Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thismia nigricoronata , a new species of Burmanniaceae (Thismieae, Dioscoreales) from Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province, Laos, and a key to subgeneric classification

Thismia nigricoronata is described as a new species in family Burmanniaceae. Both morphological and phylogenetic analyses indicate that this new Lao endemic is allied to T. taiwanensis in section Glaziocharis , and it can be differentiated on the basis of its longer vestigial stem leaves, reflexed free outer perianth lobes and ornamented, vibrantly coloured outer surface of the perianth tube. The infrageneric taxonomy of Thismia is reviewed, the genera Geomitra and Scaphiophora are officially reduced to sectional status in Thismia , and all species are enumerated in systematic order. A key to all currently accepted subgenera, sections and subsections is presented to facilitate further examination of their phylogenetic integrity in light of apparent conflict between the traditional morphology-based system and the emerging DNA-based classification.
‘We are not going to educate people’: how students negotiate engineering identities during collaborative problem solving

ABSTRACT Professional identity development is central to engineering education and has been an important focus of design for learning. However, little is known about how learners develop different aspects of engineering identity in response to the constraints and enablements of their learning environment. The purpose of this paper is to propose an analytical approach for the exploration of how the learning environment facilitates engineering professional identity practices. We illustrate the application of the Implied Identity approach by looking at a group of four engineering students working collaboratively on a task about sustainability. We apply conversation analysis for an in-depth investigation of students’ talk to explore how engineering identities are negotiated. Results show that the group’s collaborative processes involve their identification with the engineering profession by excluding aspects of other professions from the (professional) self. This process is mediated by implied identities that are negotiated by participants. Applying this approach enables one to investigate the interplay between learner and learning environment and highlights the role of individuals’ agency in relation to the contextual effects.
Control of anthracnose in banana with cassava starch film associated or not with essential oils

: The objective of this work was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo potential of cassava starch film associated or not with essential oils in the control of Colletotrichum musae of banana. Were tested clove oils ( Eugenia caryophyllata ), thyme ( Thymus vulgaris ), lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus ), cinnamon ( Cinnamomum zeylanicum ) and oregano ( Origanum vulgare ) at 0.1% associated or not with film 2 and 3%. Mycelial growth and conidial germination in vitro and anthracnose in vivo were evaluated. In the curative and preventive controls, the fruits were inoculated with conidia before and after coating, respectively. The major components of essential oils were: eugenol, β-caryophyllene and α-humulene in clove; thymol, ρ-cymene, carvacrol and α-pinene in thyme; geranial and neral in lemongrass; trans-Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol in cinnamon; carvacrol, γ-Terpinene and linalool in oregano. In vitro , total inhibition of mycelial growth and germination of conidia with oregano oil was observed. The films in the concentrations of 2 and 3% isolated and combined with oils of lemon grass and thyme, in addition to these isolated oils, provided a reduction in the size of anthracnose lesions .
Dietary Yucca schidigera extract improved growth performance and liver antioxidative function in broilers

Abstract In this study, we tested the effects of Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) on the growth performance in broilers, and furthermore, its effects on antioxidative enzyme activities and corresponding gene in the liver of broilers. A total of 128 14-day-old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to four treatments: maize-soybean meal as the basal control diet and the basal diet containing 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg of YSE, respectively, in this study. Each treatment was consisted of four replicate pens with eight broilers per pen. The experiment lasted 28 days. Average daily gain (ADG), average feed intake (AFI) and feed efficiency (FE) were recorded during grower period (d 15 to d 28) and finisher period (d 29 to d 42), respectively. On day 28 and 42, liver samples were collected to analyse superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and gene expressions of SOD, CAT, GPx. The results showed that during grower period, there was no difference on growth performance, while CAT activity and its gene expression were increased at 200 mg/kg YSE level. During finisher period, 100 mg/kg YSE supplementation enhanced ADG, and 100 and 200 mg/kg YSE groups improved FE. T-AOC was improved at both 200 and 300 mg/kg. 300 mg/kg supplementation of YSE enhanced GPx and SOD activity, and decreased MDA concentration. GPx gene expression was up-regulated at 300 mg/kg level. In conclusion, YSE promoted growth performance in broilers as well as exhibited liver antioxidative ability during finisher period.
Salt Tolerant Microorganisms in Fermented Raw Jackfruit and Standardization of a Method for Improved Preservation

