Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clonal variations and effects of juvenile wood on lumber quality in Japanese larch

ABSTRACT Wood properties, including Young’s modulus, differ among clones in Larix kaempferi; however, available information is still limited on among-clonal variations of lumber qualities in L. kaempferi. The objectives of this study were to clarify the clonal variations in lumber quality and to identify the effects of juvenile wood on lumber quality in L. kaempferi. A total of 21 logs of 2.5 m in length were obtained from the trees of nine different plus clones of 57-year-old L. kaempferi trees. The logs were sawn into lumber, and the lumber was kiln-dried and planed into 38 × 89 mm in a cross-section. Lumber quality, such as bending properties, was determined. Significant differences were found in wood density, dynamic Young’s modulus, modulus of elasticity, and modulus of rupture of the lumber among the nine clones. The highest repeatability was recorded in wood density. The lumber consisting of juvenile wood showed a lower lumber quality compared to the lumber consisting of mature wood. To produce lumber with a high quality from L. kaempferi, the clonal variation of lumber quality and the existence of juvenile wood should be considered.
Evaluating Myopic Loss Aversion of Forestland Owners

Attracting forestland owners to participate in carbon markets can be challenging for several reasons including offset price volatility, legislative uncertainties, high costs of offset project development, long contract lengths, and landowners’ risk preferences. In this article, we elicit risk preferences and investigate Myopic Loss Aversion (MLA) of forestland owners using an economic experiment. The economic experiment is a betting game and we find that forestland owners exhibit MLA because they bet higher when returns from their investments are evaluated less frequently. Our results provide valuable information for developing carbon market protocols, especially in setting optimal evaluation periods of forest carbon offset projects.
People’s Knowledge of Illegal Chinese Pangolin Trade Routes in Central Nepal

Chinese pangolin populations are declining globally due to illegal wildlife trades in its range countries, especially China and Vietnam, where the largest markets for this species exist. Identifying the trade routes is crucial for developing conservation plans for the pangolin and understanding the attributes of the individuals involved in the illegal trade. We aimed to identify local trade routes and the socio-economic status of people involved in pangolin trades from the Gaurishankar Conservation Area [a Protected Area (PA)] and the Ramechhap district [a non-Protected Area (non-PA)] of Nepal. We found that pangolin traders were typically poor, illiterate, unemployed, male, and of working age (17–40 years old). Confiscation rates of pangolin parts were higher in non-PAs than Pas as the illegal trade routes seemed to differ between the PAs and non-PAs. From 2014 to 2018, the prices of pangolin scales in PAs and non-PAs increased by 50% and 67%, respectively. Our results highlight locals facilitating the trade of pangolins, therefore we recommend the need for other income generating sources such as ecotourism or providing incentives to promote local industries as well as to establish Community Based Anti-Poaching Units among range countries and trade route countries to control the trade of this globally threatened species.
Application of Vortex Control Principle at Pump Intake

Vortex flow in a pump intake could affect a pump operation significantly if not treated appropriately. Many researches have been conducted to determine the best control method for vortex flow in pump sumps so that the pump lifespan can be maximized. In this study, a vortex control principle designed to minimize the impact of submerged vortex flow in pump sump on major pump components is presented. This principle employs a device called the plate type floor splitter which serves the function of eliminating vortices formed on the sump floor and reduces the intensity of swirling motion in the intake flow. A pump sump model was built to carry out the study by installing a floor splitter plate sample under the pump suction inlet and the corresponding parameters used to quantify the swirl intensity known as the swirl angle was measured. Procedures for the measurement were conducted based on ANSI/HI 9.8-2018 standard. A numerical simulation was performed to study the flow in a full-scale pump sump. The results showed that the installation of floor splitter plate can eliminate vortices efficiently and reduce swirl angle significantly. However, optimization of floor splitter design is needed to achieve a reduction effect that can reduce swirl angles to an acceptable value of lower than 5° according to ANSI/HI 9.8-2018 standard.
Redes sociales y protesta política: Un análisis del rol moderador del estatus socioeconómico y la pertenencia a grupos políticos

