Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Awww, That’s Such a Cute Lemon!” The Effect of Whimsical Cuteness on Willingness-to-Pay for Imperfect Produce

Many consumers prefer to buy “perfect” produce (e.g., a shiny apple) while avoiding imperfect ones that may be dull in colour and/or odd in shape. In my thesis, I wanted to paint a portrait of this type of consumer. To do so, I looked at various demographic, psychographic and behavioural variables, and found that consumers avoid buying imperfect produce and have negative taste, health and effort perceptions. Further, this type of consumer does not connect the purchase of imperfect produce to food waste and/or environmental issues. Given the impact of food waste on environmental and societal well-being, I then examined a way to encourage consumers to purchase imperfect produce (and at more reasonable prices): more specifically, I tested whether “whimsical cuteness” might influence how much consumers are willing-to-pay for imperfect produce based on prior research showing that whimsicality results in greater usage, and consumption, of whimsical objects (Nenkov and Scott, 2014). I also tested whether this type of priming works through curiosity (Wang and Huang, 2018). Across two experiments, I found that when consumers were shown an advertisement for an oddly shaped lemon with (versus without) a characteristic related to whimsical cuteness (i.e., googly eyes), they were later willing-to-pay more for oddly shaped lemons. This effect remained even when I increased the time between purchase and consumption. The mediating role of curiosity, however, was unclear and should be re-considered in future research.
Pengaruh pemberian takaran fungi mikoriza arbuskular (FMA) terhadap pertumbuhan bibit kopi arabika (Coffea arabica L.)

Fungi Mikoriza Arbuskular (FMA) banyak ditemukan pada perakaran kopi. Tujuan dari percobaan ini untuk mempelajari pengaruh pemberian takaran FMA terhadap pertumbuhan bibit kopi Arabika (Coffea arabica L). Percobaan dilaksanakan dari bulan Mei sampai dengan bulan Agustus 2017, bertempat di Kebun Percobaan Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Winaya Mukti, Tanjungsari, Sumedang, dengan ketinggian tempat 850 m dpl. Rancangan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) terdiri atas enam perlakuan dan diulang sebanyak empat kali. Perlakuan takaran FMA jenis Glomus agregatum yang terdiri dari A = 0 g tan-1; B = 10 g tan -1; C = 20 g tan-1; D = 30 g tan-1; E = 40 g tan-; dan F = 50 g tan-1. Hasil percobaan menunjukkan bahwa pemberian takaran inokulasi FMA berpengaruh terhadap tinggi tanaman dan bobot kering tanaman. Pemberian takaran inokulasi FMA dengan takaran 40 g tan-1- sampai 50 g tan-1 memberikan pengaruh yang terbaik terhadap tinggi tanaman dan bobot kering tanaman. Dengan demikian pemberian FMA 40 g tan-1- sampai 50 g tan-1 dapat digunakan pada pembibitan kopi arabika. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) is commonly found in coffee roots. The purpose of the research was to study effect of AMF application on growth of arabica coffee seedling (Coffea arabica L). The research was conducted from May to August 2017, at Research Station of Agriculture Faculty Universitas Winaya Mukti, Tanjungsari Sumedang, at 850 m above sea levels. The research used Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisted of six treatments and four replications. The treatment was dosage of AMF from Glomus agregatum type i.e. : A = 0 g plant-1; B = 10 g plant-1; C = 20 g plant-1; D = 30 g plant-1; E = 40 g plant-1; F = 50 g plant-1. Each plot consisted of 10 polybag with 4 sample plants. The research result showed that application of AMF affected on plant height and dry weight of plant, which the best effect was generated by 40 g plant-1- until 50 g plant-1 dosages . It is simply that AMF 40 g plant-1 - 50 g plant-1 can be used in arabica coffee nursery.
Fermented Goat Milk and Cow Milk Produced by Different Starters of Lactic Acid Bacteria： Quality Studies

