Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibacterial activity of lime (Citrus aurantifolia) essential oil and limonene against fish pathogenic bacteria isolated from cultured olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

Abstract The antibacterial activity of lime (Citrus aurantifolia) essential oil (LEO) and limonene was tested against seven Gram-negative and nine Gram-positive fish pathogenic bacteria isolated from cultured olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus (Temminck & Schlegel) in Korea. Limonene was >99% concentrated and LEO consisted of eleven chemical compounds including 56.22% of limonene. Disk diffusion assay, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests were done. LEO and limonene inhibited the growth of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. LEO and limonene (MBC/MIC= 2-8) were both bactericidal and bacteriostatic for the strains tested. In every fish pathogenic bacteria, the inhibition zone diameter (IZD) increased in proportion to the oil concentration and the maximum effect was found at 100% (V/V) concentrations of LEO and limonene. The antibiogram pattern indicated that all the bacterial strains, excluding three strains of S. iniae (S186, S530, and S131), showed resistance to one or more antibiotics. The percentage of the relative inhibition zone diameter (RIZD %) exhibited high values at higher concentrations of all the agents. Since antibacterial activities of LEO and limonene were considerably effective against fish pathogenic bacteria, they could be used as alternatives to treat bacterial infections in aquaculture.
Challenging the loss of genetic variability in Italian brown bears (Ursus arctos) - A genome-wide approach

The first part of this PhD thesis is devoted to the application of molecular genetics to describe demographic trends, geographic distribution patterns and genetic status of the Alpine population 15 years after the reintroduction program. In order to achieve the first objective we a) increased the number of STR markers (from 10 to 15 loci) in the Alpine population to raise the informativity content for population genetics studies, and possibly resolve uncertain parentage assignments; b) presented an annual overview of the demographic status of the Alpine population for a long-term monitoring program; c) measured the genetic diversity over generations, highlighting possible trends d) identified parentage relationships and provided a pedigree reconstruction, showing if there is an increase of inbreeding events over generations; e) estimated the effective population size; f) verified whether or not a connection between the reintroduced population in the central Alps and the Dinaric population was established. We furthermore provided considerations for conservation and management of this species in the Alps, taking into account the emerged demographic, spatial and genetic aspects. The second part is methodological and is about developing a new set of SNP markers to enhance the resolution power for population genetics analysis of the Alpine and Apennine populations. In order to identify reliable and informative SNPs we a) tested the effectiveness of an existing SNP panel, developed for the Scandinavian brown bear populations, on the two Italian brown bear subspecies, identifying a set of SNPs that has potential for a SNP-based individual and sex identification system. I took into consideration the ascertainment bias that arises when transferring SNP markers across populations; and b) tested the selected subset of SNPs for parentage assignments in the Alpine population, comparing its resolution power with that derived from STRs.
Optimisation of rapid STR analysis using a standard DNA forensic pipeline

Previous studies in published literature have reported on various alterations to STR mastermixes, protocols and instrumentation in order to reduce the time taken to generate forensic DNA profiles from reference and casework type samples. In this study, we demonstrate how altering default PCR amplification and capillary electrophoresis protocols in our existing DNA profiling pipeline can reduce the overall time taken to generate a DNA profile from buccal cell reference samples. GlobalFiler Express STR mastermix was used with direct PCR from FTA cards, run on altered PCR protocols and CE settings, and results compared to the standard evaluated settings used in our laboratories. This study demonstrated that full DNA profiles could be recovered in less than 80 minutes in comparison to our standard time of 97 – 102 minutes whilst utilising existing reagent kits and instrumentation, with only minor modifications to protocols.
Carbon emission related to thermokarst processes in wetlands of NE European Tundra

1 N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, RAS, Arkhangelsk, Russia (svetzabelina@gmail.com ), 2 Geoscience and Environment Toulouse, UMR 5563 CNRS, University of Toulouse, IRD, Toulouse, France (oleg.pokrovski@get.omp.eu), 3 BIO-GEO-CLIM Laboratory, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia, 4 Ugra Research Institute of Information Technology, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, 5 Institute of Petroleum Chemistry, SB RAS, Tomsk, Russia, 6 Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia, 7 Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems, SB RAS, Tomsk, Russia, (8) Climate Impacts Research Centre (CIRC), Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Sweden.
Security Challenges over Cloud Environment from Service Provider Prospective

