bactericidal concentration at 100 mg/ml. The ethanolic leaf extract inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E. coli at concentration of 100 mg/ml with minimum bactericidal concentration of 100 mg/ml. This result showed that the ethanolic and methanolic leaf extract of Adansonia digitata contained bioactive substances that may likely be used against some pathogenic bacteria when medically used.
Teachers’ Covid-19 Awareness, Distance Learning Education Experiences and Perceptions towards Institutional Readiness and Challenges

Amidst the threat of COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, the educators, students, and the school are still coping and adjusting to the distance learning education. This study explored teachers' awareness about the COVID-19 pandemic and their opinion on their respective schools’ readiness, as well as their response to the challenges of conducting distance learning education in the Philippines. A validated questionnaire was developed to collect the relevant data for this study. The initial reliability test obtained 8.9 Cronbach’s alpha. Data gathering procedure was done through Google forms, which, after validation from the respective DepEd divisions and universities, were subsequently sent to the teachers via email. The results show that the teachers were highly aware of the presence and consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The correlation between teacher’s demographic profiles and awareness to COVID-19 shows no relationship at all. Nevertheless, the length of teaching experience and specialization is very strongly correlated to readiness to distance learning education. Simultaneously, the teachers’ geographic location is strongly correlated to readiness to adapt to distance learning education. Furthermore, only the teachers’ gender has a significant difference in their awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, teachers’ gender, length of teaching experience, and geographic location have significant differences with their readiness to distance learning education. This study can be used as a basis for further research particularly in developing institutional plans to better understand the status of their teachers and educational organizations, and schools’ readiness to teach and learn through distance learning approach; hence, preserving and continuing educational mission during the current or future pandemic as well as be prepared for any natural disasters. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19. 6.8
Temporal trends in snowfall contribution induced by lake-effect synoptic types

ABSTRACT Using a synoptic classification technique and gridded snow dataset, snowfall was evaluated in the eastern Great Lakes region from 1950-2009 during atmospheric conditions suitable for the development of lake-effect snow. Specific emphases were placed on detailing the long-term changes to snowfall magnitude and frequency, and quantifying changes in the contribution of total snowfall from lake-effect synoptic types. For Lakes Erie and Ontario, snowfall from lake-effect synoptic types represented approximately 48% of total snowfall, and 42% of snowfall days are synoptically lake-effect in nature. Over time, the percentage of total early-season snowfall from lake-effect synoptic types significantly increased downwind of the Lakes, by approximately 0.4% yr-1, corresponding to an increase from approximately 40% lake-effect in the 1950s, to over 60% in the 2000s. This was due, in part, to changes in the frequency of snowfall-producing synoptic types, decreases in the percentage of precipitation falling as snow during non-lake-effect events, and increases in the magnitude of snowfall per lake-effect event. Changes in the proportion of total snowfall from lake-effect processes carries implications to water resources due to differences in snow-water-equivalent between lake-effect snow and snowfall from other mechanisms, such as mid-latitude cyclones.
Regulatory mechanism predates the evolution of ant-like swarm intelligence in simulated robots

The evolution of complexity is one of the prime features of life on Earth. Although well accepted as the product of adaptation, the dynamics underlying the evolutionary build-up of complex adaptive systems remains poorly resolved. Using simulated robot swarms that exhibit ant-like group foraging with trail pheromones, we show that their swarm intelligence paradoxically involves regulatory behavior that arises in advance. We focused on a “traffic rule” on their foraging trail as a regulatory trait. We allowed the simulated robot swarms to evolve pheromone responsiveness and behaviors simultaneously. In most cases, the traffic rule, initially arising as selectively neutral component behaviors, assisted the group foraging system to bypass a fitness valley caused by overcrowding on the trail. Our study reveals a hitherto underappreciated role of regulatory mechanisms in the origin of swarm intelligence, as well as highlights the importance of embodiment in the study of their evolution.
Effect of corm size and growth regulators on growth, flowering and quality of gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) -