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is widely used as culture starters in dairy fermentation. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of fermented goat milk and cow milk, as well as the viability of LAB in the same products. Fermentations were performed with pasteurized goat milk or cow milk added with skim milk (18% of solids) using three separately different starters; yoghurt starter (a combination of Streptococcus thermophilus FNCC-0040 and Lactobacillus bulgaricus FNCC-0041), single starter of Lactobacillus acidophilus FNCC-0029 and Lactobacillus casei FNCC-0051. Parameters observed were pH, acidity, nutritional quality including protein, fat and lactose content and product’s viscosity. Acidity, pH and viability of LAB were also monitored during storage at refrigerated temperature (4 °C) for 28 days. Results showed that the different LAB starters did not affect the pH, acidity, lactose and protein content. Differences on LAB starters affected fat content and viscosity. The highest score of viscosity (30.00 ± 7.02 Pa•s) was observed on products fermented by yoghurt starters, followed by products obtained using starter of L. acidophilus (17.7 ± 11.4) and L. casei (8.62 ± 0.35). Protein content, acidity, pH and viscosity were not significantly different between products obtained from goat milk and cow milk. Fat content in fermented goat milk was higher (5.03% ± 0.62%) than in fermented cow milk (3.52% ± 0.37%), however, lactose content was higher in fermented cow milk (5.16% ± 0.40%) than in fermented goat milk (4.53% ± 0.35%). Total LAB concentration in fermented cow milk during storage was 8.03 ± 0.52 log10 cfu/mL, while in fermented goat milk was 7.81 ± 0.67 log10 cfu/mL. There was a 10.83% decrease in LAB viability in fermented cow milk and 11.40% in fermented goat milk after 28 days of storage. In conclusion, quality of fermented milk is affected by the starters applied, raw milk source and storage period.
Role of scavenger receptor MARCO in particle uptake and lung inflammation

Title: Role of scavenger receptor MARCO in particle uptake and lung inflammation Chairperson: Andrij Holian, PhD Alveolar macrophages (AM) form the first line of defense against chronic inflammation caused by occupational exposure to environmental particulates such as crystalline silica (CSiO2). The chronic inflammatory process triggered by CSiO2 is known to culminate into a fibrotic response called silicosis in the human lungs. Previous studies have indicated the role of membrane glycoproteins called scavenger receptors in binding of environmental particles. The scavenger receptors are classified into different classes (AH) based on their structure and function. Class A scavenger receptors are critical in uptake of variety of ligands such as bacteria, acetylated lipoproteins and are typically found on macrophages, dendritic and epithelial cells. One of the members of this family is Macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO). Recent studies have focused on analyzing the interaction between MARCO and inorganic particles such as CSiO2 and titanium dioxide (TiO2). Both in vivo and in vitro binding studies have identified MARCO as a key receptor in CSiO2 uptake and subsequent cytotoxicity in AM from C57Bl/6 mice. Further in vitro studies using a transfected cell line revealed that the 100 amino acid residues long cysteine-rich (SRCR) domain at the C-terminal end of MARCO is required for binding of inorganic particles such as CSiO2, TiO2 and amorphous silica (ASiO2). Moreover, individual particles bind to SRCR domain of MARCO with unique differences and have varying requirements with respect to need for divalent cations. Our studies demonstrate that physiological absence of MARCO in C57Bl/6 mice leads to a more robust inflammatory response following CSiO2 exposure as compared to wild-type mice. The results suggest that diminished clearance of CSiO2 particles from the MARCO lungs exacerbates the lung inflammation. These findings demonstrate that the involvement of different regions of SRCR domain may distinguish downstream events following particle binding. Taken together, these data establish the role of MARCO in uptake of various inorganic particles and elucidate the protective role of MARCO in CSiO2-induced lung inflammation.
Real Option Valuation with Stochastic Interest Rate and Stochastic Volatility

