Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Root system architecture traits diversity and association with grain yield for drought adapted sorghum genotypes

Background and aims The roots system architecture of sorghum is a major morphological trait which strongly influences the capacity to access soil moisture and forage nutrients under drought condition. This study was conducted aiming to the extent of genetic diversity among sorghum genotypes adapted the dryland; to identify promising genotypes for key root and shoot traits for breeding purposes; and to determine the contribution of root related traits of sorghum on moisture stress area. Methods The experiment was conducted using 214 genotypes in greenhouse of Horticulture and Plant science Department, Jimma University using randomized complete block design. Results Cluster analysis indicated that the genotypes grouped into eight cluster. Number of genotypes per cluster varied from 100 (46.72%) in Cluster II and 2 (0.93%) genotypes both in Cluster III and VI . The maximum genetic distance (D 2 =151.36) obtained between cluster III and VIII and minimum genetic distance (D 2 =9.38) was found between cluster V and VII also the intra-cluster distance was highest in the cluster II (D 2 =43.93) and the lowest cluster found VI (D 2 =0.93). Root angle and root length exhibited strong negative(r=- 0.24 ) and positive correlation (r= 0.32 ) with grain yield. Genotypes Acc#220249(58); Acc#220254(#59); Acc#234102(#102); Acc#235811(#118) Acc#20710(27) the most divergent on the principal axis of biplot and used direct sorghum improvement. Conclusion The information generated from this study could help to identified promising genotypes with suitable root traits for potential breeding under specific environmental conditions.
Flexible and Transparent Metal Nanowire Microelectrode Arrays and Interconnects for Electrophysiology, Optogenetics, and Optical Mapping

Transparent microelectrodes have recently emerged as a promising approach for crosstalk‐free multifunctional electrical and optical biointerfacing. High‐performance flexible platforms that allow seamless integration with soft tissue systems for such applications are urgently needed. Here, silver nanowires (Ag NWs)‐based transparent microelectrode arrays (MEAs) and interconnects are designed to meet this demand. The nanowire networks exhibit a high optical transparency >90.0% at 550 nm, and superior mechanical stability up to 100,000 bending cycles at 5 mm radius. The Ag NWs microelectrodes preserve low normalized electrochemical impedance of 3.4–15 Ω cm2 at 1 kHz, and the interconnects demonstrate excellent sheet resistance (Rsh) of 4.1–25 Ω sq−1. In vivo histological analysis reveals that the Ag NWs structures are biocompatible. Studies on Langendorff‐perfused mouse and rat hearts demonstrate that the Ag NWs MEAs enable high‐fidelity real‐time monitoring of heart rhythm during co‐localized optogenetic pacing and optical mapping. This proof‐of‐concept work illustrates that the solution‐processed, transparent, and flexible Ag NWs structures are a promising candidate for the next‐generation of large‐area multifunctional biointerfaces for interrogating complex biological systems in basic and translational research.
Teaching Korean science for Indonesian middle school students: promoting Indonesian students’ attitude towards science through the global science exchange programme

ABSTRACT In the globalisation era, engaging youth in science and technology is a joint responsibility across nations. This study examined the effects of Global Korean Science Program (GKSP) on 608 Indonesian middle school students’ attitudes towards science. Their science attitudes were assessed before and after the programme with Behaviour, Related Attitudes, and Intentions towards Science (BRAINS) survey. We also collected students’ responses to an open-ended programme evaluation. The repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to compare students’ attitudes before and after the programme by including gender effect, followed by clustering analysis and magnitude coding to analyse open-ended programme evaluation data. Results showed that GKSP improved students’ behavioural and normative beliefs, suggesting that the programme had positive impacts on students’ beliefs about the importance of science in daily life. The decline in students’ control belief towards science after the programme indicates the possibility of science contents delivered in programme being more difficult than in the typical Indonesian science curriculum. Additionally, we found a significant gender effect on intention and normative dimensions. Furthermore, clustering analysis classified students into three groups; small changes (62%), increase trend (29%), and decrease trend (9%) indicating that most students participating in the study experienced a small science attitudes shift.
Elementary price indices under the GBM price model

Abstract Countries use either the Dutot, Carli or Jevons indices for the calculation of their Consumer Price Index (CPI) at the lowest level of aggregation. In this paper, we compare expected values and variances of sample elementary indices under the assumption that prices are described by a geometric Brownian motion (GBM). We consider two situations, i.e., the case with only one homogeneous product group and the case with a heterogeneous group of products consisting of homogeneous subgroups. We provide formulas for their biases, variances and mean-squared errors. We confirm the utility of the presented continuous time approach via a simulation study.
Endophytic Bacillus altitudinis Q7 from Ginkgo biloba inhibits the growth of Alternaria alternata in vitro and its inhibition mode of action

