Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The dual nature of parks: attitudes of neighbouring communities towards Kruger National Park, South Africa

SUMMARY The attitudes of neighbouring communities towards protected areas are increasingly being considered in the establishment and management of national parks. In South Africa, more inclusive policies have been introduced which seek to involve neighbouring communities in policy formulation and management of Kruger National Park (KNP). This paper examines the attitudes of 38 communities towards KNP along its western border. A random survey of 240 households was conducted to assess attitudes towards the Park, and what factors might influence them. Attitudes were measured by responses to 12 related questions, which were transformed to construct an attitude index. Attitudes are more varied than previously reported. Notwithstanding KNP outreach programmes, many respondents had had no interaction with KNP, 72.9% had never been in the Park, and only 32.1% claimed they knew of KNP's activities. Having a household member employed by KNP, age and de jure Traditional Authority affiliation influenced more positive attitudes toward KNP. Negative attitudes were primarily linked with problems associated with damage-causing animals, including inadequate maintenance of the KNP border fence, poor animal control outside KNP and lack of compensation for affected farmers. These findings on relationships between KNP and its neighbours are relevant for many protected areas in similar contexts elsewhere.
Real-time Drowsiness and Distraction Detection using Computer Vision and Deep Learning

Automated analysis of driver's attention to driving is crucial to reduce traffic accidents. Real-time detection of initial signs of drowsiness or distraction of driver has yet not been most reliable. This study is therefore oriented towards improving this problem by strategically detecting some of the necessary parameters like closing of eye, yawning, and head orientation of driver. We use deep neural network (DNN) to extract face and facial landmarks, followed by calculation of Eye Aspect Ratio (EAR), Mouth Aspect Ratio (MAR) and pose estimation using 3D location and intrinsic parameters to detect whether or not driver is focused into driving. Our experimental results shows better real-time performance than traditional methods in many aspects, which is why we further deploy the algorithm as a mobile application.
A nucleus breeding plan for radiata pine in Australia

The Southern Tree Breeding Association Inc. (STBA), consisting of 20 private companies and government agencies working cooperatively to breed improved varieties of radiata pine (Pinus radiata) for Australia, has adopted the concept of a nucleus breeding strategy entailing a total breeding population of 300 selections subdivided into two components: a nucleus population (which receives more emphasis in terms of breeding and testing and consists of the best 10% or so of the population) and a main population consisting of the remainder of the
The Development of a Manually operated Cashew Juice Extractor

A manually operated cashew juice extractor operating on screw press principle was designed, constructed and tested. Apple crushing was by pressing a wooden piston against a steel reinforced end plate. Juice output was 1.02 litres/hr and the average juice extraction efficiency was 85.38 %. Three samples of the juice (fresh juice, juice stored under ambient conditions for 24hrs and refrigerated juice at 5 o C) were tested for sensory evaluation. The results indicated a significant difference (p<0.05) between the colour, taste and general acceptability of juice under ambient storage when compared with fresh juice; but there was no significant difference in the mouth feel. There was no significant difference between the colour, taste and mouth feel of the refrigerated juice and fresh juice; but the difference in general acceptability was significant. The refrigerated juice had the highest general acceptability by the panelists. The physico-chemical characteristics show that appearance, specific gravity, pH and total soluble solids of the juice are affected significantly (p<0.05) by storage under ambient conditions but only the specific gravity changed significantly (p<0.05) during refrigeration. The vitamin C content of the refrigerated juice was higher than juice stored under ambient conditions. A device of this nature can be manufactured in small machine shops in the cashew producing developing countries for village level applications.
Concomitants of Gynaecological Problem: A Study on Young Married Women of Rural West Bengal

Abstract Gynaecological problem makes up a sizable proportion of disease burden in women. Majority of these problems remain unaddressed as cultural and gender norms make women silent to report these problems. Undiagnosed and untreated gynaecological problems at young age may have physical and psychological consequences in later life. This article aims to understand the prevalence of gynaecological problems and its concomitants among young married women of rural West Bengal. We collected data on 1,107 young married women, aged 24 years or below, inhabiting the rural areas of three districts of West Bengal with at least one child of five years or below. A pretested structured schedule was used to collect data on socio-demographic variables and symptoms related to gynaecological problems and their management. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to get an in-depth understanding of the participants towards gynaecological problems and management. Around 41 per cent of women reported at least one of the gynaecological problems. Excessive vaginal discharge with bad odour, pain or burning sensation while passing urine, itching at vagina, lower abdominal pain, menstrual irregularities and painful menstruation were the most reported problems. Only 22 per cent of participants sought medical advice. FGDs reveal that there is a variation among the participants regarding the perception and awareness of gynaecological problems. Sexual activity, early marriage and menstrual hygiene were perceived to be the causes of gynaecological problems. The local healers were consulted at the initial stage of the problem; qualified medical practitioners were consulted when the problem persisted. We conclude from this study that socio-cultural factors remain the primary reason behind the high prevalence of gynaecological problem among the study participants.
Prediction of Anuran Antimicrobial Peptides Using AdaBoost and Improved PSSM Profiles