En esta investigación se examina la asociación entre el uso político de redes sociales y la participación en actividades de protesta política a nivel individual, así como el efecto moderador que sobre esta relación ejercen el estatus socioeconómico y la pertenencia a grupos políticos. Para probar las hipótesis planteadas se emplearon datos de 1520 encuestas aplicadas en Quito (Ecuador) en el año 2018. Los principales resultados son los siguientes: i) el uso de redes sociales (Facebook, Twitter) para el consumo de información y la expresión política influye positivamente sobre el comportamiento de protesta; ii) este efecto movilizador se intensifica en las personas de menor nivel socioeconómico y con mayor grado de participación en agrupaciones políticas offline; iii) la fuerza de las relaciones de moderación descritas se modifica dependiendo de la plataforma digital que se emplee políticamente. Finalmente se discuten las implicaciones de los hallazgos en torno al debate sobre redes sociales, comunicación política y democracia.
Health experiences of child migrants in the Western Pacific region

ABSTRACT Migration is a key social determinant of health affecting children’s life chances and health outcomes. Yet, relatively little is known about young migrants’ own health experiences. This paper reports findings from a systematic review examining the health experiences of children who migrated in the Western Pacific region. A systematic search of the peer-reviewed literature from 2007–17 was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science, ASSIA and IBSS. Included articles reported data generated with children up to 18 years and who had migrated across international borders to the Western Pacific region (predominantly Australasia). The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess study quality. Eleven of 499 articles identified were included in the review and focused on three areas: diet and body size; mental health; and social integration. The review exposes the paucity of research on the health experiences of child migrants in the Western Pacific region. More child-centred research that examines the health-related impacts of migration on young people, and from their own perspectives, is urgently needed.
A free‐standing electrode based on 2D SnS2 nanoplates@3D carbon foam for high performance supercapacitors

A reasonable formation of an electrode material with three‐dimensional (3D) microstructure for supercapacitors was proposed. Two‐dimensional (2D) SnS2 nanoplates were uniformly in situ grown on 3D carbon foam (CF) through a controllable strategy. The composite displayed excellent electrochemical performance due to the synergistic effect of SnS2 and CF. The SnS2@CF‐2 composite containing 23.92 wt% of SnS2 has a superior specific capacitance of 283.6 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1. Moreover, a symmetric supercapacitor based on SnS2@CF‐2 composite has a capacitance of 82.5 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and a high energy density of 13.9 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 551.7 W kg−1.
Prevalence of Rubella IgG Antibodies among Pregnant Women in Rivers State, Nigeria

Aim: Rubella virus is the cause of the communicable viral infection that can affect the foetus causing foetal loss or congenital rubella syndrome. Plasma samples from 180 pregnant women attending tertiary hospitals in River State, Nigeria were examined randomly to evaluate the prevalence of rubella virus (RubV) IgG antibodies. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) now Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) between September 2015 and August 2017. Original Research Article Okonko et al.; JAMMR, 32(8): 49-58, 2020; Article no.JAMMR. 57413 50 Methods: The sample of this study was composed of 180 pregnant women. ELISA was used to detect the RubV IgG antibodies and prevalence was correlated with sociodemographic factors. Results: The study result revered that 155(86.1%) were positive for RubV IgG while 25(13.9%) were negative for RubV IgG. Of the 90 samples examined from BMSH, 71(78.9%) were IgGpositive. From UPTH, 84(93.3%) were positive for RubV IgG. The highest (100%) seropositivity for RubV IgG was found in age groups 39-43 years. No RubV IgG was recorded in age groups 44-48 years. Women in their third trimester had the highest prevalence of RubV IgG antibodies (94.7%). Those with secondary education had the highest prevalence of RubV IgG (93.4%). Vaccinated pregnant women had the highest prevalence (87.4%). Among the variables evaluated, education (p=0.023), occupation (p=0.040), marital status (p=0.001) and vaccination history (p=0.005) were the main correlates in this study. Conclusions: This study has shown evidence of immunity among expectant mothers in this study (86.1%) with 13.9% being vulnerable to rubella virus infection. Completion of adequate rubella vaccination along intensified surveillance of the vulnerable population remains the keystone for the control of congenital rubella syndrome in Nigeria.
Multispectral, Aerial Disease Detection for Myrtle Rust (Austropuccinia psidii) on a Lemon Myrtle Plantation