People in the south-west coast of India preserve raw jackfruit kernels in the brine solution by natural fermentation. Traditionally, high salt concentration brine is utilized to maintain texture and avoid contamination; the product is then, stored and consumed until the next fruiting season. Study was conducted to identify salt-tolerant microbiota in traditionally fermented jackfruit. Given priority to the texture, taste and odour of the fermented kernels, attempt was made to prevent excess use of salt by standardizing brine solution and at the same time inhibiting undesirable yeasts and moulds in the fermented product. Study revealed the presence of salt tolerant lactic acid bacteria, Leuconostoc and Lactobacillus spp. and yeasts belonging to genera Saccharomyces and Geotrichum. Population of moulds and yeasts reduced significantly at 12 % salt concentration compared to 5 % and 10 %. Texture, odour and overall acceptability of the fermented kernels were recorded as the best at 12 % brine solution though it revealed saltish taste.
Does Perceived Organizational Support Mitigate the Negative Effect of Teacher- Researcher Role Conflict among Lecturers? (Evidence from Indonesia)

This study investigated the role of perceived organizational support (POS) as a moderating variable in reducing the negative effect of teacher-researcher role conflict on psychological well-being (work enthusiasm and emotional exhaustion). Participants were 233 lecturers from 19 universities in Indonesia. The study found that teaching-research role conflict was negatively related to psychological well-being, POS was a significant moderating variable in this model, it reduced the negative effect of teacher-researcher role conflict on psychological well-being.
Synthesis of 1,2-Dihydro-Substituted Aniline Analogues Involving N-Phenyl-3-aza-Cope Rearrangement Using a Metal-Free Catalytic Approach

An efficient metal-free domino reaction leading to structural/electronically divergent 1,2-dihydropyridines from easily accessible propargyl vinyl anilines via N-phenyl 3-aza-Cope sigmatropic rearrangement is reported with good to excellent yields using 1,2-dichlorobenzene as solvent under thermal conditions. Spirocyclic substitution is also tolerated under the present optimized conditions.
Policing the Pandemic in the UK Using the Principles of Procedural Justice

This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council grant ES/J500112/1. With the advent of COVID-19, the world as we know it has changed dramatically. The onset of the pandemic has affected the everyday lives of people across the globe, with a third of the world’s population, currently in ‘lockdown’ in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus (Kaplan et al., 2020). Countries across the world have deployed their police forces to help enforce this state of lockdown. As of 23 March, the UK has also entered lockdown, with police officers across the country now being required to enforce the new lockdown measures. The task of ensuring public compliance with the new measures has been integrated into the policing role, with officers now being called upon to ensure citizens comply with the social distancing requirements set out for them by the government. The way in which the police are expected to do so during the pandemic inevitably raises questions about where the appropriate boundaries of the policing mandate should lie, and these questions apply both equally to the everyday lived experiences of citizens, as well as the exceptional circumstances in which we currently find ourselves. What is acceptable? Who gets to decide this? Should management of the lockdown be a criminal justice matter? In many ways, ensuring compliance during the pandemic is inextricably a police matter. The police have for many years had the preservation of life as the foremost priority in most if not all their activities, which still remains their primary responsibility as they attempt to police the pandemic (College of Policing, 2019). The involvement of the police in ensuring compliance with lockdown measures has raised questions regarding the legitimate boundaries of police power during what is first and foremost a public health emergency. Although it can be argued that enforcing social distancing laws can be seen as part of the police mandate of ensuring social order, it is unusual for officers to enforce measures for what essentially is a public health issue. Concerns have been raised regarding the ability of the police to effectively police social distancing measures (Express & Star, 2020), and such issues are only likely to increase as the rules change and adapt with the imminent easing of the lockdown period. The decision for the government to
The impact of pre-existing blood pressure control in patients with acute aortic dissections