Antimicrobial resistance is one of our most serious health threats. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are natural immune molecules that are commonly found in organisms. Over the last few decades several AMPs have been approved as drugs by FDA. We collected antimicrobial peptide sequences from the DAPA database and constructed a benchmark dataset. And we used PSSM profiles and spatial autocorrelation to design a new feature extraction method. This method can generate a smoother and standardized feature matrix and can find correlations between amino acids at different positions, helping to identify sequences with antimicrobial activity. The results show that the performance of our method is better than state-of-the-art feature extraction methods, and it can be used for many different classifiers.
Playful Work Design: Introduction of a New Concept

Abstract This article introduces the concept of playful work design—the process through which employees proactively create conditions within work activities that foster enjoyment and challenge without changing the design of the job itself. First, we review play theory and the motives people may have to play during work. In addition, we use the literature on proactive work behavior to argue that individuals can take personal initiative to increase person-job fit. Combining these literatures, we provide a theoretical framework for playful work design. We discuss the development and validation of an instrument to assess playful work design, and review recent studies to elucidate the psychological effects of playful work design and its possible outcomes. Finally, we briefly discuss practical implications.
DETECTION OF XANTHOMONAS AXONOPODIS pv. VESICATORIA IN NATURALLY INFECTED PEPPER SEEDS IN TURKEY

Bacterial spot, caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria, is one of the most important diseases of pepper in Turkey, where the disease has been epidemic in the last six years in the eastern Mediterranean region. The incidence and importance of natural infection in pepper seeds produced in the region was investigated in the present study. A total of 29 seed samples were tested by immunofluorescence assay using a commercial specific antibody, semi-selective isolation on medium Tween B, and a seedling screening tests, where plantlets were examined for typical spot symptoms on cotyledons 7-14 days after emergence. Pathogen populations were found to be in the range of 5×101-5×104 cells/g seed when using semi-selective medium Tween B. The diseased seeds as determined in the seedling screening ranged from 7 to 36%; these figures agreed with numbers found in the Tween B medium test. The strains isolated on Tween B were identified by PCR using primer designed on the hrp gene specific for Xanthomonas spp. , and pathogenicity on pepper plants. Twenty-one out of 29 seed samples were found to be contaminated by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria. On the basis of these findings, infested seeds must be seen as a major source of inoculum for this disease in the region
“Grace Under Pressure”: How CEOs Use Serious Leisure to Cope With the Demands of Their Job

How chief executive officers (CEOs) use their leisure to help respond to the demands of their job is important for themselves, their employees, and their organizations. This study shines light on this hardly explored subject by focusing on CEOs of major US companies and their “serious leisure,” the goal-oriented pursuit of a non-work passion. Serious leisure is increasingly practiced by the population at large as well as by top leaders. This study is based on 16 interviews with “serious leisurite” CEOs of Fortune 500, S&P 500, or comparable organizations. Novel insights are brought into the ways in which CEOs believe their passionate non-work pursuit supports not only coping with the strain of the top job but also optimal functioning in it, as well as into how they perceive the demands of the CEO role. This work contributes to research on leader personal resources and leader effectiveness, executive job demands, as well as to the leisure-based recovery literature.
Atmospheric turbulence does not change the degree of polarization of vector beams

We propose a novel theoretical framework to demonstrate vector beams whose degree of polarization does not change on atmospheric propagation. Inspired by the Fresnel equations, we derive the reflective and refractive field of vector beams propagating through a phase screen by employing the continuity of electromagnetic field. We generalize the conventional split-step beam propagation method by considering the vectorial properties in the vacuum diffraction and the refractive properties of a single phase screen. Based on this vectorial propagation model, we extensively calculate the change of degree of polarization (DOP) of vector beams under different beam parameters and turbulence parameters both in free-space and satellite-mediated links. Our result is that whatever in the free-space or satellite-mediated regime, the change of DOP mainly fluctuates around the order of $10^{-13}$ to $10^{-6}$, which is almost negligible.
Differential Effects of Alpha 1-Adrenoceptor Antagonists on the Postsynaptic Sensitivity: Using Slice Patch-Clamp Technique for Inhibitory Postsynaptic Current in Substantia Gelatinosa Neurons From Lumbosacral Spinal Cord in Rats

