Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFECTS OF DRYING TEMPERATURE AND EXTRACTION SOLVENT ON THE ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF ANGELICA SINENSIS LEAVES

Antioxidant activities, color and sensory properties of dried Angelica sinensis (AS) leaves were studied. The dried leaves were extracted with three solvents. Extract yields and total phenolic contents by hot water (HW) and ethanol (EtOH) were obviously higher than that by supercritical fluid (SCF). AS leaves exhibited good antioxidant activities in a concentration-dependent manner. At 30 and 50C, both HW- and EtOH-extracts of the leaves had better scavenging ability of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and reducing power than SCF-extract. However, drying at 90C resulted in the obvious decrease of scavenging ability of DPPH and superoxide anion radical for EtOH- and HW-extracts. The AS leaves dried at 50C had higher green and yellow, and better appearance. The results suggest that the dried AS leaf products with good sensory quality and antioxidant activities can be produced by drying at 50C and by extracting with hot water. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Consumer demand for food with health-promoting qualities is increasing. Angelica sinensis (AS) leaves have an unique pleasant flavor and can be used as a culinary herb for seasoning. After drying, it has longer shelf life and lesser weight and volume. To the best of our knowledge, both antioxidant activities and sensory properties of AS leaves have not been reported. Drying temperature and extraction solvent significantly affected the antioxidant activities or sensory properties of AS leaves. Dried AS leaf exhibited good antioxidant activities, hence it is a potential source of natural antioxidants in food industry. The AS leaves dried at 50C had better color and appearance. This work is useful for selecting adequate drying and extraction conditions of AS leaves in order to obtain good antioxidative activity and sensory quality.
Access and Beyond: An Intersectional Approach to Women’s Everyday Experiences with ICTs

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are seen as the pathway not just to(economic) development, but key to ensuring good governance and removing social inequality.At the heart of this narrative is the assumption that technology is neutral and an a priori sourcefor good which can be used for the inclusion of marginalised communities. Through in‐depthinterviews with working class women in New Delhi, India, my paper seeks to understand howan intersectional social location affects women’s experiences with ICTs, and argues that theyare mired in complex ways with structures of caste, gender, class and education. The studybuilds on feminist insights that technology must be seen as a set of practices, deeply implicatedin power relations. Thus, young women’s usage of mobile phones is shaped by upper-castenorms of femininity. For other women, ICTs become a nuisance which allow employers moreaccess to them. This paper underscores the importance of a more bottom-up understanding ofthe ways in which technology and society shape each other, and reflects on implications forpolicymaking and future scholarship.
Automatic Speech Recognition With Very Large Conversational Finnish and Estonian Vocabularies

Today, the vocabulary size for language models in large vocabulary speech recognition is typically several hundreds of thousands of words. While this is already sufficient in some applications, the out-of-vocabulary words are still limiting the usability in others. In agglutinative languages the vocabulary for conversational speech should include millions of word forms to cover the spelling variations due to colloquial pronunciations, in addition to the word compounding and inflections. Very large vocabularies are also needed, for example, when the recognition of rare proper names is important. Previously, very large vocabularies have been efficiently modeled in conventional n-gram language models either by splitting words into subword units or by clustering words into classes. While vocabulary size is not as critical anymore in modern speech recognition systems, training time and memory consumption become an issue when state-of-the-art neural network language models are used. In this paper, we investigate techniques that address the vocabulary size issue by reducing the effective vocabulary size and by processing large vocabularies more efficiently. The experimental results in conversational Finnish and Estonian speech recognition indicate that properly defined word classes improve recognition accuracy. Subword n-gram models are not better on evaluation data than word n-gram models constructed from a vocabulary that includes all the words in the training corpus. However, when recurrent neural network (RNN) language models are used, their ability to utilize long contexts gives a larger gain to subword-based modeling. Our best results are from RNN language models that are based on statistical morphs. We show that the suitable size for a subword vocabulary depends on the language. Using time delay neural network acoustic models, we were able to achieve new state of the art in Finnish and Estonian conversational speech recognition, 27.1% word error rate in the Finnish task and 21.9% in the Estonian task.
IN VITRO ANTIDIABETIC, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF CLITORIA TERNATEA L