Abstract The study was focussed on the inhibitory mechanism associated with the ability of an endophytic bacterium - Bacillus altitudinis Q7, obtained from Ginkgo biloba, to inhibit the growth of Alternaria alternata in vitro. A fungus, identified as Alternaria alternata was isolated from the rotten part of an apple. One of the endophytes was identified as Bacillus altitudinis Q7. Effect of Bacillus altitudinis Q7 on Alternaria alternata was characterized by measuring membrane permeability and lipid peroxidation. Antioxidant enzymes in Alternaria alternata were determined before and after exposure to Bacillus altitudinis Q7. Results indicated that cell membranes in Alternaria alternata were damaged, lipid peroxidation was enhanced, and superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and polyphenol oxidase were significantly inhibited. Content of lipopeptides produced by Bacillus altitudinis Q7 was higher than other metabolites. The FTIR spectra revealed that the prepared antibacterial lipopeptides is a cyclic lipopeptides. The effect of lipopeptides produced by Bacillus altitudinis Q7 at 2 mg/mL against Alternaria alternata in vitro reached 83.2%. The lipopeptide-treated group showed the same trend as Q7 fermentation broth in inhibition mode of action. Moreover, the utilization of proteins and sugars during culturing of Alternaria alternata decreased when adding lipopeptides to the growth medium. Bacillus altitudinis Q7 from Ginkgo biloba significantly inhibited the growth of Alternaria alternata and is a very promising biocontrol strain against Alternaria alternata. The study of endophytic bacteria and its metabolites is being done to identify biological control alternatives. The results provide a theoretical basis for understanding their antagonistic properties.
Exploring Public Attitudes toward E-Government Health Applications Used During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Saudi Arabia

This study sought to explore factors that determine the public’s acceptance of and adoption behavior toward e-government health applications launched in Saudi Arabia (SA) by the Ministry of Health (MOH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research relied on several theories: the technology acceptance model (TAM), information system success model (ISSM), mobile services acceptance model (MSAM), and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The constructs of perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), attitude (ATT), trust (TR), information quality (IQ), facilitating condition (FC), and social influence (SI) were utilized to investigate the user’s intention toward using e-government health applications. The proposed model and its seven hypotheses were tested by conducting a survey across social media among citizens and residents in SA. A total of 785 valid responses were analyzed by SmartPLS and a structural equation modeling technique. After analysis, the results showed that PEOU, PU, ATT, TR, IQ, FC, and SI have positive effects on behavioral intentions. As for contributions, this paper is the first research paper to investigate the adoption of e-government health applications launched by MOH in SA during the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide a theoretical framework for pursuing future research work in a similar scope.
‘Urban expansion and agricultural land use change in Ghana: Implications for peri-urban farmer household food security in Wa Municipality’

ABSTRACT Food price hikes globally re-energised investment in innovative strategies of food production including urban and peri-urban agriculture. Unfortunately, uncontrolled urbanisation have impacted gravely on food production in peri-urban areas in developing countries. This study was conducted in the Wa Municipalityto examine how peri-urban agricultural land use change impact on food security of farmers. A mixed methods study of inquiry with 235 smallholder farmers were used for the study. Questionnaires, interviews and historical information captured using the Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to collect the data. The results revealed that, hectares of agricultural land in peri-urban Wa over the last three decades has drastically lost its space to urban development through residentuial and infrastructural development. The study also found that agricultural land use change has resulted in food insecurity as the majority of the smallholder farmers were unable to meet their food needs over the last decade. The practical and policy implication of the study are discussed.
Effects of processing on nutrient composition in 
guava- and jackfruit-based snacks

Guava and jackfruit are popular fruits in East Africa. With consideration of the high post-harvest losses of these two fruits and only seasonal availability, this study aimed to produce nutrient rich fruit-based snacks to decrease this problem and make use of surplus fruits during on-season. Given the nutritional situation in East Africa, these products were also developed to have a high content of desired nutrients. Next to either guava or jackfruit also mango, different nuts and lemon juice was partly added. Processing methods included cooking and drying, which are suitable for local households and small processing groups. Chemical analyses were implemented to determine nutrient contents before cooking, after cooking and after drying. Major results included that bars with guava and lemon juice contained the highest content of ascorbic acid, 81.19 and 48.18 mg/100 g FM before and after cooking, respectively; jackfruit-based samples without lemon juice after drying contained more phenolic content than guava-based samples; fruit bars with lemon juice had higher acidity; samples of guava contained more β-carotene than jackfruit. In conclusion, the fruit-nut-bars can provide a good option to process surplus fruits and provide essential nutrients to the local population in East Africa. Key words: Guava, jackfruit, fruit-nut-bars, East Africa.
Bayesian model averaging and the conditional volatility process: an application to predicting aggregate equity returns by conditioning on economic variables