Purpose Alpha1-adrenoceptors participate in improving storage symptoms of male lower urinary tract symptoms. However, the mechanism of action of these compounds remains unclear. The goal of the present study was to clarify the effect of α1- adrenoceptor antagonists on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)/glycine-mediated outward currents of the inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) in substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons from the lumbosacral spinal cord in rats. Methods Male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Blind whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed in SG neurons from isolated spinal cord slice preparations. IPSCs were recorded in individual SG neurons to which naftopidil (100μM), tamsulosin (100μM), silodosin (30μM), or prazosin (10μM) were applied sequentially with intervening washout periods. Strychnine (2μM), bicuculline (10μM), or tetrodotoxin (TTX)(1μM) were added before naftopidil. Individual outward currents were analyzed. Results The bath application of naftopidil, yielded outward IPSCs in 13 of 52 SG neurons. The naftopidil response was unchanged in the presence of TTX. Regression analysis of the outward currents between the 1st and 2nd applications of naftopidil revealed a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.996 with a line slope of 0.983. The naftopidil-induced outward current was attenuated in the presence of strychnine and/or bicuculline. The GABA/glycine-mediated outward currents induced by tamsulosin, silodosin, and prazosin were smaller than those obtained with naftopidil. Conclusions Naftopidil-induced GABA/glycine-mediated outward currents in a subset of SG neurons prepared from the L6– S1 level of rat spinal cord. The results indicated that α1-adrenoceptor antagonists, particularly naftopidil, induce neural suppression (in part) by mediating hyperpolarization. The response is associated with glycinergic and/or GABAergic neural transmission. Naftopidil may suppress the micturition reflex and improve urinary storage symptoms as a subsidiary effect resulting from hyperpolarization in SG neurons of the spinal cord.
Tough pNAGA hydrogel hybridized porcine pericardium for the pre-mounted TAVI valve with improved anti-tearing properties and hemocompatibility

The rate of adoption of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is increasing rapidly, due to the procedure being less invasive. However, TAVI still faces problems relating to durability, the potential incidence of thrombosis, and the inconvenience of storage in glutaraldehyde (Glut) solution. In this work, a tough hydrogel poly(N-acryloyl glycinamide) (pNAGA) is hybridized with Glut-crosslinked porcine pericardium (Glut-PP) via in situ polymerization and glycerolization, so as to obtain dry leafet material for the fabrication of a pre-mounted bioprosthetic heart valve (BHV). The tensile strength, anti-shearing, and anti-tearing properties of the valve are significantly improved by the process of hydrogel hybridization. Following a period of dry-state compression as a simulation for the crimping process of pre-mounted TAV, pNAGA/Glut-PP showed full recovery without structural damage when fully rehydrated. The introduction of pNAGA also improved the blood compatibility of the tissue, with less clot formation and fewer blood cells adhering to the surface of pNAGA/Glut-PP than is found with Glut-PP. Subcutaneous implantation in rats showed that pNAGA/Glut-PP induced a decreased inflammatory response compared with Glut-PP. These results indicate that the strategy for hybridization with hydrogel could be a potential method for preparing pre-mounted TAVs with an improved performance.
Lightweight Neural Networks From PCA & LDA Based Distilled Dense Neural Networks

This paper presents two methods for building lightweight neural networks with similar accuracy than heavyweight ones with the advantage to be less greedy in memory and computing resources. So it can be implemented in edge and IoT devices. The presented distillation methods are respectively based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). The two methods basically rely on the successive dimension reduction of a given dense neural network (teacher) hidden features, and the learning of a smaller neural network (student) which solves the initial learning problem along with a mapping problem to the reduced successive features spaces. The presented methods are compared to baselines –learning the student networks from scratch–, and we show that the additional mapping problem significantly improves the performance (accuracy, memory and computing resources) of the student networks.
Drawing on Experiences of Self: Dialogical Sketching

In this paper, we present a method of Dialogical Sketching. We introduce the development of this method as a discursive aid to understanding design probe responses within participatory co-design engagements but also articulate its potential more broadly within participatory research. Situated within a research study into the potential of digital jewellery to support self, we focus on how sketching can elucidate reflection on layers of meaning conveyed both explicitly and implicitly in participants' probe responses. The method enabled an iterative dialogue not bound by certainty, but more by inference, interpretation and suggested meanings. Systems of sketching scaffolded conversations about personal issues and feelings that were difficult to articulate in a way that was imaginative, rather than descriptive. We argue that the method firstly enriches the potential of probes, secondly encourages discourse in open and often uncertain ways and thirdly can enable sustained participatory engagement even through challenging circumstances.
COVID‐19—Are telehealth and tele‐education the answers to keep the ball rolling in Dentistry?