Objective: To investigate the in vitro Antidiabetic, Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory activity of Clitoria ternatea L. leaves and flowers.Methods: Phytochemicals of leaves and flowers were analysed by using standard methods. In vitro antioxidant studies were carried out for the ethanolic extract of the Clitoria ternatea leaves and flowers using various free radical models such a DPPH, Reducing power assay and Hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay. In vitro antidiabetic assay such as Non-enzymatic glycosylation of haemoglobin assay, Glucose uptake in Yeast cells and Inhibition of salivary-amylase enzyme were carried in ethanolic extract. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity such as inhibition of albumin denaturation and membrane stabilization assay were performed in ethanolic extract. Results: Preliminary phytochemical screening of ethanolic extract of the Clitoria ternatea revealed the presence of various bioactive components like alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, glycosides, phenol, saponin, terpenoids and tannin in both leaves and flowers. Anthroquinone is absent in both the parts studied. The in vitro antidiabetic potential of plant extract was confirmed through non enzymatic glycation, glucose uptake by yeast cells and amylase inhibition methods. Antiinflammatory activity of Clitoria ternaea was also confirmed.Conclusion: The result of the present study concluded that the ethanolic extracts of Clitoria ternaea L. leaves and flowers possess significant antidiabetic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The potential pharmacological activity of Clitoria ternaea L. leaves and flowers might be due to the presence of phytochemicals.Keywords: Clitoria ternaea L. , Antioxidant, Phytochemicals, Antidiabetic, Anti-inflammatory. Â Â
Purification and characterization of the novel bacteriocin Bac IH7 with antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Bacillus subtilis strain IH7 was isolated from the rhizosphere of Tunisian healthy plants and selected for its antimicrobial activities against bacteria and fungi. This strain produced a novel antimicrobial peptide (bacteriocin) called Bac IH7. The pure bacteriocin was obtained after precipitation by ammonium sulphate, chromatography on Sephadex G-25 and C18 reverse-phase HPLC. The SDS-PAGE analysis of purified Bac IH7 revealed a single band with an estimated molecular mass of approximately 14 kDa. Bac IH7 was sensitive to various proteases, thus proving to have protein nature and displayed a wide inhibitory spectrum towards Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungal pathogens. Purified Bac IH7 exhibited a bactericidal mode of action against Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58 and a fungistatic mode of action against Candida tropicalis R2 CIP203. Interestingly, based on conventional agronomic parameters for seed vigour, the application of Bac IH7 (800 AU) showed it to be a potent exogenous enhancer of growth that enhanced the vigour of tomato and muskmelon seedlings. Compared to the control, the germination percentage, shoot weight, shoot height, and root length were all significantly enhanced in the Bac IH7-treated plant seeds. Bac IH7 also exhibited effective disinfectant properties against seedborne diseases. In treated seeds, Bac IH7 had significant effects on the control of damping-off disease groups at the pre-germination stage, of root rot caused by Alternaria solani, as well as of wilt diseases and other bacterial seed-borne pathogens.
Anchors Regularized: Adding Robustness and Extensibility to Scalable Topic-Modeling Algorithms

Spectral methods offer scalable alternatives to Markov chain Monte Carlo and expectation maximization. However, these new methods lack the rich priors associated with probabilistic models. We examine Arora et al.’s anchor words algorithm for topic modeling and develop new, regularized algorithms that not only mathematically resemble Gaussian and Dirichlet priors but also improve the interpretability of topic models. Our new regularization approaches make these efficient algorithms more flexible; we also show that these methods can be combined with informed priors.
Computational analysis of β-adrenergic stimulation and its effects on cardiac ventricular electrophysiology

Cardiovascular disorders often (~50% of the cases) manifest themselves suddenly in the form of ventricular arrhythmias leading to sudden cardiac death. The autonomic nervous system plays an important role in the induction of these arrhythmias, but the exact mechanisms contributing at the level of the individual cell remain incompletely understood. In this thesis, a systems-biology approach was used in which computer models were developed to investigate the effect of sympathetic stimulation (“stress”) on the electrophysiology of the cardiac ventricular myocyte. Using these models, the consequences of mutations in cardiac ion channels and/or pharmacological interventions were investigated and the ionic mechanisms were determined. Together with experimental research, this has provided novel insights into the cellular mechanisms contributing to “stress”-induced arrhythmias. These computational models provide a state-of-the-art framework to investigate cardiac electrophysiology and could in the future form the basis of novel approaches for personalized medicine by integrating available patient-specific information.
Synchronous Tree-Adjoining Grammars

The unique properties of tree-adjoining grammars (TAG) present a challenge for the application of TAGs beyond the limited confines of syntax, for instance, to the task of semantic interpretation or automatic translation of natural language. We present a variant of TAGs, called synchronous TAGs, which characterize correspondences between languages. The formalism's intended usage is to relate expressions of natural languages to their associated semantics represented in a logical form language, or to their translates in another natural language; in summary, we intend it to allow TAGs to be used beyond their role in syntax proper. We discuss the application of synchronous TAGs to concrete examples, mentioning primarily in passing some computational issues that arise in its interpretation.
Gambaran Kejadian Ikutan Pasca Imunisasi pada Anak yang Mendapatkan Imunisasi Difteri Pertusis dan Tetanus di Puskesmas Seberang Padang Kota Padang