Disease management in agriculture often assumes that pathogens are spread homogeneously across crops. In practice, pathogens can manifest in patches. Currently, disease detection is predominantly carried out by human assessors, which can be slow and expensive. A remote sensing approach holds promise. Current satellite sensors are not suitable to spatially resolve individual plants or lack temporal resolution to monitor pathogenesis. Here, we used multispectral imaging and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to explore whether myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) could be detected on a lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) plantation. Multispectral aerial imagery was collected from fungicide treated and untreated tree canopies, the fungicide being used to control myrtle rust. Spectral vegetation indices and single spectral bands were used to train a random forest classifier. Treated and untreated trees could be classified with high accuracy (95%). Important predictors for the classifier were the near-infrared (NIR) and red edge (RE) spectral band. Taking some limitations into account, that are discussedherein, our work suggests potential for mapping myrtle rust-related symptoms from aerial multispectral images. Similar studies could focus on pinpointing disease hotspots to adjust management strategies and to feed epidemiological models.
Pengaruh Motivasi Kerja Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Pada PT Nirha Jaya Tehnik Makassar

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh motivasi kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan pada PT. Nirha Jaya Tehnik Makassar. Metode pengumpilan data yang di gunakan adalah observasi, wawancara, dan kuesioner. Selanjutnya teknik analisis data yang di gunakan adalah menggunakan analisis regresi linear sederhana, analisis koefisien korelasi, koefisien determinasi, hubungan melalui uji t dengan mengunakan alat bantu program SPSS Versi 25.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan persamaan regresi linear sederhana Y = 9,186 + 0,590 (X) , hal ini berarti bahwa jika X = 0, maka Y tetap 9,186 dan positif (+) artinya searah / sejalan , jika X meningkat maka Y juga meningkat begitupun sebaliknya dan setiap terjadi perubahan atau peningkatan sebesar satu unit pada variabel motivasi kerja maka akan di ikuti oleh perubahan peningkatan rata – rata variabel kinerja karyawan sebesar 0,590. kemudian untuk koefisien korelasi menunjukkan hubungan yang tinggi antara motivasi kerja dengan kinerja karyawan dengan nilai 0,610. Pada koefisien determinasi di peroleh nilai sebesar 0,372 yang artinya pengaruh motivasi kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan sebesar 37,2%. Untuk pengujian hipotesis melalui uji t menunjukkan di mana variabel motivasi kerja berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kinerja karyawan pada PT. Nirha Jaya Tehnik Makassar.Kata Kunci : Motivasi Kerja dan Kinerja Karyawan
Peran maternal self-efficacy sebagai mediator antara perceived social support dan depresi peripartum

Peripartum period is a term used to describe the period that lasts from the process of pregnancy to postpartum. Peripartum depression is associated with various negative impacts in various aspects of life, not only for mothers but also for children both short term and long term. This study aims to determine the role of maternal self-efficacy as a mediator of the correlation between perceived social support and peripartum depression using correlational quantitative methods. Study participants were taken using non-random accidental sampling technique involving 84 women who were in the peripartum period as participants (M = 27, SD = 5.106). There are 3 research instruments used in this study, namely The Multidimensional Scale Perceived Social Support (MSPSS); Perceived Maternal Parental Self-Efficacy (PMP S-E); and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The results of the analysis using simple mediation analysis with the PROCESS macro from Hayes show that maternal self-efficacy mediates the relationship between perceived social support and peripartum depression. In addition, it is also known that perceived social support has a direct effect on peripartum depression.
The Digitalization of Public Service Assurance

