Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving Checklists of Alien Plants with Digitised Herbarium Collections: The Example of D.R. Congo (Africa)

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R. Congo) represents a striking gap of knowledge on alien plant species. In this paper, we use digitised herbarium collections to assemble a checklist of alien plant species in D.R. Congo and to examine patterns in the alien flora. The new checklist comprises 426 alien species i.e., 182 (42.5%) casuals, 244 (57.5%) naturalised of which 80 (19% of aliens) are invasive. Discrepancies with previous databases are discussed. For many species in previous databases, we failed to find evidence for occurrence outside cultivation. A total of 158 taxa were not included in previous lists, 44 of which are new to D.R. Congo. Considering the size of the country and its rich native flora, the alien flora of D.R. Congo does not appear to be species rich. The alien flora is particularly rich in Fabaceae (15%) and in annual species (36%). America is by far the most important source continent (65%) and the proportion of annuals of American origin is particularly large among the most widespread species. Invasive success is discussed in terms of residence time. The very low number of new species records after 1960 is most likely accounted for by decreasing sampling effort. The results illustrate how herbarium collections can be used to critically revise existing checklists of alien species in tropical Africa. Field work is urgently needed to improve coverage of recent introductions and to monitor the status of alien species, especially in protected areas and around botanic gardens.
Drivers for educational change? Educational leaders’ perceptions of academic developers as change agents

ABSTRACT Educational leaders are responsible for educational change, and many scholars have argued that academic developers (ADs) have expertise with the potential to influence educational change. We argue, however, that ADs’ influence depends on how educational leaders perceive educational change and position ADs’ roles and responsibilities in relation to that change. In this paper, we critically analyse data from interviews with educational leaders from four universities, within two national contexts. Informed by a significant current discussion about academic development, we reveal the extensive potential of educational leaders to enhance ADs’ influence on educational change and their ability to become change agents.
On the Comparability of Basic Personality Models: Meta-Analytic Correspondence, Scope, and Orthogonality of the Big Five and HEXACO Dimensions

Models of basic personality structure are among the most widely used frameworks in psychology and beyond, and they have considerably advanced the understanding of individual differences in a plethora of consequential outcomes. Over the past decades, two such models have become most widely used: the Five Factor Model (FFM) or Big Five, respectively, and the HEXACO Model of Personality. However, there is no large-scale empirical evidence on the general comparability of these models. Here, we provide the first comprehensive meta-analysis on (a) the correspondence of the FFM/Big Five and HEXACO dimensions, (b) the scope of trait content the models cover, and (c) the orthogonality (i.e., degree of independence) of dimensions within the models. Results based on 152 (published and unpublished) samples and 6,828 unique effects showed that the HEXACO dimensions incorporate notable conceptual differences compared to the FFM/Big Five dimensions, resulting in a broader coverage of the personality space and less redundancy between dimensions. Moreover, moderator analyses revealed substantial differences between operationalizations of the FFM/Big Five. Taken together, these findings have important theoretical and practical implications for the understanding of basic personality dimensions and their assessment.
Biomethane Potential of Selected Organic Waste and Sewage Sludge at Different Temperature Regimes

Sewage sludge (SS) generation and its management still pose a problem in many countries. Anaerobic co-digestion (AcD) of SS with grease trap sludge (GTS) and organic fraction of municipal sewage waste (OFMSW), which are two easily biodegradable substrates, may improve biogas production and AcD kinetics. Algae biomass (AB) of the species Undaria pinnatifida can be the third co-digestion component that may also affect the AcD performance. The aim of the study was therefore to evaluate the performance of mesophilic and thermophilic SS batch AcD with OFMSW, GTS as well as AB through biochemical methane potential (BMP) assay in relation to cumulative specific biogas (YB) and methane yields (Ym). Three kinetic models were applied within the scope of the kinetic study. Results of the study showed that the mixture containing SS, GTS and AB brought the most noticeable improvements in Ym compared to other studied mixtures and in respect to standalone SS digestion, the improvement amounted to 88.37% at mesophilic temperature (260.83 ± 15.02 N mL CH4/g-VSadd and for standalone SS 138.47 ± 4.70 N mL CH4/g-VSadd) and 71.09%, respectively, at the thermophilic one (275.66 ± 4.11 N mL-CH4/g-VSadd and for SS standalone 161.13 ± 13.11 N mL-CH4/g-VSadd).
Encapsulation of Curcumin in Persian Gum Nanoparticles: An Assessment of Physicochemical, Sensory, and Nutritional Properties