Cloud computing becomes very popular and growing rapidly since the last few years, various information technology giants such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and others speed up their growth in development of cloud computing systems and enhance services for consumers all over the world. Cloud computing provides virtual storage for the clients to avail storage, application, platform and services from their deployed servers over the internet. Various security issues such as; data insecure, data leakage, data availability, attacks; etc. could arise due to poor security policies. This paper discussed in detail security issues in terms of the CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) triangle from a service provider perspective over the services they provide to the end users. By these measurements high security can be achieve in cloud computing. Additionally, to protect confidential data from users on cloud the privacy actions are not updated accordingly. Severally, data backups on cloud cause high security risks. This survey paper analyzes the main security issues which are currently present in the cloud computing and offers best practices to service providers and enterprises hoping to control cloud service.
Consumer Attitude towards Online Shopping Activities of Halal Cosmetic Products in Malaysia

The internet has become a highly used medium for businesses that are engaged in online shopping. One popular online product is halal cosmetics. However, it is found that the sales of these products are low, despite much effort done by the Malaysian government to promote this industry. Thus, this study examines the attitude of consumers towards their intention of online purchase of halal cosmetic products. A questionnaire was administered to a group of 100 respondents using the random sampling method. Data were analysed via the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach to examine the posited research hypotheses. The PLS-SEM approach revealed that the attitude of consumers does affect the consumers’ intention in purchasing online. The findings reveal that the impact of consumer attitude towards their online purchase intentions trails behind developed countries. Thus, further research should be implemented in order to better understand what constitutes consumer attitudes towards online shopping in Malaysia.
Monitoring of technological processes and assessment of technical condition of pumping units

Remote monitoring of pumping equipment operation in real mode is being widely introduced at oil and gas industry enterprises. The controllers applied in this process enable preventing progressive destruction of equipment and emergency failures and implementing automatic control of machines’ operation. The actual data collected by these controllers is transferred to the company’s servers and makes it possible to effectively set and address various tasks on equipment maintenance. However, there is still insufficient number of applications to address the problems of pumping equipment operation. The presented paper is aimed at resource efficient operation of equipment by obtaining the information on both actual and predicted technical state of the equipment in real-time mode. The main performance characteristics of a pump deteriorate in the process of its operation, followed by an increase in specific power consumption for injection (with the reservoir properties unchanged). Economic losses due to pump’s wear and tear are determined by the price of electricity and the cost of overhauling. Implementation of the designed monitoring system will make it possible to automatically decide whether further operation of the pump is unprofitable and if it needs to be overhauled. Based on the analysis of the trend of monthly unit costs, the pumping unit will be timely removed for major overhaul when the trend reaches its minimum, which shall provide an average annual economic benefit up to 4,000,000 rubles per pumping unit.
Effects of estrogen on Survival and Neuronal Differentiation of adult human olfactory bulb neural stem Cells Transplanted into Spinal Cord Injured Rats

In the present study we developed an excitotoxic spinal cord injury (SCI) model using kainic acid (KA) to evaluate of the therapeutic potential of human olfactory bulb neural stem cells (h-OBNSCs) for spinal cord injury (SCI). In a previous study, we assessed the therapeutic potential of these cells for SCI; all transplanted animals showed successful engraftment. These cells differentiated predominantly as astrocytes, not motor neurons, so no improvement in motor functions was detected. In the current study we used estrogen as neuroprotective therapy before transplantation of OBNSCs to preserve some of endogenous neurons and enhance the differentiation of these cells towards neurons. The present work demonstrated that the h-GFP-OBNSCs were able to survive for more than eight weeks after sub-acute transplantation into injured spinal cord. Stereological quantification of OBNSCs showed approximately a 2.38-fold increase in the initial cell population transplanted. 40.91% of OBNSCs showed differentiation along the neuronal lineages, which was the predominant fate of these cells. 36.36% of the cells differentiated into mature astrocytes; meanwhile 22.73% of the cells differentiated into oligodendrocytes. Improvement in motor functions was also detected after cell transplantation.
Prediction of confinement effects on the number of Covid-19 outbreak in Algeria

The first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Algeria was reported on 25 February 2020. Since then, it has progressed rapidly and the number of cases grow exponentially each day. In this article, we utilize SEIR modelling to forecast COVID-19 outbreak in Algeria under two scenarios by using the real-time data from March 01 to April 10, 2020. In the first scenario: no control measures are put into place, we estimate that the basic reproduction number for the epidemic in Algeria is 2.1, the number of new cases in Algeria will peak from around late May to early June and up to 82% of the Algerian population will likely contract the coronavirus. In the second scenario, at a certain date T, drastic control measures are taken, people are being advised to self-isolate or to quarantine and will be able to leave their homes only if necessary. We use SEIR model with fast change between fully protected and risky states. We prove that the final size of the epidemic depends strongly on the cumulative number of cases at the date when we implement intervention and on the fraction of the population in confinement. Our analysis shows that the longer we wait, the worse the situation will be and this very quickly produces.
IMMERSIVE ABSTRACTION: A NEW MORPHOLOGY OF INTUITIVE INTERACTION WITH SYSTEM MODELS

