Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Place-Based Pathways to Sustainability: Exploring Alignment between Geographical Indications and the Concept of Agroecology Territories in Wales

Geographical Indications (GIs) are regarded as important endogenous rural development mechanisms by the European Union. GIs have proven successful for some producers in some regions, delivering higher added value and safeguarding a product’s identity and heritage through the notion of terroir. Within the context of a gradual “greening” of GIs, this paper opens up questions about what potential they might have for transitions to agroecology territories, which are spaces engaged in a transition process towards sustainable agri-food systems. Using the Food and Agricultural Organization’s 10 elements of agroecology as a lens, we discuss whether GIs can serve as levers in delivering sustainable agri-food transitions, drawing on the case of the devolved nation of Wales. We base our narrative on a content analysis of GI product specification documents and data from interviews with GI stakeholders. Our case study illustrates that the discourse within the regulatory framework of some Welsh GIs has shifted from one of technicality towards the integration of some agroecology elements in more recent GI product specifications. In this respect, we argue that there is evidence of a “first generation” and “second generation” assortment of GIs in Wales. However, any potential for levering an overall transition within this scheme towards an agroecology territory remains constrained by the piecemeal embedding of agroecology. The incorporation of agroecology is emerging primarily from the ground-up—driven by independent organizational and place-based collective action, but unaccompanied, as yet, by any parallel shift amongst supporting administrative and regulatory authorities. We also discuss the importance of reflexive governance if GIs are to be viable pathways for sustainability transitions. As such, the capacity for GIs to facilitate quality-led place-based food systems that enhance increasingly threatened environmental resources is contingent upon stakeholders adopting a territorial, reflexive governance approach.
Clarifying late Holocene Coyote (Canis latrans)–Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) sympatry in the western Great Lake states

North American Canis genetics research varies in interpreting the Pre-Columbian distribution of Coyotes ( Canis latrans ). Many studies have relied on generalized species-distribution maps and a few actually cite earlier genetics works as secondary sources. I use archaeological, paleontological, and settlement era documents to demonstrate that Coyotes were present in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois thousands of years prior to European arrival. This review provides important clarification of historical Coyote distribution in the region and may have implications on the various interpretations of introgressed Coyote haplotypes present in Gray Wolves ( Canis lupus ) throughout the Great Lakes region.
Hippocampal State Transitions at the Boundaries between Trial Epochs

The hippocampus encodes distinct environmental and behavioral contexts with unique patterns of activity. Representational shifts with changes in the context, referred to as remapping, have been extensively studied. However, less is known about the nature of transitions between representations. In this study, we leverage a large dataset of 2056 neurons recorded while rats performed an olfactory memory task with a predictable temporal structure involving trials and inter-trial intervals, separated by salient boundaries at the trial start and trial end. We found that trial epochs were associated with stable hippocampal population representations, despite moment to moment variability in stimuli and behavior. Representations of trial and inter-trial interval epochs were far more distinct than spatial factors would predict and the transitions between the two were abrupt, with a sharp boundary suggestive of a dynamic shift in the representational state. This boundary was associated with a large spike in multi-unit activity, with many individual cells specifically active at the start or end of each trial. Both epochs and boundaries were encoded by hippocampal populations, and these representations carried information on orthogonal axes readily identified using principal component analysis. We suggest that the activity spike at trial boundaries might serve to drive hippocampal activity from one stable state to another, and may play a role in segmenting continuous experience into discrete episodic memories.
Contrasting Signals of the Westerly Index and North Atlantic Oscillation over the Drought Sensitivity of Tree-Ring Chronologies from the Mediterranean Basin

Extreme drought events are becoming increasingly frequent and extended, particularly in Mediterranean drought-prone regions. In this sense, atmospheric oscillations patterns, such as those represented by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and the Westerly Index (WI) have been widely proven as reliable proxies of drought trends. Here, we used the Standardized Precipitation–Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), as a reliable indicator of drought, to investigate the drought sensitivity of tree-ring width data (TRW) from several long-lived tree species (Abies borisii-regis, Abies cilicica, Abies pinsapo, Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus libanii, Pinus nigra, Pinus heldreichii). NAO and WI relations with TRW were also investigated in order to identify potential non-stationary responses among those drought proxies. Our temporal and spatial analyses support contrasting Mediterranean dipole patterns regarding the drought sensitivity of tree growth for each tree species. The spatial assessment of NAO and WI relationships regarding SPEI and TRW showed on average stronger correlations westward with non-stationary correlations between annual WI index and TRW in all species. The results indicate that the drought variability and the inferred drought-sensitive trees species (e.g., C. atlantica) are related to the NAO and the WI, showing that TRW is a feasible proxy to long-term reconstructions of Westerly Index (WI) variability in the Western Mediterranean region. Spatial variability of drought severity suggests a complex association between NAO and WI, likely modulated by an east–west Mediterranean climate dipole.
Clustering Hostels Data for Customer Preferences using K-Prototype Algorithm