This study revisits the topic of predicting aggregate equity returns out-of-sample by conditioning on economic variables through Bayesian model averaging (BMA). Besides simultaneously addressing parameter instability and model uncertainty, I suggest a new model feature, namely, predictors in a given model can also impact the dependent variable through the conditional volatility process. The suggested econometric framework is straightforward to implement without requiring simulation. Likewise, the user can easily decide, which aspects of the predictive channel should to be switched on, off or altered. I apply the suggested framework to the well-known [Goyal, A. and Welch, I. , A comprehensive look at the empirical performance of equity premium prediction. Rev. Financial Stud. , 2008, 21, 1455–1508] dataset. An extensive out-of-sample prediction evaluation demonstrates that averaging over predictor combinations in a model that allows lagged predictors to impact aggregate equity returns exclusively through the conditional volatility process results in statistically significant more accurate density predictions relative to the benchmark, especially when predicting the left tail of the conditional distribution. One also observes economic gains in favor of certain BMAs. Here, the BMA that allows predictors to impact equity returns through the conditional mean as well as the conditional volatility process is the top performer.
Employment, Technology and Value Chain: A Case of Indian Leather Industry

India’s leather industry is an interesting case for a value chain (VC) that has unorganised and organised firms. To understand VC’s upstream, we examine a recent database on unorganised enterprises in the leather industry. First, we assess the determinants of two outcomes: value added and surplus. Second, we gauge if technology impacts employment. We use a multi-database and multi-method approach. Our analysis is based on National Sample Survey’s (NSS) 73rd Round on unincorporated non-agricultural enterprises. To understand the downstream of value-added value chain functions, capacity utilisation, last-mile delivery, product and process innovation, and orientation towards export, we use the World Bank Enterprise survey (2014). While confirming the stylised fact of the direct relationship between the firm’s resources and performance, the study emphasises the pivotal role of human capital in a firm’s performance, valid for both VC streams.
Screening for the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection among dyspeptic patients using simple fecal antigen and serum antibody diagnostic methods at Mukalla city Hospitals, Hadhramout, Yemen

Helicobacter pylori is the most common infection in the world, and the most main causes of dyspepsia are related to H. pylori infection. In that respect, several non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection were utilized. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection and its associated variables among dyspeptic patients in Mukalla city, Hadhramout-Yemen during a period from February to September 2018. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 100 suspected dyspeptic patients. Data regarding to associated variables were collected using a structured questionnaire, and the samples of feces and serum were collected and screened for H. pylori by rapid diagnostic immunochromatographic assays for antigen and antibody. Data was analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 20 and a P value <0.05 was taken statistically significant. Prevalence of H. pylori was found to be 15 and 18.5% using the antigen H. pylori test and serum anti-H. pylori test respectively. Prevalence using antigen H. pylori test was significantly associated to male sex (P=0.035). In those patients with H. pylori, a positive result with antigen test was significantly associated to drinking non-filtered water (COR = 3.67; 95%CI=1.436-9.363; P=0.007), symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation (COR=0.865, 95%CI=0.034-0.536, P=0.004) and antibiotics used (COR=0.312, 95%CI=0.125-0.780, P=0.013). The prevalence of H. pylori infection was frequent among the dyspeptic patients in the study area. H. pylori infection was related to non-filtered water source, symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation and antibiotics used are contributing factors. Moreover, further studies are needed to investigate other potential associated variables for H. pylori infection. Key words: Antibody, antigen, dyspepsia, Helicobacter pylori, laboratory diagnosis, prevalence.
Numerical study of behavior of textile-reinforced composite tubes under lateral compression

Abstract This paper presents a detailed numerical investigation of behavior of cylindrical tube-shaped textile-reinforced cementitious composites (TRCCs) under monotonic lateral compression loading, and experimental verification. Effects of different thickness and number of layers, different textile materials on behavior of cylindrical tube-shaped TRCCs are investigated numerically. Numerical results are obtained by finite element (FE) simulation. The deformations and damages of TRCC tubes have also been investigated and analyzed with material models identified in the FE simulation. As results of numerical analysis, load-displacement curves of TRCC tubes, basic mechanism of their deformations, and the effects of textile material and the number of TRCC layers on the deformation behavior and load-carrying capacities of the TRCC tubes were presented. In this study, it was found that TRCC tubes could be an alternative to conventional pipes due to ductility, manufacturing feasibility according to their desired load-carrying capacity, energy absorption and ductility. Analytical solution based on an energy method was also presented to estimate the strength of different type of TRCC tubes. The results obtained from the FE simulation were compared with test data of monotonic lateral compression experiment for verification. Finally, parametric analysis was conducted using geometrical variables and the effects on tube strengths were examined.
Introducing the Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality (GI4RAQ) Platform: Estimating Site-Specific Changes in the Dispersion of Vehicular Pollution Close to Source