Abstract The value of models is well recognised in product and systems engineering. Modelling languages and diagrams are used to capture mental models and to handle model complexity. Literature research indicates that there are only very few approaches to utilise the potential of virtual and augmented reality for supporting tasks in model based (systems) engineering. The paper at hand contributes a new morphology of intuitive interaction for Immersive Abstraction as a holistic approach to extend that coverage. It presents a holistic framework to categorise solutions and future research directions.
The relationship between negative workplace gossip and organizational citizenship behavior: An explanation from social exchange theory

Negative workplace gossip is a common workplace violence in Chinese organizational situations, but scholars have not paid enough attention to the relationship between negative workplace gossip and the employees’ attitude and behavior from the target’s perspective. Applying social exchange theory, this study examined the relationship between negative workplace gossip and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) by focusing on the mediating role of target’s affective commitment and the moderating role of target’s independent self-construal. 257 employees from 8 Chinese companies were investigated for empirical analysis, and results showed that: (1) Negative workplace gossip was negatively related to OCB; (2) Affective commitment mediated this relationship; (3) Independent self-construal moderated both the relationship between negative workplace gossip and affective commitment and the indirect effect of negative workplace gossip on OCB via affective commitment. These findings explain the underlying mechanism and boundary condition of the effect of negative gossip on the target, and provide useful practical implications for managers.
E-Commerce Transaction in Hello Gold Investment: Islamic Investment Review

With advancing the digital platform, many investment plans were introduced to share the benefits and potential assets invested. This paper aims to seek to understand the e-commerce of gold investment transactions from the context of Shariah. The methodology adopted was interview and document research from the qualitative study. Review of existing literature sheds light on some conditions that must be adhered to in e-commerce gold investment are the four pillars of Islamic contracts consist of contracting parties, the price, offer, and acceptance, and subject matter. Gold investment also has its own standard criteria and regulations that must be fulfilled according to Shariah where the item gold has considered as ribawi item. The finding shows that Hello Gold launched the first online gold platform e-commerce through a new mobile application Smart Saver Plan as an automated 12-months savings plan that helps customers have a saving gold monthly with little effort. The features of e-commerce mobile applications are equipped with easy steps of gold purchasing which contain detailed registration, price, features of the gold specification, and method payment system. Term and condition also adhered to gain the consent of customer engagement in the transaction. Hello Gold is a recognized Shariah-compliant whereby it complies with BNM guidelines. The appraisal of these criteria and features justified the validity of Hello Gold Smart Saver Plan from Shariah review perspectives. The e-commerce of mobile application also meets the Shariah ruling transaction which in turn enhance the level of online trust among Muslim users.
Late Morbidity among Survivors of Childhood Cancers; Experience at Tertiary Care Cancer Hospital

Background: Long-term survivors of childhood malignancies are at increased risk of experiencing treatment-related morbidities. Survival into late adulthood in these children provides ample time for the acquisition of long-term sequelae. This study aimed to determine the late adverse effects among long-term survivors of childhood cancer from a low-income country perspective. Materials and Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from review of charts of patients aged under 18 years at the time of their primary diagnosis between 1 January, 1995, and 31 December, 2008, and who survived for at least 5 years after completion of their treatment. Analysed data included demographics, cancer type, treatment modality, types of chemotherapy agents administered and specific late morbidities including frequency of azoospermia, oligospermia, endocrine abnormalities, hearing and pulmonary function impairment and cardiac dysfunction among the long-term survivors of cancer. Results: The total number of patients was 300 with a mean age of 18 ± 2 years. The male to female ratio was 2.7:1. Median follow-up duration was 18 years (range: 5–25 years). Seventy-seven percent of patients were from Punjab, 20% were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 3% were from other provinces. Fifty percent had a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, 17% had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, 13% had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 10% had germ cell tumours and 10% had other tumours. Fifty-seven percent received chemotherapy, 23% had chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 15% had chemotherapy and surgery, 3% had chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy and 2% had only surgery. Notable long-term documented sequelae were; azoospermia/oligospermia in 64%, endocrine abnormalities in 25% with hypothyroidism in 13.5% and follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone abnormalities in 11.5%, ototoxicity in 6.5%, impaired pulmonary function tests in 4.6%, cardiotoxicity in 2.4% and second malignancies (acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome) in 1%. Conclusion: Childhood cancer survivors are at increased risk of adverse treatment-related sequelae and a long-term follow-up plan should be in place in centres where they receive treatment for their primary disease.
Fertilization effects on organic matter of arable soils in diverse environmental conditions of the Czech Republic