Reviews on hostel booking platforms can be used to collect rating data from customers which can be useful for service providers and customers in the future to determine hostel choices based on their individual preferences. The rating data can be used to determine the pattern of hostel selection by customers and can provide suggestions according to customer preferences in choosing hostels in certain areas. In this study, the data will be grouped using the k-prototype algorithm which is a combination of k-means and k-mode algorithms so that it is possible to group mixed attributes. The results of this study are to determine the data segment in accordance with user behavior in selecting the hostel at the time, location of the hostel and certain conditions, so that by knowing the segmentation profile, the hostel service provider can easily provide product promotions to segmented customers
Effect of Contract Farming on the Income and Risk of Pistachio and Saffron Producers in Iran

Contract farming is among the institutional arrangements essential for agricultural products. In most cases, these contracts lead to increased incomes and welfare of farmers. However, this type of business has not been taken seriously in Iran. This study aimed to analyze the effect of contract farming on the income and risk of the farmer’s income. To this end, pistachio and saffron farmers in the Yazd Province, in central Iran, were considered in the harvest year of 2017-2018. We divided the farmers into three homogeneous groups, each with different input consumption levels and production per hectare. We calibrated the cost functions of representative farmers in each group. These functions were employed to develop an ideal formal contract model and relational contract model. According to the results, formal contracts and relational contracts increased income and relational contracts reduced the risk to farmers when they were compatible with the incentive constraints of the farmer. Policymakers should provide favorable conditions for the development of contract farming. For instance, they can present contract farming to farmers and encourage agricultural enterprises to participate in contracts by facilitating access to credit and other investment incentives.
MALAYSIAN STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR INTERACTIONS IN UK SEMINARS

Background and Purpose: Coming from different social and academic cultures, students may exhibit perceptions which are in contrast to the convention of the targeted culture. Hence, this study aims to explore how first-year Malaysian students perceive their interactions in UK seminars. Methodology: Employing qualitative research method, nine Malaysian students were chosen based on two criteria: they have to be first-year students and registered in content modules in UK university. The data were collected from interview and focus group discussion, and the audio-recordings were transcribed and analysed utilising thematic analysis. Findings: The participants of this study perceive their interactions differently. Semek, Enot, Fatin, Ammar, Ming and Izlin mentioned that they responded during seminar discussion if they were nominated by the tutor and most agreed that they did not ask questions because information was provided to them or they could ask the tutor or their friends after the seminar. Fatin however disagreed and asserted that students should ask questions if they did not understand the academic content well. Qaisara, Puspa and Semek also shared that their lack of English language proficiency influenced their lack of contribution which was not the case for Fatin and Ming. Being marginalised as an international student was one of the reasons Semek did not contribute to the seminar discussions in contrast to Qaisara who felt the need to contribute. Contributions: The findings of this study suggest that academic institutions should be flexible in encouraging students to be engaged in seminars as coming from different educational background, these students may require additional help to socialise in academic setting and consequently become expert members. Keywords: Malaysian students, students’ perceptions, students’ interactions, UK seminars, verbal interactions. Cite as: Khairuddin, Z. , Khairuddin, Z. , & Ibrahim, N. (2020). Malaysian students’ perceptions of their interactions in UK seminars. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 5(2), 384-405. http://dx.doi. org/10.24200/jonus.vol5iss2pp384-405
Phytochemistry and antidiabetogenic property of aqueous extract of Azadirachta indica leaf in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Aim: This study was carried out to determine the phytochemicals and the antidiabetogenic property of Azadirachta indica leaf in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats. Methodology: The quantitative phytochemical analysis and the glucose levels were checked using standard methods. Different group of rats were pre-treated for seven, fourteen, twenty-one and twenty-eight days before the induction of diabetes to know the extent of protection the extract will have on the rats by preventing the onset of diabetes. At the end of each treatment period diabetes was induced intraperitoneally using 50mg/kg bodyweight of Streptozotocin. Results: The percentage composition of the phytochemicals in the leaves of Azadirachta indica was as follows: Alkaloids (11.36%), cardiac glycosides (6.19%), flavonoid (5.34%), heamaglutinin (6.331%), oxalate (0.0204%), phenol (4.312%), phytate (4.600%), saponin (12.55%), steroid (0.2566) and tannin (6.17%). The result obtained revealed that there was a better protection for the group of rats pretreated for a period of three weeks and four weeks. The percentage decrease in weight after the induction of diabetes for the groups pre-treated for a period of twenty-one days at varying doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg bodyweight was 6.67%, 6.05% and 4.69% respectively which was significantly (p<0.05) different from the normal untreated group (9.90%). The percentage decrease in weight after the induction of diabetes for the groups pre-treated for a period of twenty-one days at varying doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg bw is 7.04%, 5.97% and 2.50% respectively which was significantly (p<0.05) different from the normal untreated group (10.8%). The percentage increase in the fasting blood glucose level for the groups pretreated for a period of twenty-one days at varying doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg bw was 65.4%, 76.3% and 72.4% respectively which is significantly (p<0.05) different from that of the normal untreated group (82.7%) and the group pre-treated with metformin at a dose of 100 mg/kg bw (84.5%). The percentage increase in the fasting blood glucose level for the groups pre-treated for a period of twenty-eight days at varying doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg bw was 73.5%, 68.5% and 64.4% respectively which was significantly (p<0.05) different from that of the normal untreated group (83.3%) and the group pre-treated with metformin at a dose of 100 mg/kg bw (85.5%). The longer the period of pre-treatment, the better the reduction in the blood glucose levels recorded after the induction of diabetes. Conclusion: These results suggest that the aqueous extract of A. indica leaf has antidiabetogenic effect and could be used in the prevention as well as delaying the onset of diabetes mellitus.
Fair Go? Indigenous Rugby League Players and the Racial Exclusion of the Australian National Anthem