The benefits of ‘green infrastructure’ are multi-faceted and well-documented, but estimating those of individual street-scale planting schemes at planning can be challenging. This is crucial to avoid undervaluing proposed schemes in cost–benefit analyses, and ensure they are resilient to ‘value engineering’ between planning and implementation. Here, we introduce prototype software enabling urban practitioners to estimate the site-specific air quality impacts of roadside vegetation barriers: highly localised changes in pollutant concentrations due to changes in the dispersion of vehicular emissions close to source. We summarise the recent shift in understanding regarding the impacts of vegetation on urban air pollution towards changes in pollutant dispersion (cf. deposition) and describe our prototype software, offering rapid estimates thereof. First tests of the underlying model’s performance are promising, reproducing: annual mean NO2 and PM2.5 concentrations in a street canyon (Marylebone Road, London, UK) to within 10% and 25%, respectively; and changes in pollutant concentrations of the right order of magnitude behind roadside barriers in a wind tunnel simulation of a street canyon and a real open-road environment. However, the model underestimates the benefits of a barrier in a simulated street canyon under perpendicular wind conditions. The prototype software is a first step towards informing practitioners of the site-specific impacts of vegetation barriers, which should always be additional to (i.e., no substitute for) essential emission reductions. The code is open-source to engage further researchers in its continued development.
Bridges to Studying: Educational Migration in the Scope of Political Transformation in Post Covid-19 Pandemic in Europe

Recently, Europe is witnessing a transformation in the political system, concerning right-wing populist movements, around the claim that a massive influx of migrants within its territorial borders undermines the sovereignty of the nation-state. This transformation has led to issues of economic inequalities, loss of cultural identity, and influence in voting patterns. Considering the unfolding situations, we ask: What is the effect of educational migration on economic growth and social development before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic? How will the current political transformation processes affect educational migrants in the post-Covid-19 pandemic in Europe? Using the systematic review methodology, the authors sort to perform a comprehensive literature search; complete a critical appraisal of the individual studies gathered; and combine the valid studies using appropriate statistical techniques. The research affirmed a case that Education could not ignore politics. We perceive it will shape populist motives on educational migrants in post-pandemic Europe. The author’s expectation of future research pays attention to the political transformation process and how anti-immigration discourse will exercise control over educational institutions.
Drivers of black grouse trends in the French Alps: The prevailing contribution of climate

Mountains host complex ecosystems whose wide range of ecological conditions over small geographical distances makes them biodiversity hotspots. To ensure their long‐term conservation, a better understanding of the interaction between climate change and modifications in land use is necessary. Most studies have focused on only one of these factors at a time, leading to incomplete predictions. In this study, we explored the relative contribution of both recreative activities and climate change on the population dynamics of the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix), an emblematic cold‐adapted species of the Alps.
Phenomenological Interpretations of Some Somatic Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Biophoton Emission in Humans

Biophoton emission remains controversial. The photo-genic origin of biophoton has been attributed to the oxidative stress or free radical production. However, there are considerable gaps in quantitative understanding of biophoton emission. I propose an analytical hypothesis for interpreting a few patterns of steady-state biophoton emission of human, including the dependency on age, the diurnal variation, and the geometric asymmetry associated with serious asymmetrical pathological conditions. The hypothesis is based on an alternative form of energy state, termed vivo-nergy, which is associated with only metabolically active organisms that are also under neuronal control. The hypothesis projects a decrease of the vivo-nergy in human during growth beyond puberty. The hypothesis also proposes a modification of the vivo-nergy by the phases of systematic or homeostatic physiology. The hypothesis further postulates that the deviation of the physiology-modified vivo-nergy from the pre-puberty level is deteriorated by acquired organ-specific pathological conditions. A temporal differential change of vivo-nergy is hypothesized to proportionally modulate oxidative stress that functions as the physical source of biophoton emission. The resulted steady-state diffusion of the photon emitted from a photo-genic source in a human geometry simplified as a homogeneous spherical domain is modeled by photon diffusion principles incorporating an extrapolated zero-boundary condition. The age and systematic physiology combined determines the intensity of the centered physiological steady-state photo-genic source. An acquired pathology sets both the intensity and the off-center position of the pathological steady-state photo-genic source. When the age-commemorated, physiology-commanded, and pathology-controlled modifications of the steady-state photo-genetic sources are implemented in the photon diffusion model, the photon fluence rate at the surface of the human-representing spherical domain reveals the patterns on age, the temporal variation corresponding to systematic physiology, and the geometric asymmetry associated with significant asymmetric pathological condition as reported for spontaneous biophoton emission. The hypothesis, as it provides conveniences for quantitative estimation of biophoton emission patterns, will be extended in future works towards interpreting the temporal characteristics of biophoton emission under stimulation.