Curcumin is the hydrophobic yellow pigment in turmeric with considerable health-promoting effects. However, its low water solubility and stability limit its application. In the current study, curcumin within Persian gum (PG) nanoparticles at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% PG concentrations were encapsulated. The size of the nanoparticles was in the range of 326.0–397.4 nm. Based on the TEM images of curcumin-loaded nanoparticles, all samples had a spherical shape and existed in a particular form without aggregation. Encapsulation efficiency was in the range of 86.0–94.0%. Increasing PG concentration enhanced the encapsulation efficiency of curcumin. PG nanoparticles provided good protection on curcumin against light, hydrogen peroxide, and acidic pH. The lowest stability was related to free curcumin, and the highest was related to PG nanoparticles at 1.5% concentration. Curcumin-loaded nanoparticles at 1.5% concentration were added to kefir at 1%, 2%, and 3% concentrations. No significant differences were observed between acidity, pH, apparent viscosity, and consistency index of fortified and unfortified kefir samples. All kefir samples showed non-Newtonian behavior. Feeding rats with fortified kefir samples caused a lower level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG) compared to feeding with a standard diet.
Odour Detection Threshold Determination of Volatile Compounds in Topical Skin Formulations

Several studies have shown that lipid oxidation can occur in topical skin formulations, but the impact of the individual volatile compounds on off-odour has not yet been determined. In this study, lipid oxidation was investigated in prototype skin care formulations. Firstly, lipid oxidation volatile compounds that increased in concentration during storage were identified. The results showed that the concentration of six volatile compounds increased above previously reported odour detection threshold values in water. These volatile compounds were selected for odour detection threshold value determination and also odour description by a trained sensory panel. In one case, the odour detection threshold value was 50 times higher (less detectable) in skin care products than in water, whereas for other volatile compounds the odour detection threshold value was only 1.5 times higher. The odour description of the volatile compounds was, in most cases, different from that reported in literature. The observed differences are hypothesised to be due to a masking effect of the base odour of the skin care product(s), a volatile-retaining power of the base matrix and to a cocktail effect of the combined odours from different volatile oxidation products. applied to determine the odour detection threshold value in the Cleansing Formulation Prototype for 2-ethyl furan, 2-pentyl furan, butanal, pentanal, 1-heptanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol. Conc. 1 is close to odour detection threshold value in water. The concentration is gradually increased in conc. 2-5 until the estimated odour detection threshold value in cleansing formulation prototype determined by an expert panel has been reached. Conc. 6 is above the estimated odour detection threshold value in cleansing formulation prototype.
Numerical Study of the Strength and Characteristics of Sandstone Samples with Combined Double Hole and Double Fissure Defects

To explore the failure mechanism of rock with holes and fissures, uniaxial compression tests of sandstone samples with combined double hole and double fissure defects were carried out using Particle Flow Code 2D (PFC2D) numerical simulation software. The failure behaviour and mechanical properties of the sandstone samples with combined double hole and double fissure defects at different angles were analysed, and the evolution results of the stress field and crack propagation were studied. The results show that with a decrease in fissure angle, the crack initiation stress, damage stress, elastic modulus and peak stress of the defective rock decrease, while the peak strain increases, and the brittleness of the rock is weakened. Rocks with combined double hole and double fissure defects at different angles lead to different failure modes, crack initiation positions and crack development directions. After uniaxial compression, both compressive stress and tensile stress concentration areas are produced in the defective rock, but the compressive stress concentration is of primary importance. The concentration area is mainly distributed around the holes and fissures and the defect connecting line, and the stress concentration area decreases with the decreasing fissure angle. This study can correctly predict the mechanical properties of rock with combined double hole and double fissure defects at different angles and provide a reference for actual rock engineering.
Cultivares de trigo: Embrapa e Iapar.