Objectives Arterial hypertension (HTN) is considered a seminal risk factor for aortic dissection (AD). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether pre-existing blood pressure (BP) control lessens the extent of dissection and has a favorable impact on outcome of patients with acute AD. Methods Consecutive acute AD patients who had at least two BPs recorded within the 12 months preceding the AD were retrospectively analyzed. The two most recent BPs were averaged and defined per published guidelines as normal (BP≤ 130/80), Stage I HTN (BP >130/80 and <139/89), or Stage 2 or greater HTN (BP > 140/90). The number of hypertensive medications (MEDs) was also used as a surrogate marker of HTN severity. Patients with known genetic causes of AD were excluded. Results 89 subjects (55% men, 45% women; mean age, 64±14 years) with acute AD (58% Stanford type A and 42% Stanford type B) were included. Two most recent BPs were recorded a mean of 5±3 and 3±2.7 months before the AD, respectively. Twenty-nine (33%) subjects had normal BP, including nine subjects with no history of HTN and on no MEDs. Sixty (67%) subjects had elevated BP, including 21 (35%) with Stage I HTN and 39 (65%) with Stage 2 HTN. Compared to subjects with normal BP, subjects with Stage 1 and Stage 2 HTN were younger (70±13 years vs 62±1 year, p = 0.01), but there were no differences in other demographics, risk factors, comorbidities, or history of drug use. There were no group differences in the distal extent of the dissections, complications requiring thoracic endograft repair, mean length of hospital stay, final discharge status, or 30-day mortality. Compared to the number of MEDs before AD, all three groups had a higher mean number of MEDs to achieve normal BP at discharge that persisted at a mean follow-up of 18±15 months. Conclusions These data show that approximately one-third of patients with acute AD had well controlled or no antecedent history of HTN. The degree of pre-existing HTN control had no bearing on the type or extent of AD, length of stay, or early outcome. Regardless of the state of HTN control before AD, the consistent and sustained increase in the severity of HTN after AD suggests that the dissection process has a profound and lasting effect on BP regulation. Further studies are indicated to elucidate the pathologic mechanisms involved in AD.
Anti-Diabetic Properties of Hydrolysates from Egg White Proteins Using Immobilized Enzymes Followed by in vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion

Background and Objective: Enzyme-assisted hydrolysis of the proteins from food sources is an effective way to generate peptides with various bioactive properties. Furthermore, enzyme immobilization is a way to recycle enzymes for the future uses. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of neutrase and thermolysin immobilization on the enzyme properties and in vitro anti-diabetic properties of intestinal digests achieved by the simulated digestion of egg white protein hydrolysates. Material and Methods: Neutrase and thermolysin were immobilized on cellulose-coated magnetite nanoparticles. Then, enzyme activity, thermal resistance, reusability and optimum conditions of the egg white protein hydrolysis were assessed. Egg white protein hydrolysates were then digested in vitro and inhibitory activities of the intestinal digests against dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) and α-glucosidase were investigated. Results and Conclusion: Enzymes immobilization resulted in increases in the thermal stabilities of them. Optimum temperatures for the egg white protein hydrolysis increased by 4.0 and 3.2 °C for neutrase and thermolysin, respectively. Digests from the hydrolysates of free neutrase effectively inhibited DPP-IV and α-glucosidase by 17.9 and 29.7%, respectively. These values for the hydrolysates released by the free thermolysin were higher (37.2 and 35.1%, respectively). The enzyme immobilization resulted in a 4.4% decrease in DPP-IV inhibitory activities of the digests for the hydrolysates from neutrase and a 28.6% decrease for those from thermolysin. Decreases in α-glucosidase inhibition due to the immobilization included 9.8% for neutrase and 12.2% for thermolysin for the digests from the hydrolysates. Based on the results from the current study, hydrolysates from the egg white proteins achieved by the free and immobilized neutrase and thermolysin can be used in formulations of the functional foods and nutraceuticals with multifunctional properties.
Iran's Agriculture in the Anthropocene

The anthropogenic impacts of development and frequent droughts have limited Iran's water availability. This has major implications for Iran's agricultural sector which is responsible for about 90% of water consumption at the national scale. This study investigates if declining water availability impacted agriculture in Iran. Using the Mann‐Kendall and Sen's slope estimator methods, we explored the changes in Iran's agricultural production and area during the 1981–2013 period. Despite decreasing water availability during this period, irrigated agricultural production and area continuously increased. This unsustainable agricultural development, which would have been impossible without the overabstraction of surface and ground water resources, has major long‐term water, food, environmental, and human security implications for Iran.
A Multi-Carrier Waveform Design for 5G and beyond Communication Systems

The next generation communication network (NGCN) is expected to provide higher spectral efficiency, low latency, large throughput and massive machine-to-machine type communications. In this regard, the design of the multi-carrier waveform (MCW) is posing a major research problem for the NGCN. To overcome the stated problem, a lot of state-of-the-art work exists that proposes various MCW alternative to the standard orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform. It is true that OFDM was used in a number of real-time communication systems of fourth generation (4G) networks. However, their use in the upcoming fifth generation (5G) network is not very feasible. This is because of the strict requirements of 5G communication systems, which also extend beyond 5G systems; hence rendering the use of OFDM infeasible for newer communication standards. To satisfy the requirements of upcoming communication networks, there is a dire need for MCWs with better flexibility. In this regard, a precoding-based MCW has been proposed. The proposed MCW fulfills the requirements of the NGCN in terms of low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), high spectral efficiency and throughput. The MCW proposed in this work uses power-domain multiplexing such as non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and phase rotation by using the selective mapping (SLM) and generalized chirp-like (GCL) precoding of the input signal to the universal filtered multi-carriers (UFMC) modulations. Statistical analysis of the PAPR is presented by using the complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF). The MATLAB® simulations have been carried out to implement the CCDF of PAPR and results show that a PAPR gain of 5.4 dB is obtained when the proposed waveform is compared with the standard NOMA-UFMC waveform at clip rate of 10−3, using 4-QAM.
Addressing fear of death and dying: traditional and innovative interventions