Digitalization of public service assurance is a factor that determines the quality of public service to meet the expectations and desires of the citizens. Public service assurance needs to be supported by digital-based information systems. This research applies a mixed-method approach, started by a quantitative approach and continues with a qualitative approach. This study has 273 respondents and 17 informants. The quantitative research data analysis uses SEM analysis, qualitative data analysis uses QDA analysis, and score distribution analysis uses SPSS. The result of this research is the conceptualization of information systems including dimensions of human resources, information technology, and information relations. The concept of causality relationship between information systems and the quality of health services indicated by the loading factor value of 0.51, which can be stated that the relationship is significant and produces a new concept of digital-based Public Service assurance. This research concludes there is a positive and significant influence between information systems and the quality of public services. Furthermore, the new concept can be synthesized into a study of public services in scientific work.
Contingency in Context: A Study of Exemplary Reading Teachers’ Use of Planned Scaffolds in Secondary English Classes with Emergent Bilinguals

Abstract Planned instructional scaffolding—the temporary use of materials, routines and structures to support students in doing challenging academic work—is a critical component of English-language reading instruction with emergent bilinguals (students formally categorized as English Language Learners). Although scholars describe how scaffolds should be used to support language and literacy development in classes, no extant research describes how teachers actually choose and use a range of scaffolds that are responsive to the varied skills and needs of larger, diverse groups of emergent bilinguals, all within the complex and dynamic environment of a classroom. Drawing on Walqui’s conceptual framework for use of scaffolds with emergent bilinguals and Corno’s theories of adaptive teaching, this comparative case study of three exemplary teachers’ reading instruction in middle school sheltered English classes focuses on how teachers selected and used instructional scaffolding contingently, by adapting the support to the needs of an individual or the group. Following the call by van de Pol et al., this research also investigates how the teachers’ use of scaffolds was shaped by their immediate context. Data, which include 30 video-recorded reading lessons and 9 teacher interviews conducted over one school year, were analyzed using qualitative methods. Findings show that the teachers’ use of a range of whole-class and small-group planned scaffolds was shaped by their understandings of their class context, namely the heterogeneity of their classes and their adolescent students’ socioemotional needs. The study’s implications for teacher educators, coaches and researchers are discussed.
Modeling of Students Online Social Presence on Social Networking Sites and Academic Performance

Social Presence is a vital component of learning experience. This study develops a predictive model of students’ online social presence on social networking sites “SNS”. This study used SmartPLS software in the model development process. The study explored five facets of SP and its relationship with students’ academic performance. The model is based on the survey data that collected from 181 post-graduate students in one of Malaysian public universities. The findings of this study showed that there is a significant relationship between all five facets of online social presence and students’ academic performance. SNS is appropriate tools that supports students’ sense of social presence which contributes to better learning and academic performance. Consequently, the developed model can be used by instructional designers, instructors, and researchers to measure students’ online social presence and its effect on students’ academic performance.
Quality Evaluation of Maize Akamu as Affected by Dehulling, Partial Germination and Oil Seed Supplementation

