Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BIOCHEMICAL AND SENSORY QUALITY OF PHYSALIS (PHYSALIS PUBESCENS L.) JUICE

ABSTRACT Ground cherry (Physalis pubescens L.) is one of the most promising exotic fruits and some interesting functional products could be developed from these berries. The fresh juice was yellowish or orangey and had a light, sweet taste with acidic nature (pH 3.5). The titratable acidity was 1.43, polyphenols 76.6 mg/100 mL and vitamin C 38.8 mg/100 mL. Physalis juice was rich in carotenoids (70 µg/mL). The juice had a high level in minerals such as phosphorus (578 mg/100 mL), potassium (1,196 mg/100 mL), zinc (2.4 mg/100 mL) and boron (1 mg/100 mL). The essential amino acids in the juice such as isoleucine, valine and tryptophan (42.97, 39.92 and 39.83 mg/100 mL) were higher than those recommended by Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations Union (FAO/WHO/UNU). PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Tropical pulpy juices play an important role in nutrition as an excellent base for low-calorie and dietetic products. Physalis fruit and juice are nutritious, containing particularly high levels of niacin, carotenoids and minerals. There are very little available data in the literature regarding physicochemical and sensory properties. As part of the first steps toward developing Physalis as commercial crop, the present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional and sensorial properties of fresh juice as a new product from Physalis.
Is Market Orientation a Source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage or Simply the Cost of Competing?

The authors use panel data constructed from the responses of repeatedly surveyed top managers at 261 companies regarding their firm's market orientation, along with objective performance measures, to investigate the influence of market orientation on performance for a nine-year period from 1997 to 2005. The authors measure market orientation in 1997, 2001, and 2005 and estimate it in the interval between these measurement periods. The analyses indicate that market orientation has a positive effect on business performance in both the short and the long run. However, the sustained advantage in business performance from having a market orientation is greater for the firms that are early to develop a market orientation. These firms also gain more in sales and profit than firms that are late in developing a market orientation. Firms that adopt a market orientation may also realize additional benefit in the form of a lift in sales and profit due to a carryover effect. Market orientation should have a more pronounced effect on a firm's profit than sales because a market orientation focuses efforts on customer retention rather than on acquisition. Environmental turbulence and competitive intensity moderate the main effect of market orientation on business performance, but the moderating effects are greater in the 1990s than in the 2000s.
Táxons de Mucor Fresen. (Zygomycota) em fezes de herbívoros, Recife, PE, Brasil

To contribute to the knowledge of Mucorales (Zygomycota) in the northeastern of Brazil (Recife - Pernambuco State), a total of 120 samples of herbivorous dung have been collected monthly from June 1997 to May 1998. The dung was produced by the following animals: Bison bonasus H. Smith, Bos indicus L. , Bubalus bubalis H. Smith, Capra hircus L. , Oryctolagus cuniculus Lilljeborg, Dasyprocta fuliginosa Wagler, Taurotragus oryx Wagner, Equus caballus L. , Ovis aries L. and Mazama gouazoubira Fischer, which were mantained captive in the "Parque Dois Irmaos" and in the "Departamento de Zootecnia da Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco". The samples were mantained in wet chambers at room temperature and observed during 15 days. The isolates were inoculated into Petri dishes containing Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and/or Synthetic Mucor Agar (SMA). Twelve taxa were identified, 11 already known and a new form, as follows: Mucor circinelloides f. circinelloides, M. circinelloides f. griseo-cyanus, M. circinelloides f. janssenii, M. circinelloides f. lusitanicus, M. hiemalis f. hiemalis, M. hiemalis f. luteus, M. genevensis, M. piriformis f. piriformis, M. piriformis f. nanus, M. racemosus f. chibinensis, M. subtilissimus and M. variosporus. Except for the Bubalus bubalis dung, all presented taxa of Mucor, with higher diversity in those of Bison bonasus, Oryctolagus cuniculus, Dasyprocta fuliginosa and Mazama gouazoubira. The highest index of similarity (75%) on taxa of Mucorales occurred between Dasyprocta fuliginosa and Ovis aries, as well as, between Capra hircus and Oryctolagus cuniculus dung. Descriptions, comments, illustrations and keys for the identified taxa have been included.
Alteration of biochemical and antioxidant mechanisms in rice plants under salt stress