Gladiolus is the 8th most important in the world cut flower trade grown for its elegant attractive spikes and good keeping quality. However, the farmers in Bangladesh have limited access to the scientific cultivation of this crop, and yield and quality production of flower is low compared to other gladiolus growing countries in the world. Growth regulating chemicals have been reported to be very effective in manipulating growth and flowering of gladiolus. Therefore, an experiment was conducted at the Landscaping section of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from October 2017 to April 2018 to study the effect of corm size and plant growth regulators (PGRs) on growth, flowering and quality of gladiolus. The experiment consisted of two corm sizes viz., 3.0∼4.0 and 4.1∼5.0 cm, and two PGRs viz. GA3 @ 250, 500 and 750 ppm; and NAA @ 100, 200 and 300 ppm along with tap water as control. The two-factor experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications. The results revealed that the corm size and PGRs significantly affected growth, floral and quality traits of gladiolus. The highest plant height, maximum number of leaves per plant, longest leaf length, maximum number of florets per spike, longest spike and rachis length were observed in 4.1∼5.0 cm sized corms and GA3 @ 750 ppm, compared to rest of the treatments. Earliness in flower initiation and maximum duration of flower was observed in 4.1∼5.0 cm sized corms and GA3 @ 500 ppm. Significant variations among the treatment combinations were observed for all the parameters studied. The treatment combination of 4.1∼5.0 cm sized corms and GA3 @ 750 ppm was found to be best in respect of growth, floral and quality characters of gladiolus.
Plaque Index, Oral Hygiene Habits, and Depressive Symptomatology as Predictors of Clinical Attachment Loss: A Pilot Study

Background. The effect of depressive symptomatology on periodontitis is not clear in its path of action. Objective. To test a model to predict clinical attachment loss by direct effect of the dental plaque accumulation, which is a direct effect of worse oral hygiene habits and an indirect effect of greater depressive symptomatology. Methods. Three incidental samples were collected: 35 dental patients with periodontitis, 26 mental health patients with depressive symptomatology, and 29 people from the general population. The Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Oral Hygiene Habits Scale were applied. Plaque index and clinical attachment loss were assessed. Path analysis was used to test the model. The parameters were estimated by the maximum-likelihood method. Results. Depressive symptomatology had no direct effect on oral hygiene habits nor an indirect effect (mediated by oral hygiene habits) on the plaque index in any of the 3 samples. Oral hygiene habits had a large-size direct effect on plaque index and a medium-size indirect effect on clinical attachment loss in the general population sample. The plaque index had a direct effect on clinical attachment loss with a large effect size in general population sample and with a medium effect size in dental patients and depressive symptomatology patients. Conclusion. The model shows that dental plaque accumulation has a direct effect on clinical attachment loss in the 3 samples, and oral hygiene habits have an indirect effect on attachment loss mediated by dental plaque accumulation only in the general population sample. However, depressive symptomatology is not a relevant variable.
Pengaruh Profitabilitas, Lagged Dividend, Size, dan Leverage pada Kebijakan Dividen

This study aims to examine and analyze the effect of profitability, lagged dividends, size, and leverage on dividend policy. The population in this study are companies in the consumer goods industry sector which are listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) in 2016-2018. This type of research is quantitative research. Sampling with purposive sampling technique resulted in 19 companies in the consumer goods industry sector in 2016-2018 according to the specified criteria, in order to obtain 57 research data. This study uses multiple linear regression analysis with the SPSS version 23. IMB program. The results of this study concluded that profitability and lagged dividends affect the dividend policy. While size and leverage have no effect on dividend policy.
SISTEM PAKAR UNTUK DIAGNOSIS PENYAKIT ANEMIA MENGGUNAKAN TEOREMA BAYES