This article explores the implications of widely publicized national anthem protests by several Indigenous rugby league players in Australia during 2019. With a goal of doing justice to these Indigenous voices (and in this case also their silence), a critical race theory framework was deployed to both listen to and interpret the reasons behind the protests. The data source was online media reports that centered on the perspectives of players and rugby league officials, along with responses to the protests by prominent journalists and politicians via online opinion pieces. The findings indicate that the voices of Indigenous athletes in Australia are important in raising concerns about nationalist rituals and symbols that, by their colonialist nature, subjugate Aboriginal peoples. Importantly, the Indigenous rugby league players were not alone in their campaign. The Recognition in Anthem Project, which began in 2017, indicates that the perspectives of these protesting rugby players were part of a wider discussion about change. The movement for a new national anthem, therefore, was not just isolated to sport, and this appears to have provided the Indigenous rugby players—as social commentators—with atypical influence.
Effectiveness of Some Selected Natural Filter Media for On-Site Small-Scale Treatment of Medium Strength Greywater

Greywater represents a potential resource of water that can be recycled to meet the standards for safe discharge or non-potable uses. This study evaluated the performance of sand, charcoal, and saw dust filters in reducing Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH, Phosphatephosphorus (PO4-P), and Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) in greywater. Greywater was fed into a simple filtration system (SFS) with sand, charcoal and saw dust filters each of height 16 cm in three plastic containers of the same size: internal diameter 19 cm and height 22 cm each and operated for two weeks. Sand efficiently reduced the concentrations of BOD5, phosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) and TDS while charcoal and saw dust were less efficient. Sand, charcoal, and saw dust reduced influent BOD5 by 97.65%, 61.20% and 66.12%; PO4-P by 99.92%, 83.98% and 20.56%; NO3-N by 28.30%, 58.80% and 39.21%; and TDS by 47.18%, 7.94% and 29.69%, respectively for the two-week experimental period. Overall, sand appeared to be the most suitable filter for improving greywater quality for discharge or non-potable uses in terms of organic matter reduction. Effective performance of the charcoal and saw dust filters for the treatment of greywater need further investigation. DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.4314/jasem.v24i5. 25 Copyright: Copyright © 2020 Adonadaga et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CCL), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Dates: Received: 10 March 2020; Revised: 15 April 2020; Accepted: 24 May 2020
Numerical Modeling of Fire Resistance Test as a Tool to Design Lightweight Marine Fire Doors: A Preliminary Study

Finite element analysis (FEA) is employed to simulate the thermo-resistance of a marine fire-proof door in the fire-resistance test defined by the International Code for the Application of Fire Test Procedures (2010 FTP Code) and required by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for marine applications. The appropriate type of simulation adopted (i.e., steady or unsteady) is discriminated on the basis of a comparison between the numerical results and the experimental data. This appropriate model is used to evaluate the critical parameters affecting fire-proof door performance. A remarkable role of the thermal bridge at the door edges in fire resistance is assessed, along with the parameters that allow its reduction. These findings provide insight into how to design a thinner and lighter fire door.
Influence of Wear Surface Morphology and Phosphorus-Containing Tribofilm on Crack Initiation of Manganese Phosphate Coated Steel under Rolling–Sliding Contact