Penggunaan vaksin DPT sebenarnya aman tetapi bukan tanpa resiko karena sebagian orang dapat mengalami reaksi setelah imunisasi yang bersifat ringan maupun berat, reaksi ini disebut dengan Kejadian Ikutan Pasca Imunisasi (KIPI). Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui gambaran kejadian ikutan pasca imunisasi pada anak yang mendapatkan imunisasi DPT di Puskesmas Seberang Padang Kota Padang. Penelitian deskriptif ini dilakukan secara cross sectional. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah semua anak yang mendapatkan imunisasi DPT maksimal satu bulan sebelum mengisi kuesioner peneliti. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan secara simple random sampling dan dilakukan wawancara langsung terhadap 45 orang responden. Pengolahan data dilakukan dengan analisis univariat. Hasil penelitian didapatkan bahwa 41 orang (91,1%) anak mengalami KIPI dan 4 orang (8,9%) anak tidak mengalami KIPI. Gejala KIPI yang paling banyak muncul pada penelitian ini adalah demam yaitu sebanyak 34 orang (82,9%), pembengkakan dilokasi penyuntikan yaitu sebanyak 31 orang (75,6%) dan kemerahan dilokasi penyuntikan yaitu sebanyak 26 orang (63,4%). Awitan gejala KIPI muncul pada hari pertama setelah imunisasi, kecuali pada gejala demam yaitu gejala dapat muncul pada hari kedua setelah imunisasi. Lama gejala KIPI menetap yaitu minimal selama satu hari, sedangkan maksimal gejala menetap tergantung gejala yang dialami, seperti gejala pembengkakan dilokasi penyuntikan dapat menetap selama 7 hari.
Is fire a threatening process for Liopholis kintorei, a nationally listed threatened skink?

Abstract Context. Prescribed burning is widely adopted as a conservation-management tool, with priorities largely being the protection of fire-sensitive plant communities, threatened fauna habitat and minimising the risk and impacts of broad-scale wildfire. However, an improved understanding of the ecological mechanisms that underpin species responses to fire will assist the development and refinement of prescribed-burning practice. Aims. To examine the effect of fire on burrow-system occupancy and breeding success at different spatial and temporal scales for a threatened skink, Liopholis kintorei. Methods. Experimental burns simulating different fire types (clean burn, patchy burn and no burn) were conducted at 30 L. kintorei burrow systems that were selected from within a 75-ha focal study area. Burrow-system occupancy was monitored daily for 1 month, then monthly for an additional 3 months. Breeding success was assessed once at all 30 burrow systems. Eight additional 1-km2 sites within L. kintorei habitat that had experienced some degree of fire 2 years earlier were selected from across Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary. Burrow-system occupancy and breeding success of L. kintorei at these sites was assessed once. Key results. There was no significant effect of fire on burrow-system occupancy 1 month after experimental burns; however, burrow-system occupancy was significantly higher at unburnt sites 4 months after experimental burns and 2 years post-fire. Breeding success was significantly higher at unburnt sites than at clean-burnt and patchy-burnt sites. Conclusions. Fire adversely affects L. kintorei, as demonstrated by a higher proportion of unoccupied burrow systems and fewer successful breeding events post-fire, particularly when all ground cover is lost. Implications. Because fire is an inevitable and natural process within arid-zone spinifex grasslands, the primary habitat for L. kintorei, we recommend prescribed-burning practices that aim to maximise ground cover by reducing the frequency, intensity and size of fires. More specifically, we recommend fire exclusion from key sites within distinct localities where L. kintorei is known to be locally abundant. Depending on the size of these key sites, there may also be a need to construct strategic fire breaks within sites to ensure that any unwanted ignitions do not result in the loss of all vegetation cover.
Pangasius djambal: a new candidate species for fish culture in Indonesia.