Teorema Bayes adalah teorema yang digunakan dalam statistika untuk menghitung peluang suatu hipotesis. Basis pengetahuan sistem pakar diperoleh dari akuisisi pengetahuan pakar yaitu dokter. Penelitian ini mengenai rancangan sistem pakar untuk mendiagnosa penyakit anemia pada manusia dengan mengimplementasikan teorema bayes sebagai alat ukurnya. Penelitian ini menggunakan 50 data yang didapat melalui rekam medis, lalu rekam medis yang ada diimplementasikan kedalam sistem. Hasil pada sistem dicocokan dengan pakar hingga mendapatkan angka kecocokan maksimal dan hasil identifikasi yang mendekati. Berdasarkan dari 50 data yang telah diujikan terhadap pakar dan sistem, sistem dapat mendeteksi 3 jenis penyakit Anemia yaitu Anemia Aplastik, Anemia Defisiensi Zat Besi, Anemia Kronis. Untuk pasien yang mengalami anemia dan sesuai dengan validasi pakar adalah 45 pasien dan yang tidak sesuai adalah 5 pasien. Sehingga untuk tingkat akurasi sistem berdasarkan hasil validasi pakar dan sistem adalah 90%.
Learning Management System Adoption in Higher Education Using the Extended Technology Acceptance Model

A learning management system is capable of enriching instruction and acceptance of this learning technology by users is crucial to its successful application in higher education. This study investigated factors that influenced adoption of a learning management system by higher education teachers using the technology acceptance model which incorporates three external constructs: system quality, perceived self-efficacy and facilitating conditions. Data collected from faculty respondents (n=127) through an online survey were examined by employing partial least squares-structural equation modeling. While several relationships were confirmed, others were not supported by this research. Results showed that both system quality and perceived self-efficacy strongly influenced perceived usefulness, which in turn indirectly affected attitudes towards the technology and behavioral intention. Additionally, system quality directly affected perceived ease of use and attitudes toward technology use. The strong and direct influence of perceived self-efficacy on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use suggests that faculty with positive beliefs about their ability to use the learning management system will regard it as both useful and easy to use. Facilitating conditions, on the other hand, affected neither perceived ease of use nor attitudes. Implications for practice, policy and potential research directions are likewise presented.
Factor Structure of the Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test Revised (CUDIT-R) for Men and Women

The Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test Revised (CUDIT-R) is an 8-item screening instrument designed to identify recent problematic cannabis use over the past 6 months. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factor structure of the CUDIT-R separately for male and female college students. Participants included 1,390 male and female college students recruited from three state universities (61% female; Age: M= 19.8, SD= 1.3). We conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses followed by tests of measurement invariance including configural invariance, metric invariance and scalar invariance across men and women. Results confirmed a one-factor structure for the CUDIT-R. The number of factors and item loadings were invariant between men and women. However, intercepts were non-invariant for an item asking about consumption of cannabis use indicating that the endorsement of this item varied between men and women. Follow-up validation tests indicated that using a sum score for analyses is appropriate despite non-invariance. However, more research is needed to determine if the cut-off scores of the CUDIT-R should be reevaluated by gender.
Model of surface roughness and material removal using abrasive flow machining of selective laser melted channels

Internal channels produced by selective laser melting (SLM) have rough surfaces that require post-processing. The purpose of this paper is to develop an empirical model for predicting the material removal and surface roughness (SR) of SLM-manufactured channels owing to abrasive flow machining (AFM). ,A rheological model was developed to simulate the viscosity and power-law index of an AFM medium. To simulate the pressure distribution and velocity in the SLM channels, the fluid behavior and SR in the channels were simulated by using computational fluid dynamics. The results of this simulation were then applied to create an empirical model that can be used to predict the SR and material removal thickness. To verify this empirical model, it was applied to an actual part fabricated by SLM. The results were compared with the measurements of the SR and channel diameter subsequent to AFM. ,The proposed model exhibits maximum deviation between the model and the measurement of −1.1% for the down-skin SR, −0.2% for the up-skin SR and −0.1% for material removal thickness. ,The results of this study show that the proposed model can avoid expensive iterative tests to determine whether a given channel design leads to the desired SR after smoothing by AFM. Therefore, this model helps to design an AFM-ready channel geometry. ,In this paper, a quantitatively validated AFM model was proposed for complex SLM channels with varying orientation angles.