To improve the rolling–sliding contact fatigue strength of a case-carburized steel, the effect of the wear surface morphologies of manganese phosphate (MnP) coated steel and the growth and removal of phosphorus-containing tribofilm on surface-initiated crack formation was investigated. In order to modify the wear surface morphologies, two types of surface textures (ground and shot blasted) were prepared, followed by the MnP coating process. The tribological properties of the coated steel, tribofilm growth and removal, and surface-initiated crack formation were evaluated using a ball-on-disk tribometer with a rolling–sliding mode. The MnP coating on both the ground and shot blasted steel had nearly the same thickness and surface roughness. However, for the ground surface sample, the interface morphology between the coating and steel substrate was more irregular than the shot blasted surface sample, resulting in a larger number of exposed steel areas with smaller sizes after the MnP was almost worn away on tribological tests. During the runningin period, phosphorus-containing tribofilm growth and removal on the smaller exposed steel areas were observed. The surface-initiated crack formation on the smaller exposed steel areas was suppressed compared with larger exposed steel areas.
The influence of meteorological factors on the dynamic of Ambrosia artemisiifolia pollen in an invaded area

The aim of the present study was to analyse the effect of weather conditions on Ambrosia artemisiifolia airpollen concentrations in the highly invaded area of western Romania. The investigation of Ambrosia pollen concentrations was carried out from 2000 to 2010 by means of the volumetric method. Ambrosia pollen concentrations had increasing trend over study period. The results of cluster analysis show that two main groups were identified: group A, with lower SPI (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007) and group B, with much higher SPI (2006, 2008, 2009, 2010). The statistical correlation between pollen concentrations and meteorological factors was determined by Pearson’s test. The relationships between Ambrosia pollen concentrations and meteorological parameters, were further assessed using multiple linear regression techniques. The pollen emissions are affected by meteorological factors in the main pollen season. Our results suggest that the abundance of Ambrosia artemisiifolia in western Romania is massive. The Ambrosia pollen load of Timisoara is most important between 15 August – 15 September. Consequently, this is the most dangerous period of the year for allergic reactions. The investigation of Ambrosia pollen behavior in the atmosphere is a compulsory step for measures to stop the spread and establishing control. Ambrosia pollen represents a major health problem and can be considered the main aeroallergenic plant pollen in our region.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for the Management of Software-Defined Networks and Network Function Virtualization in an Edge-IoT Architecture

The Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm allows the interconnection of millions of sensor devices gathering information and forwarding to the Cloud, where data is stored and processed to infer knowledge and perform analysis and predictions. Cloud service providers charge users based on the computing and storage resources used in the Cloud. In this regard, Edge Computing can be used to reduce these costs. In Edge Computing scenarios, data is pre-processed and filtered in network edge before being sent to the Cloud, resulting in shorter response times and providing a certain service level even if the link between IoT devices and Cloud is interrupted. Moreover, there is a growing trend to share physical network resources and costs through Network Function Virtualization (NFV) architectures. In this sense, and related to NFV, Software-Defined Networks (SDNs) are used to reconfigure the network dynamically according to the necessities during time. For this purpose, Machine Learning mechanisms, such as Deep Reinforcement Learning techniques, can be employed to manage virtual data flows in networks. In this work, we propose the evolution of an existing Edge-IoT architecture to a new improved version in which SDN/NFV are used over the Edge-IoT capabilities. The proposed new architecture contemplates the use of Deep Reinforcement Learning techniques for the implementation of the SDN controller.
Local Adaptive U-net for Medical Image Segmentation

Medical image segmentation is the primary measure of medical image analysis. With the development of deep learning, U-net based approaches have presented for different medical image segmentation tasks. However, the pooling and the simple convolution operation for deep feature maps in the U-shaped network would lead to the coarse segmentation result. In this paper, we design a local adaptive U-net (LA U-net) for medical image segmentation. There are two major modules: the Local Adaptive Module (LAM) and Multi-scale Convolution Module (MCM) in the network. The LAM get more feature maps from each down-sampling process. The MCM capture more global information for the encoding path. To validate the proposed network’s performance, we verify it on two datasets: DRIVE dataset, and ISIC 2018 dataset; the results show that LA U-net achieves superior performance on two datasets.