Until recently, although 11 pangasi id species were recognized in the Indonesian ichthyofauna. the on" Pangasius cultivated in Indonesia was the "jarnbal siam" or "pat in Bangkok". Pan gasius hypopluhalmus With the view of utilizing the biological diversity of the local ichthyofauna, the potentialities of some Indonesian Pangasius species for fish culture have been studied since 1996 during the "Catfish Asia" research program supported by the European Union. Among these pangasiids, Pangasius djambal Bleeker reaches large size (more than 10 kg individual body weight) and is one of the fish species most appreciated b~ consumers in Sumatra and other Indoncsian areas. The zootcchnical evaluation of this species has shown its valuable characteristics for aquaculture. The mastering of artificial propagation of P djambal in captivity has permitted to overcome the major bottleneck to its culture by offering new possibilities of fry availability for fish farms This paper provides a synthesis of the present knowledge on the biology and culture of P djambal, considering the following topics: natural distribution, morphological and genetic characteristics, broodstock management and induced breeding, larval development and rearing, growth at different stages of development, environmental tolerance, pathology, and llesh characteristics and composition. All together, the results represent the first biological bases to the promising culture of P. djambal in Indonesia.
Visual homing in field crickets and desert ants: a comparative behavioural and modelling study

Visually guided navigation represents a long standing goal in robotics. Insights may be drawn from various insect species for which visual information has been shown sufficient for navigation in complex environments, however the generality of visual homing abilities across insect species remains unclear. Furthermore various models have been proposed as strategies employed by navigating insects yet comparative studies across models and species are lacking. This work addresses these questions in two insect species not previously studied: the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus for which almost no navigational data is available; and the European desert ant Cataglyphis velox, a relation of the African desert ant Cataglyphis bicolor which has become a model species for insect navigation studies. The ability of crickets to return to a hidden target using surrounding visual cues was tested using an analogue of the Morris water-maze, a standard paradigm for spatial memory testing in rodents. Crickets learned to re-locate the hidden target using the provided visual cues, with the best performance recorded when a natural image was provided as stimulus rather than clearly identifiable landmarks. The role of vision in navigation was also observed for desert ants within their natural habitat. Foraging ants formed individual, idiosyncratic, visually guided routes through their cluttered surroundings as has been reported in other ant species inhabiting similar environments. In the absence of other cues ants recalled their route even when displaced along their path indicating that ants recall previously visited places rather than a sequence of manoeuvres. Image databases were collected within the environments experienced by the insects using custom panoramic cameras that approximated the insect eye view of the world. Six biologically plausible visual homing models were implemented and their performance assessed across experimental conditions. The models were first assessed on their ability to replicate the relative performance across the various visual surrounds in which crickets were tested. That is, best performance was sought with the natural scene, followed by blank walls and then the distinct landmarks. Only two models were able to reproduce the pattern of results observed in crickets: pixel-wise image difference with RunDown and the centre of mass average landmark vector. The efficacy of models was then assessed across locations in the ant habitat. A 3D world was generated from the captured images providing noise free and high spatial resolution images as model input. Best performance was found for optic flow
A review of evidence on the control of shoot: root ratio

Four basic models exist for the control of shoot: root ratio (S: R): (a) allometric models, proposing a fixed ratio of shoot growth rate to root growth rate; (b) functional equilibrium models, based on the ratio of shoot activity to root activity; (c) the Thornley model, based on carbon and nitrogen uptake and transport, (d) hormone models, generally suggesting the root produces a hormone that controls the shoot and vice versa. Models (a) and (b) are empirical, and therefore provide no test of the processes operating. Ontogenetic changes in S: R for fibrous-rooted herbs could be fitted by a modified Thornley model. Ontogenetic effects must be excluded in judging other effects. Responses of S: R to deficits of water, major inorganic nutrients, light and carbon dioxide, and to defoliation and root pruning, usually conform to Thornley's model. With current knowledge Thornley's model cannot usefully be applied to minor nutrients, nutrient toxicity or temperature differences. S:R changes at reproduction usually conform to Thornley's model if it is assumed that young reproductive structures are a strong sink, but this begs the question of what determines sink strength. There are apparent exceptions to most of these responses, which should be studied further. Phytohormones can influence S:R, but may not be the control operating in the normal, intact plant. Most of the available evidence is compatible with a source-sink model of Thornley's type, and therefore does not demand a hormonal theory of S:R control. There is a need for more critical tests.
Evaluation of the antimutagenic and mutagenic properties of Asparagus laricinus

Several medicinal plants are traditionally used in the treatment of a variety of ailments including cancer in the rural areas of South Africa and our neighbouring countries where herbal medicine is one of the main components of the healthcare system. Many of these herbs, including Asparagus laricinus , have not been scientifically assessed for efficacy or safety. The study on which this article is based evaluated the antimutagenic and mutagenic water extract of Asparagus laricinus roots used in the treatment of cancer. The Ames test recommended for mutagenicity screening was employed. The mutagenic activity was evaluated in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102. The mutagenicity tests of aqueous extracts were negative throughout (1:10, 1:25, 1:50. 1:100, and 1:200). The highest antimutagenic effect in the order of 49% was observed using TA 98 (5µg daunomycin/plate), a strong mutagen. These results indicate the potential for use of this plant against cancer and oxidative stress-related diseases.