peroxidation and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase were analysed. There was a gradual increase in the levels of proline, total protein, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation with increasing salt concentrations in the irrigation water. The synthesis of photosynthetic pigments increased until the NaCl concentration reached 150 mM, after which the activities of the antioxidant enzymes decreased. These results suggest that proline may have protective effects against protein degradation and that carotenoids may aid in the protection of chlorophyll. Moreover, although, antioxidant enzymes were shown to possess low levels of activity, a large proportion of the hydrogen peroxide that is produced is preferentially directed towards lipid peroxidation.
Further Validation of the Perceptions of Politics Scale (Pops): A Multiple Sample Investigation

Although political behavior in organizations is ubiquitous, measuring it is often difficult. In one attempt to create such a measure, Kacmar and Ferris (1991) developed and evaluated the psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Politics Scale (POPS). Later, Nye and Witt (1993) examined the dimensionality of POPS and its construct validity by comparing it with the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS; Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison & Sowa, 1986). The present research extends these previous studies by using structural equation modeling to evaluate the dimensional, reliability, and validity of POPS across three different studies utilizing nine different samples for a total of 2758 respondents. Results suggested that some of the original POPS items were ineffective and needed to be removed or replaced. Hence, some of the original items were deleted and additional items were generated and tested to produce a refined and revised version of POPS.
Molecular evidence for genetic differentiation of the Opsariichthys bidens complex (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in southern China around the South China Sea and the validity of Opsariichthys hainanensis

The widely-distributed cyprinid, Opsariithchys bidens Gunther, 1873, from Hainan Island and mainland southern China, northern South China Sea is revised on the basis of genetic differentiation of mitogenetic markers and other characters. Molecular phylogenetic analyses carried out using the mtDNA D-loop sequences for members of the Opsariithchys bidens species complex from different basins in Hainan have revealed that great mitogenetic differentiation of current endemic species exists and that these species are not of the same lineage as that of typical Opsariithchys bidens from mainland China. The valid name for the endemic species from Hainan should be Opsariichthys hainanensis Nichols & Pope, 1927, which has been ignored since its original description. Opsariichthys hainanensis is redescribed.
Dispersal patterns and chromatic response of Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Homoptera Cicadellidae), vector of the phytoplasma agent of grapevine flavescence dorée

Abstract 1 Scaphoideus titanus Ball, a nearctic leafhopper introduced into Europe in the 1950s, is known to be the vector of the phytoplasma agent of flavescence dorée (FD), a persistent disease of grapevine. Knowledge of its dispersal patterns is thus very important to prevent disease outbreaks.
Evaluation of Some Plants Used in Turkish Folk Medicine for Their Anti-inflammatory and Antinociceptive Activities