Qualidade Industrial. Regioes de Adaptacao. Regioes de adaptacao para determinacao de VCU do trigo nos estados do MS, SP, PR e SC. Semeadura. Rendimento de graos. Reacao a Doencas. Cultivares de trigo Embrapa. Cultivares de trigo Iapar. Colaboradores Fundacao Meridional.
Giving to Animal Charities: A Nine-Country Study

ABSTRACT Growing public concern for the welfare of animals is reflected in an increase in the number of animal charities around the world. However, little is known about the individuals who donate to these organizations. In this study, we examine relations between individual differences in personal values and sociodemographic characteristics and the decision to donate to animal charities. We do this in samples from nine different countries: the USA, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Malaysia, Singapore, and China. We show that the personal value expressing concern for the welfare of animals is empirically distinct from other refined values and that this value is positively associated with giving to animal charities in each country. These results extend recent attempts to identify and validate the animals value as a distinct value beyond western samples. Using logistic regression analysis, we also show, in all nine country samples, that the animals value is the most consistent predictor of donating to animal charities when compared with sociodemographic characteristics examined in previous studies. The results of this study can be used by organizations in the animal protection sector to inform their donor segmentation and targeting strategies both within and across borders.
The Impact of Student-Centered Learning through Use of Peer Feedback in the Dance Technique Classroom

ABSTRACT This study compares two methods of teaching a dance technique class to determine which yields a greater increase in high school students’ technical skills. The historic, widely accepted method of teaching a dance technique class is through direct, teacher-centered instruction. However, current research, largely on undergraduate college students, suggests that student-centered instruction may be more effective. In this experimental study a group of high school students (n = 23) received standard, direct instruction, while the intervention group (n = 24) received student-centered instruction. All students took pre- and post-performance assessments and were scored on a skill rubric. Analysis of these assessment scores indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ technical abilities in both the direct instruction group and the intervention group, however, the experimental group was not found to be more successful than the control group. The results of this study found that future research on this topic should include teaching students how to give and receive feedback before entering a student-centered curriculum structure.
Selectively Targeting Breast Cancer Stem Cells by 8-Quinolinol and Niclosamide

Cancer maintenance, metastatic dissemination and drug resistance are sustained by cancer stem cells (CSCs). Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the breast cancer subtype with the highest number of CSCs and the poorest prognosis. Here, we aimed to identify potential drugs targeting CSCs to be further employed in combination with standard chemotherapy in TNBC treatment. The anti-CSC efficacy of up to 17 small drugs was tested in TNBC cell lines using cell viability assays on differentiated cancer cells and CSCs. Then, the effect of 2 selected drugs (8-quinolinol -8Q- and niclosamide -NCS-) in the cancer stemness features were evaluated using mammosphere growth, cell invasion, migration and anchorage-independent growth assays. Changes in the expression of stemness genes after 8Q or NCS treatment were also evaluated. Moreover, the potential synergism of 8Q and NCS with PTX on CSC proliferation and stemness-related signaling pathways was evaluated using TNBC cell lines, CSC-reporter sublines, and CSC-enriched mammospheres. Finally, the efficacy of NCS in combination with PTX was analyzed in vivo using an orthotopic mouse model of MDA-MB-231 cells. Among all tested drug candidates, 8Q and NCS showed remarkable specific anti-CSC activity in terms of CSC viability, migration, invasion and anchorage independent growth reduction in vitro. Moreover, specific 8Q/PTX and NCS/PTX ratios at which both drugs displayed a synergistic effect in different TNBC cell lines were identified. The sole use of PTX increased the relative presence of CSCs in TNBC cells, whereas the combination of 8Q and NCS counteracted this pro-CSC activity of PTX while significantly reducing cell viability. In vivo, the combination of NCS with PTX reduced tumor growth and limited the dissemination of the disease by reducing circulating tumor cells and the incidence of lung metastasis. The combination of 8Q and NCS with PTX at established ratios inhibits both the proliferation of differentiated cancer cells and the viability of CSCs, paving the way for more efficacious TNBC treatments.
Are tourists willing to pay for decarbonizing tourism? Two applications of indirect questioning in discrete choice experiments