Larry David, the co-creator and producer of Seinfeld, when asked by a reporter from the New York Times about what he fears the most while quarantining during the COVID 19 Epidemic, responded "Anarchy and a potential dental emergency - and not necessarily in that order"(Dowd, 2020). The pandemic introduced a new layer of challenges on how to provide care, alleviate pain. Restrictions have been implemented by the majority of governments, as SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in saliva samples and infection typically spread through respiratory droplets (Centers for Disease Control, 2020).
Sequestering carbon and restoring renosterveld through fallowing: a practical conservation approach for the Overberg, Cape Floristic Region, South Africa

Carbon credits are a potential source of funding for restoration initiatives that contribute to achieving conservation targets in important biodiversity areas. Here we investigated whether fallowing sequesters carbon; a first step in assessing the viability of using carbon financing to promote restoration of threatened vegetation in agricultural landscapes. We used renosterveld, a critically endangered shrubland vegetation of the Cape Floristic Region, as a case study. Carbon stocks of soil and biomass in active fields, fallow fields and intact renosterveld were compared. The total carbon stocks measured in fallow fields (82 Mg C ha−1) show that fallowing can sequester carbon lost in the conversion from intact renosterveld (84 Mg C ha−1) to active fields (69 Mg C ha−1) and that revenues of US$ 10 – 48 ha−1 yr−1 from carbon credits could accrue. Our findings suggest that carbon financing could be used to incentivise ecological restoration in marginal agricultural landscapes.
Exploring the mechanics of power in Swedish forest management

The Swedish forest landscape is being transformed as more natural forests are replaced by production ones, increasing the number of threatened species. As a result, Sweden will neither fulfil its national nor its international environmental goals connected to the forest. In this study, I analyse the mechanics of power behind the transformation of the forest landscape from the perspectives of self-proclaimed critics, active in the struggle to include more values into forest management. I do so by focusing on the power mechanisms within the Swedish forestry model and how these are resisted by the self-proclaimed critics. The findings stem from an analysis of the narratives of self-proclaimed critics as expressed in interviews. My analysis suggests that a vacuum of power and unclear responsibilities arose within Swedish forest management due to weak legislation and the abdication of responsibility on the part of the state. In the absence of clear rules and mandates, the historically powerful forest industry filled the vacuum by dominating the relationships and interactions with a plethora of other actors through superior resources and an appearance of expertise. I argue, based on the narratives, that power resides in the interactions which are found to be dominated by the forest industry resulting in a strengthening of the status quo which sees economic values trump alternative ones. The domination of relationships and the pursuit of economic growth contribute to explaining why Sweden fails to fulfil its environmental goals.
Two New Nearctic Species of Boletina Staeger Fungus Gnats (Diptera: Mycetophilidae) from Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana Lambert) Forest

Abstract. Two new species of Boletina Staeger fungus gnats were discovered in western Michigan near the southern limit of the distribution of jack pine, Pinus banksiana Lambert. Neither species was observed during almost 10 years of trapping in a nearby swamp dominated by black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marshall) despite being so close to the drier evergreen locality (approximately 1 km) that one trapping spot could be seen from the other if vegetation were not in the way. This suggests habitat specificity for Boletina incisa Taber and Boletina rugosa Taber.
Porcine Urinary Bladder Extracellular Matrix for Treatment of Periocular Skin Defects

Purpose: To describe the experience of 4 oculoplastic surgeons with porcine bladder matrix for periocular anterior lamella and donor site skin defects either as stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with other reconstructive procedures. The authors hypothesized that defect size and location influence the requirement for additional matrix treatments or ancillary procedures. Methods: Following the Institutional Review Board approval, the authors conducted a retrospective review of 17 patients treated with porcine bladder matrix at 2 oculoplastic practices between 2016 and 2018. Powdered matrix was applied to the skin defect and overlaid with a matrix sheet. Subsequent rounds of matrix treatment or other reconstructive procedures were performed as necessary. Defect size and location were correlated to the number of ancillary matrix treatments or surgical procedures via univariate analysis. Results: Twenty-five sites (21 primary and 4 donor) in 17 individuals (8–95 years, M = 58.8 years, 10 males) were treated with porcine bladder matrix. All wounds healed successfully. Additional matrix treatments were administered at 5 sites. Ancillary procedures were performed for 7 sites. Upper lid involvement and larger defect size tended to require additional ancillary procedures (p = 0.006), while lower eyelid and other periocular defects required fewer procedures (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Porcine bladder matrices are useful adjuncts to healing periocular anterior lamella defects in various settings. Such repairs are useful in nonsurgical candidates, but must take into account varying levels of complexity based on lesion location. Smaller defects are more conducive to application of matrices as stand-alone treatment, while larger or upper eyelid defects often require additional procedures. A retrospective case series of 19 patients whose periocular skin defects were managed with porcine urinary bladder matrices alone, or in combination with ancillary surgery. Lesion size and location influenced requirement for additional surgical treatment.