Akamu, a starchy cereal-based lactic acid fermented gruel consumed in West Africa was prepared using different processing methods: use of dehulled (D) maize grains, use of partially germinated (PG) maize grains (36-48h) and blends: PG and soybean (S) (90:10), D and S (90:10) and D and Melon (M) seed (90:10). Soaking, wet-milling, wet-sieving, sedimentation (24h), decanting, dewatering were involved and the traditional maize akamu served as the control. The seven different samples were subjected to physicochemical microbiological and sensory evaluations. Crude protein (4.70-10.33%), crude fat (4.12-14.30%), total ash (0.26-0.88 %%), crude fibre (1.512.77%) contents were higher in oil seed treated akamu and the carbohydrate contents (<74.41%) were the lowest. The akamu made of dehulled(D) maize had poorer proximate composition. Dominant elements in all the akamu were Phosphorous and Potassium and surprisingly, Zinc Original Research Article Ikechukwu et al.; AFSJ, 16(3): 18-31, 2020; Article no.AFSJ. 58176 19 (1.98mg/100g), Iron (7.33 mg/g) and potassium (106.83 mg/g) in the akamu made with dehulled maize and calcium higher in the control (14.21mg/100g) and partially germinated (14.71mg/100g) akamu. Low water activity in the dried akamu ensured satisfactory low bacterial and fungal counts (<10 3 cfu/g). The control (U) and D akamu possessed better functional and sensory properties; water absorption capacity, swelling power and pH of the different akamu varied significantly: 7.40—8.10 ml/g, 2.74-5.73 g/g, and 5.41-7.42 g/g respectively. Short period of germination (<48 h) did not affect negatively the proximate composition, sensory, water absorption capacity and swelling power of the PG, PG+U, PG+S akamu(s). The control (U) and D akamu were adjudged to possess better sensory properties especially U akamu with scores slightly greater than 8 on a 9point hedonic scale, but the superior nutritive value of oil seed treated akamu(s) were masked by poorer sensory attributes. It is concluded that akamu made from PG maize or its blends with undehulled maize or soybean were better alternatives to traditional akamu which is nutritionally inferior although it possessed excellent sensory and functional properties.
The Impact of Policy Factors and Users’ Awareness on Electricity-Saving Behaviors: From the Perspective of Habits and Investment

Exploring the factors affecting residents’ electricity-saving behavior and their mechanisms of action is an important way to conserve regional energy and reduce emissions. Integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and norm activation model (NAM) and introducing the external policy factors, a model of the factors influencing habituation and investment electricity-saving behavior was constructed and an empirical study of urban residents in Hefei city, China was conducted. The results show that residents’ knowledge of the electricity price policy indirectly affects their habitual intentions by affecting their attitudes whereas residents’ knowledge of the subsidy policy have direct effects on their investment intentions. Environmental concern can directly affect residents’ habituation and investment intentions and also indirectly affect their habituation ones by affecting their personal moral norm. However, its indirect effect on the investment intention is not significant. Perceived behavioral control has a significant positive impact on residents’ investment intentions and behaviors, but the impacts on their habituation ones are not significant. The relationships between the personal moral norm and the two kinds of intention and behavior are opposite to those of perceived behavior control. Relevant policy implications for the government, household appliance enterprises, and power enterprises are provided.
PER3 VNTR GENOTYPES MAY PREDICT OVERALL SURVIVAL IN BLADDER CANCER PATIENTS IN THE TURKISH POPULATION

Circadian genes were proven to play significant roles in tumor development and progression via coordinating various cellular processes. Though circadian rhythm disturbances both on the level of expression and genetic variant analysis have been associated with increased risk for many cancer types, none has investigated the potential effect of PER3 VNTR in bladder tumorigenesis yet. In this study, we aimed to assess PER3 VNTR’s effect in terms of creating susceptibility to bladder carcinoma formation. Our second target was to enlighten the possible associations between PER3 genotypes and clinicopathological correlations in bladder carcinoma cohort and thus evaluate outcomes in bladder carcinoma prognosis. In this case-control study, 116 patients and 120 healthy controls were recruited. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood using the standard salting-out procedure and PER3 VNTR variants (ins/del polymorphism) were determined with PCR technique to distinguish the 5-repeats allele (401 bp) from the 4-repeats allele (347 bp). Though this exploratory analysis did not provide evidence supporting the role of PER3 VNTR in the onset of bladder carcinoma, it enabled us to make a risk assessment for the prognosis of bladder carcinoma patients. The survival times of patients decreased in the patient group (progression and cystectomy positive) for PER3 4/4 genotype and (recurrence, progression and cystectomy positive) for PER3 4/5 genotype. Results presented in this study are highly recommended to be investigated and validated in larger samples in different populations and ethnicities to generalize potential clinical utility.