The feasibility and efficiency of public policies aimed at decarbonizing tourism also depend on tourists’ attitudes and acceptance. This paper investigates tourists’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for decarbonizing strategies applied to transportation and hotel accommodation. Two discrete choice experiments were conducted in the Dolomites area in Italy using direct and indirect question formats. The combination of question formats is proposed as an instrument to reduce hypothetical bias and obtain conservative WTP-range estimates. Results suggest low to zero willingness to pay for the two key attributes: the use of electric trains that produce lower amounts of carbon emissions and the possibility to offset the carbon emissions associated with tourists’ hotel stays. These results indicate the need for new policy interventions to promote forms of public-private partnerships to support public and private investments, increase tourists’ awareness of decarbonizing strategies and foster a move toward more sustainable behaviors.
Quantification of Organic Matter in Agricultural Soils from the Central Region of Paraná State, Brazil

ABSTRACT The organic matter (OM) quantity in soils is of fundamental importance for agriculture. The indirect determination of the OM through the Total Organic Carbon (TOC) quantity is performed by most soil laboratories in Brazil using the Walkley–Black (WB) method. This procedure involves oxidation with potassium dichromate which is a cancerous reagent. The objective of this study is to optimize the parameters for OM determination by the gravimetric method and to estimate the van Bemmelen factor for the studied soil. The studied region is the second and third plateau of Parana State, Brazil, from which 50 agricultural soil samples were analyzed. The temperature and exposition time in muffle were determined after a thermal analysis. The optimized parameters for the gravimetric method were 3 h at 420°C in the muffle furnace. The results for WB and gravimetric methods presented a good correlation and the van Bemmelen factor for the studied soil was 4.37.
Association of High Expression of Mitochondrial Fission Regulator 2 with Poor Survival of Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Mitochondrial fission regulator 2 (MTFR2) is associated with mitochondrial fission, while few studies have assessed the associations between MTFR2 expression and clinical characteristics or prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this study, we compared the expression of MTFR2 in 6 ESCC tumors and relative normal tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC). To assess the effect of MTFR2 expression on clinicopathologic characteristics and survival, 115 paraffin embedded ESCC tissue samples were assessed by IHC staining. Furthermore, the association between clinicopathological properties and MTFR2 expression in patients with ESCC was examined. The survival analysis was performed using the Cox regression models. We found that MTFR2 expression was significantly increased in ESCC tumors compared with normal esophageal epithelial cells. IHC analysis of 115 paraffin embedded ESCC tumor specimens of the patients showed that the expression of MTFR2 was significantly associated with clinical stage (P < 0.001), tumor classification (P < 0.001), histological grade (P < 0.001), and other clinicopathological characteristics. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that MTFR2 expression was inversely correlated with the survival of ESCC patients. In conclusion, the expression of MTFR2 is significantly associated with clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of ESCC. Thus, MTFR2 expression could serve as a potentially important prognostic biomarker and clinical target for patients with ESCC.
Soluble collagen dissolution and assembling in pressurized carbon dioxide water solutions