Abstract Ethanol and aqueous extracts obtained from 11 plant species from 11 families selected based on their use in Turkish folk medicine, including Isatis glauca. Aucher x Boiss. subsp glauca. (herb) (Brassicaceae), Tamus communis. L. (herb and root) (Dioscoreaceae), Rumex crispus. L. (herb) (Polygonaceae), Daphne oleoides. Schreber (aerial parts) (Thymeleaceae), Laurus nobilis. L. (leaves and seeds) (Lauraceae), Ranunculus tricophyllus. Chaix (herb) (Ranunculaceae), Anchusa azurea. Miller var. azurea. (herb) (Boraginaceae), Calluna vulgaris. L. (herb) (Ericaceae), Prunella vulgaris. L. (herb) (Lamiaceae), Scabiosa rotata. Bieb. (herb) (Dipsacaceae), and Arceuthobium oxycedri. (DC.) Bieb. (herb) (Loranthaceae), were evaluated for their in vivo. anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. Among the plant extracts studied, the ethanol extracts of Laurus nobilis. seed and Calluna vulgaris. herb and the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Arceuthobium oxycedri. herb displayed significant anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model in mice without inducing any gastric damage. The ethanol extracts of Isatis glauca. subsp. glauca. , Calluna vulgaris. , Laurus nobilis. (seeds) as well as the aqueous and ethanol extracts of Arceuthobium oxycedri. were also shown to possess significant antinociceptive activity in varying degrees against p.-benzoquinone-induced abdominal contraction test in mice.
Can Conservation Stocking Enhance Juvenile Emigrant Production in Wild Atlantic Salmon

AbstractConservation stocking is frequently used by fishery managers to stabilize or increase production of depleted fish stocks. However, in the case of salmonids the benefits are increasingly questioned and generally poorly quantified. We investigated the effects of ova stocking on freshwater emigrant production in a declining Scottish population of “spring” Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar. The stocking program was designed to minimize risks, maximize expected benefits, and bypass population bottlenecks between the ova and fry stages. Long-term data (33 cohorts over 42 years, including 8 years of stocking) on numbers of ova and juvenile emigrant production were used to investigate whether the ova–emigrant stock–recruitment relationship differed between conditions of natural spawning and stocking. We considered Ricker and Beverton–Holt models that included terms for the effects of stocking, intercohort competition, and changes in trap efficiency on emigrant production. The “best model” was considered to be t.
On the Construct Validity of Multiple- Choice Items for Reading Comprehension

In this study 590 third-grade students took one of four reading comprehension tests with either multiple- choice items or open-ended items. Each also took 32 tests indicating 16 semantic Structure-of-Intellect (si) abilities. Four conditions or groups were distinguished on the basis of the reading comprehension tests. The four 33 x 33 correlation matrices were analyzed si multaneously with a four-group LISREL model. The 16 intellectual abilities explained approximately 62% of the variance in true reading comprehension scores. None of the SI abilities proved to be differentially re lated to item type. Therefore, it was concluded that item type for reading comprehension is congeneric with respect to the SI abilities measured. Index terms: construct validity, item format, free response, reading comprehension, Structure-of-Intellect model.
Italian Peninsula preserves an evolutionary lineage of the fat dormouse Glis glis L. (Rodentia: Gliridae)

The present study examines the population genetic structure of fifty-nine specimens of Glis glis (Linneaus, 1766) from thirteen localities in central Europe, sequencing a 400-bp segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene and a 673-bp segment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The consensus tree obtained from Bayesian analysis revealed a robust dichotomy, showing two sister groups: one clade includes samples from a wide geographical area, extending from north-central Europe to northern Italy (major branch sensu Bilton), and the other comprises samples collected in central and southern Italy and in Sicily (Italian branch). According to the Tajima–Nei model, the two phylogroups were separated by a sequence divergence of 0.8% (cyt b) – 2.6% (COI), showing the COI gene to be more informative than cyt b. On a smaller geographical scale, the Italian clade was further substructured, displaying geographical differentiation along the Peninsula. The gene pool in this area was patchy; whereas populations from Sicily Island demonstrated fixed cyt b and COI haplotypes, assuming processes of isolation and selection. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102, 11–21.
Computation and Improvement of JIT Performance Index for Better Productivity