ABSTRACT Site specific variables and anthropogenic factors influence composition of soil organic matter (SOM). We evaluated quantity and quality of SOM under different fertilization regimes and site conditions. The study combines data based on repeated measurements obtained from six long-term field experiments, which have been established between 1955 and 1983 at ten locations, resulting in thirteen site and experiment combinations. The experimental sites cover a wide spectrum of pedological and climatic conditions of the Czech Republic. Four basic fertilization regimes were selected: unfertilized plots, mineral-only fertilized plots, plots with application of farmyard manure, and both organic and mineral fertilized plots. The study employs compositional data analysis, principal component analysis, and mixed effect linear models for statistical inference. Under combined organic and mineral fertilization, total soil organic C (SOC) increased by 1−3 g kg−1. Evidence of possible priming effect was obtained for mineral-only fertilization. Local site conditions were the dominant factor shaping SOM properties. The positive relationship between proportion of clay in soil and decomposition index (DI) was confirmed. In the absence of fertilization, DI was eleven times higher in clay-rich than in clay-poor soil. This effect was moderated by fertilization, decreasing to a seven-fold difference under the full fertilization regime.
First telemetry data on wild individuals from the threatened, isolated Italian otter (Lutra lutra) population

Abstract The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is among the most endangered mammals in Italy, its population being isolated and genetically distinct from other European populations. Yet, its ecology and behavior are largely unknown in Italy, preventing its much-needed effective conservation. We radio-tracked one male and one female otter daily in Southern Italy, for 1 year and 8 months, respectively. The male and female used nearly 30 and 20 km of river, respectively. The extension of the ranges varied among seasons. The male was more conservative in its spatial utilization, being mostly located around a trout farm. These first direct data on space use by wild Italian otters provided preliminary information potentially useful for a sound management of this endangered population.
Bacterias ácido lácticas productoras de riboflavina aisladas del proceso de elaboración de la “Tunta”

En el presente estudio, se seleccionaron e identificaron bacterias de acido lactico (BAL) productoras de riboflavina, aisladas durante el proceso de elaboracion de Tunta, una patata nativa peruana con un proceso tradicional de congelacion y deshidratacion para el consumo y conservacion. De las 109 cepas BAL aisladas, 32 fueron las que presentaron produccion de riboflavina y solo cuatro mostraron un nivel alto entre 334 ng/ml a 426 ng/ml en medio libre de riboflavina. La caracterizacion molecular de estas cuatro cepas mostro que estan relacionados filogeneticamente con Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Otros taxones identificados tras la secuenciacion del gen 16S rRNA fueron Lactobacillus curvatus , L. mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum y Lactobacillus sakei . Posteriores estudios con estas cepas BAL productoras de riboflavina permitiran revalorizar los nutrientes de la Tunta como alimento nativo del Peru.
Extracting individual trees from lidar point clouds using treeseg

Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of lidar‐derived methods in plant ecology and forestry. One limitation to these methods is accessing the information content of point clouds, from which tree‐scale metrics can be retrieved. This is currently undertaken through laborious and time‐consuming manual segmentation of tree‐level point clouds from larger‐area point clouds, an effort that is impracticable across thousands of stems. Here, we present treeseg, an open‐source software to automate this task. This method utilises generic point cloud processing techniques including Euclidean clustering, principal component analysis, region‐based segmentation, shape fitting and connectivity testing. This data‐driven approach uses few a priori assumptions of tree architecture, and transferability across lidar instruments is constrained only by data quality requirements. We demonstrate the treeseg algorithm here on data acquired from both a structurally simple open forest and a complex tropical forest. Across these data, we successfully automatically extract 96% and 70% of trees, respectively, with the remainder requiring some straightforward manual segmentation. treeseg allows ready and quick access to tree‐scale information contained in lidar point clouds. treeseg should help contribute to more wide‐scale uptake of lidar‐derived methods to applications ranging from the estimation of carbon stocks through to descriptions of plant form and function.
The use of agroinfectious clones to investigate recombination between distinct maize streak virus strains

v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . vii ABBREVIATIONS . viii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Distinguishing features of geminiviruses . 2 1.2 Phylogenetics of geminiviruses and evolutionary implications . 1 0 1.3 Geminivirus recombination . 13 1.4 Agroinfection and intramolecular recombination . 19 1.5 Geminivirus tissue invasion, cytopathology and symptomatology . 24 1.6 Transmission and host ranges of Mastreviruses . 27 1.7 An historical account of African Mastreviruses . 28 1 . 8 Rationale for project. 30 CHAPTER 2: BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISATION OF THREE MASTREVIRUSES . 32 2.1 Summary . 33 2.2 Introduction and rationale . 33 2.3 Materials and methods . 36 2.4 Results . 43 2.5 Discussion . 55 2.6 Conclusions . 61 CHAPTER 3: GENOMIC CHARACTERISATION OF THREE MASTREVIRUSES . 63 3.1 Summary . 64 3.2 Introduction and rationale . 64 3.3 Materials and methods . 67 3.4 Results . 71 3.5 Discussion . 91