Dissolution and gelation procedures have a great influence on gelation time, microstructure and mechanical properties of reconstituted collagen products. We have investigated the dissolution of atelocollagen in CO2/water solutions at low temperature (4 degrees C) at different CO2 pressures (0.3-0.9 MPa), as well as gelation kinetics and physico-chemical properties of the hydrogel obtained after CO2 removal. Compared to conventional methods, the CO2-assisted technique resulted in faster soluble collagen dissolution and faster gelation into transparent gels characterized by thin 10 nm fibrils. Electrophoresis and CD spectroscopy demonstrated that the process did not denature the soluble collagen. The possibility to obtain collagen dissolution and gelation without the use of chemical agent other than water and CO2 makes this process particularly appealing for biomedical applications.
Is neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratio a predictive factor for the fibrous stage in patients with chronic hepatitis B?

Aim: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are an inexpensive inflammatory marker that can beeasily obtained from the blood count and can be used in many chronic diseases. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationshipbetween fibrosis stage and NLR, PLR in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV). Materials and Methods: 173 patients with chronic HBV were included in the study. The demographic data and hemogram parameters of all patients were recorded. Histopathological data of the patients were documented. Accompanying comorbid diseases, medicationsand previous operations were questioned. In chronic HBV patients, fibrosis level was compared with hematological parameters.Results: A total of 173 patients, 100 (57.8%) of whom were male, were included in the study. As a result of the liver biopsy; mildfibrosis (steage/1-2) in 83(47.9%) patients, moderate fibrosis (steage/3-4) in 35(20.3%) patients and advanced fibrosis (stage/5-6)in 55(31.8%) patients. In advanced fibrosis group, liver function tests and bilirubin levels were significantly higher and albumin levelwas significantly lower (p<0.05). It was found that NLR level was significantly higher in moderate fibrosis than mild fibrosis, and PLRlevel was significantly lower in the advanced fibrosis group than in the mild and moderate fibrosis groups (p<0.05). Conclusions: We showed that there is a significant relationship between fibrosis level and NLR, PLR. However, with the availabledata, it does not seem possible to say that noninvasive methods can completely replace invasive procedures such as liver biopsy.Prospectively designed studies with larger patient participation are needed.
Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Praktik Pelaporan Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) oleh Apoteker di Beberapa Rumah Sakit di Surabaya

Permasalahan kurangnya pelaporan ADRs sudah berjalan lama diseluruh dunia. Partisipasi apoteker dalam pelaporan ADRs diharapkan dapat mengatasi permasalahan ini. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui faktor yang mempengaruhi praktik pelaporan ADRs oleh apoteker yang bekerja di beberapa rumah sakit di wilayah Surabaya. Penelitian ini adalah studi cross sectional. Responden pada penelitian ini adalah seluruh apoteker yang bekerja di tiga rumah sakit di Surabaya. Kriteria rumah sakit adalah yang pernah mengirimkan laporan ADRs kepada Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan (BPOM) Indonesia. Sejumlah 49 apoteker berpartisipasi dalam penelitian ini. Instrumen pada penelitian ini menggunakan kuesioner dan daftar pertanyaan wawancara. Kuesioner yang digunakan sebelumnya telah melalui pengujian validitas dan reliabilitas. Kuesioner terdiri dari pernyataan-pernyataan meliputi demografi responden, pengetahuan, sikap, akses sarana, lingkungan (perilaku tenaga kesehatan lain), dan praktik yang berkaitan dengan pelaporan ADRs. Pada lembar wawancara berisi pernyataan-pernyataan meliputi ketersediaan sarana dan kebijakan/peraturan terkait pelaporan ADRs. Pada uji pengaruh menggunakan regresi linear berganda diperoleh variabel pengetahuan (p=0,036), dan variabel ketersediaan dan akses sarana pelaporan ADRs (p=0,002) berpengaruh signifikan terhadap praktik pelaporan ADRs. Diperoleh kesimpulan bahwa pengetahuan dan ketersediaan dan akses sarana merupakan faktor yang berpengaruh terhadap praktik pelaporan ADRs oleh apoteker di rumah sakit.