Manufacturing organization experiences highly volatile market due to the technological updates, customer needs, environmental issues and competitor’s product. The ultimate objective of the manufacturing industries today is to provide the market with products of the highest quality, at reasonable prices, at the optimal time. Just-in-time (JIT) has been widely implemented in manufacturing industries as a survival strategy against global market competition as it offers various benefits, such as greater throughput, higher productivity and better quality. The aim of the paper is to discuss few strategic issues and some important rules for getting the system off the ground. The procedure for planning and implementation along with global status and pay off has been discussed critically. A designed questionnaire for self test has also been given along with evaluation criteria to identify the weakness and strength of the company for successful implementation of JITmanufacturing strategy. It also gives a methodology for computation and improvement of performance index using the principle of continuous improvement.This paper focuses on how to enhance the productivity/ performance index while applyingsystematically, scientifically basic principles of JIT approaches. The design guidelines are applied to a small scale industry as a case example.The ideas presented in the paper will be useful for those who want to implement JIT manufacturing in their organizations.
Morphotaxonomy of the Simulium ( Simulium ) tuberosum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand

Seventeen cytogenetically distinct taxa of the Simulium (Simulium) tuberosum species group in Thailand were examined morphologically, including Simulium doipuiense (cytoforms A and B), S. manooni, S. rufibasis, S. setsukoae, S. tani (cytoforms A-I), S. weji, S. yuphae, and one unknown species. Identification keys to larvae, pupae, males, and females are provided, along with diagnostic characters for each taxon and a morphology-based phylogeny.
XXIV Summer School “Francesco Turco” – Industrial Systems Engineering Forecasting cycle time in semiconductor manufacturing systems: a literature review

An efficient and effective forecasting of production cycle times (CT) is a critical success factor in semiconductor manufacturing systems (SMS): inaccurate CT forecasts can have a negative impact on production scheduling, causing late deliveries, as well as on the amount of inventories and work-in-progress, which rapidly lose value over time because of the high risk of obsolescence. Therefore, since the 80s, several quantitative techniques have been developed to face this problem. Furthermore, Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques are gaining importance, despite their potential is still not fully exploited even in the most advanced manufacturing systems. However, a synthetic overview of the techniques to forecast CT in SMS is still missing in the literature. As a result, it is difficult for decision makers to orient themselves and choose, among the many existing ones, the best model for their specific situation, comparing the different performance in terms of accuracy, data required, speed and easiness to use. This paper aims at presenting an overview of the quantitative techniques developed to forecast production CT in SMS. Firstly, a description of the methodology with which the literature review has been carried out is provided. Secondly, a taxonomy of forecasting techniques is proposed. Subsequently, a synthetic description of analytical, simulation, timeseries and causal methods is presented. Within statistical techniques, a special focus is deserved to AI ones, since their popularity has dramatically increased in the last years. In particular, the most recent applications of artificial neural networks (ANN) in SMS – namely, hybrid methods and Long-Short-Term-Memory recursive neural networks – are described. Finally, a table with a qualitative comparison between the different methods is proposed.
SEGMENTATION OF TIME SERIES OF CARDIAC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY FOR EVALUATION OF THE HEART MECHANICAL FUNCTION

: In this paper, we propose a segmentation method for time series of 3D cardiac images based on deformable models. The goal of this work is to extend active shape models (ASM) of tree-dimensional objects to the problem of 4D (3D + time) cardiac CT image modeling. The segmentation is achieved by constructing a point distribution model (PDM) that encodes the spatio-temporal variability of a training set, i.e., the principal modes of variation of the temporal shapes are computed using some statistical parameters. An active search is used in the segmentation process where an initial approximation of the spatio-temporal shape is given and the gray level information in the neighborhood of the landmarks is analyzed. The starting shape is able to deform so as to better fit the data, but in the range allowed by the point distribution model. Several time series consisting of eleven 3D images of cardiac CT are employed for the method validation. Results are compared with manual segmentation made by an expert. The proposed application can be used for clinical evaluation of the left ventricle mechanical function. Likewise, the results can be taken as the first step of processing for optic flow estimation algorithms.
Second-generation colon capsule endoscopy for detection of colorectal polyps: A meta-analysis