ABSTRACT The fear of death and dying is a multifaceted and prevalent source of human distress that can cause significant psychological and existential distress, especially at the end of life. Analysing current therapeutic approaches to this issue to identify promising modalities and knowledge gaps could improve end of life experiences and reduce human suffering. In this systematically constructed review, we analyse recent literature to explore treatments for thanatophobia. Effective intervention strategies for fear of death and dying do exist, but all have practical and therapeutic limitations. Psychotherapy appears to be an effective tool at reducing death anxiety. Mindfulness exercises are able to reduce anxiety as well but are not often associated with a change in afterlife belief. Psychedelics dissociate mind from body, causing a mystical experience that has been shown to reduce death anxiety, but restrictions on their use limit their availability for therapy. Virtual reality appears to have the potential to reduce death anxiety, possibly by simulating an out-of-body experience and strengthening belief in an afterlife. Although some interventions appear to have a positive impact on fear of death and dying, the literature does not support a clearly superior therapeutic approach.
Investigating Factors Influencing the Behavioral Intention of Online Duty-Free Shop Users

Korean duty-free shops sales rank first among duty-free shops around the world (Generation Research, 2018) and have become a target of interest for academics and industry observers. In particular, attention has been focused on variables affecting the shopping behavior of this fast-growing segment of online duty-free shop users. In this research, the main variables of the technology innovation acceptance model and the target-oriented behavior model are added. Focus is placed on the decomposed theory of planned behavior, and the variables affecting the behavioral intention are identified. A survey is conducted with users of online duty-free shops (Internet, mobile) as targets, and an analysis of the structural equation model is utilized. Among the technology innovation acceptance variables, the factors affecting attitude are compatibility and perceived usefulness. It is determined that only perceived behavioral control has a significant effect on behavioral intention, which is a dependent variable of the decomposed theory of planned behavior, and the attitude and subjective norms are found to have a significant effect on both desire and behavioral intention. Thus, it is confirmed that attitude is a key variable in explaining this research model. This research has academic implications because it examines variables affecting the behavioral intention of online duty-free shop users by integrating the theory of technology innovation acceptance and the decomposed theory of planned behavior, with the addition of a desire variable. Moreover, there are practical implications in that online duty-free shop operators have provided meaningful basic data to establish differentiated marketing strategies from offline duty-free shops with the goal of expanding use. The results of this study are expected to serve as basic data for increasing the behavioral intention of online duty-free shop users and promoting the sustainable development of online duty-free shops in South Korea.
COVID-19’S IMPACT ON THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN JORDAN: ADVANTAGES, CHALLENGES, AND SUGGESTIONS

Purpose of the study: The present study surveys the reactions of university-level faculty members in Jordan towards their experience with COVID-19's emergency online learning model. It primarily investigates the advantages of switching to online learning, challenges faced, and suggestions for improving the teaching-learning process. Methodology: The study is based on empirical data compiled from the responses of 432 instructors in six Jordanian public and private universities. The data collection instrument consists of a structured open-ended questionnaire, which comprises three constructs: challenges, advantages, and suggestions for improvement. Similar responses were combined in thematic categories and were calculated to obtain frequencies and percentages. Main Findings: Concerning the advantages, e-learning enabled instructors to use new effective teaching tools and acquire new skills. The challenges were mainly related to technology and the Internet, assessment, interaction, and lack of clear vision and regulations by policymakers. Instructors suggested providing better technical support; blending online with traditional learning; offering more training, and improving the assessment tools and designing new ones. Applications of this study: This study is useful for educational leaders and policymakers providing guidance and insights on how higher education institutions have responded to this global health emergency, and how they managed to meet the evolving needs of students and staff. Consequently, the higher education sector should be prepared to operate more efficiently and effectively for any future emergencies. Novelty/Originality of this study: While different studies have investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector globally, little attention has been given to developing countries in the Middle East. To this end, the present study focuses on how COVID-19 has been effective in reshaping and revolutionizing the higher education paradigm in Jordan through highlighting the advantages, challenges, and subsequent suggestions for improvement.