Background: Colorectal cancer counts as the third prevalent type of cancer and the fourth cause of death worldwide. The second-generation colon capsule endoscopy (CCE-2) is a new technology for the diagnosis of colon cancer. The aim of this review was to provide information on the diagnostic accuracy (diagnostic effectiveness) of the second-generation colon capsule endoscopy compared to colonoscopy for the diagnosis of colon cancer and disorders. Methods: A systematic review of literature in PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library and Iranian databases, such as MagIran, SID, Irandoc, the grey literature (via Google Scholar) was conducted on February 30, 2018. QUADAS-2 was used to assess the quality of the studies. MetaDiSc 2.0 software was used for the meta-analysis. Results: In this review, 480 records were identified. Eight prospective cohort articles were included among which 7 included in the meta-analysis. For the diagnosis of colorectal polyps with a diameter of 6-10 mm, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 84% (95% CI, 80% -88%) and 88% (95%CI, 85% -90%). For the diagnosis of 10 mm or bigger colorectal polyps, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 84% (95% CI, 76%-89%) and 96% (95% CI, 94 %-97%). The sensitivity and specificity of the capsule in the detection of any size polyps were 93% (95% CI, 97%-84%) and 66% (95% CI, 48%-81%), respectively. Conclusion: There is little evidence to show the accuracy of CCE-2. Nevertheless, this review showed that the second-generation colon capsule endoscopy has good accuracy in the detection of polyps and colorectal cancer among high- and middle-risk patients.
Sample preservation for determination of organic compounds: microwave versus freeze-drying

In search of a reliable drying method, which might be used even under field conditions, microwave drying was compared to freeze-drying of plant material. Leaves of Ananas comosus and Avicennia germinans as well as buds and phloem of Acer pseudoplatanus were used and checked for one or more of the following substances: sugars, sugar alcohols, organic and amino acids, total nitrogen, and glycinebetaine. With most samples good agreement was achieved between the two drying methods. Only in the case of the Ananas comosus leaves, which exhibited low pH and high water content, did appreciable differences occur in organic and amino acids. Besides that, sucrose was the compound most susceptible to alterations, which was especially evident when leaves of Sambucus nigra were dried in the two different compartments (condenser compartment, drying bell jar) of the freeze-dryer in use. For Ananas comosus leaf samples it was shown that microwaving can also be used prior to extraction of tissue sap.
Rapid Evaluation of Bacteriolysis of Listeria innocua and L. welshimeri Strains Isolated from Foods

This study was performed to determine the bacteriolytic extent of 10 strains of Listeria innocua and 9 strains of L. welshimeri isolated from foods. Bacteriolysis was measured at 650 nm by spectrophotometer. For this purpose, late exponential phase cells were transferred into potassium phosphate buffer (100 mM, pH 7.0) and incubated at 37 oC. While the bacteriolysis range of L. innocua strains was 48% to 76% after 48 h of incubation, L. welshimeri isolates exhibited broader bacteriolytic variabilities, from 10% to 67%. A preliminary analysis of the bacteriolysis of L. innocua and L. welshimeri may be useful in detailed evaluations of the bacteriolytic system within the genus Listeria.
The state of management accounting symbolized by five clusters of companies

Modern management accounting practices are constantly changing, which establishes a need to update our collective understanding every now and then. A large survey across the industries with over 1500 respondents from small, medium-sized and large enterprises was conducted about the state of management accounting in Finland. Companies’ development needs for new systems and services were also mapped in parallel. Based on the state of management accounting, Finnish companies can be divided to five distinct clusters that are known as (1) ‘the cost-conscious’, (2) ‘the indecisive’, (3) ‘the developers’, (4) ‘the satisfied users’ and (5) ‘the pessimists’. On the other hand, the analysis of the development needs revealed that over a half of the companies belong to either of two groups; those that experience their systems as adequate, and those that are not aware of their system and/or service needs. The clustering is explained by these findings to some extent.