Abstract. Real options are one of the most interesting research topics in Finance since 1977 Stewart C. Myers from MIT Sloan School of Management published his pioneering article on this subject in the Journal of Financial Economics. Real options are techniques for supporting capital budgeting decisions that adapt techniques developed for financial securities options. The purpose of using this real option is to capture the options contained in projects that cannot be captured by the discounted cash flow model which operates as a basic framework for almost all financial analyzes. The process of valuing real options will be complemented by the stochastic interest rate and stochastic volatility to better capture the flexibility and volatility of the existing economic and financial situation. The valuation will use a Monte Carlo simulation with the MATLAB programming language on crude oil data from the North Sea oil field. Data were obtained from the thesis of Charlie Grafström and Leo Lundquist with the title "Real Option Valuation vs. DCF Evaluation – An Application to a North Sea oilfield". Keyword: real options, stochastic interest rate model, stochastic volatility model, simulation
Integrating waste minimization concerns in operations scheduling

Faced with growing environmental and economic concerns, the industrial world needs to adapt in order to tackle these issues. Industrial production is responsible for 83% of the global solid waste production and 40% of worldwide energy consumption. Operations scheduling appears to be a promising tool to address both the environmental and economic aspects of this problem. A literature review shows that numerous studies have been focusing on reducing energy consumption. This dissertation focuses on a relatively nascent field, namely the topic of waste generation minimization through operations scheduling. The motivating research question can be formulated as: How to integrate waste minimization into operations scheduling? A state-of-the-art on the subject shows a heterogeneous field with a disparate terminology, and a classification scheme is proposed to help unify research on this topic. To answer the research question, a methodology combining flow assessment tools and scheduling parameters is proposed, which enables the identification of waste-minimizing scheduling opportunities in a production system and the characterization of the corresponding scheduling problem. A case study is carried out and validates the applicability of this methodology and the interest of the results it provides. Based on those results, a single-machine waste-minimizing scheduling problem with reentrance in a make-to-order context is modeled using linear programming. Two solving approaches – one exact and one metaheuristic – are compared, and highlight the potential of operations scheduling to reduce industrial waste. Alternative solutions provide relevant trade-offs to decision-makers, offering significant waste reduction in return for a limited increase in inventory. As this methodology focuses on waste, it paves the way for the integration of new environmental aspects such as energy consumption and atmospheric emissions, as well as the social criteria in order to fully encompass the triple bottom line of sustainable development.
Microscale light management and inherent optical properties of intact corals studied with optical coherence tomography

Coral reefs are highly productive photosynthetic systems and coral optics studies suggest that such high efficiency is due to optimised light scattering by coral tissue and skeleton. Here, we characterise the inherent optical properties, i.e., the scattering coefficient, μs, and the anisotropy of scattering, g, of 8 intact coral species using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Specifically, we describe light scattering by coral skeletons, coenoarc tissues, polyp tentacles and areas covered by fluorescent pigments (FP). Our results reveal that light scattering between coral species ranges from μs = 3 mm−1 (Stylophora pistillata) to μs= 25 mm−1 (Echinopora lamelosa). For Platygyra pini, μs was 10-fold higher for tissue vs skeleton, while in other corals (e.g. Hydnophora pilosa) no difference was found between tissue and skeletal scattering. Tissue scattering was 3-fold enhanced in coenosarc tissues (μs = 24.6 mm−1) vs polyp tentacles (μs = 8.3 mm−1) in Turbinaria reniformis. FP scattering was almost isotropic when FP were organized in granule chromatophores (g=0.34) but was forward directed when FP were distributed diffusely in the tissue (g=0.96). Our study provides detailed measurements of coral scattering and establishes a rapid approach for characterising optical properties of photosynthetic soft tissues via OCT in vivo.
Factors affecting competitiveness small contractors in construction industry

The construction industry is a very promising business area in terms of infrastructure development and financial benefits. Many factors influence the competitiveness of small contractors in the construction industry. This study aims to identify what factors influence competitiveness and identify what are the dominant factors that affect the competitiveness of small contractors in the construction industry in West Java. The author uses descriptive and explanatory research methods which are then processed by statistical methods using validation tests, reliability tests, and factor analysis. The results of this study indicate that all variables are valid and pass the reliability test. Of the 9 factors studied, it has a significant influence on the competitiveness of small contractors in the construction industry in West Java. There is 1 dominant factor that influences the competitiveness of small contractors in the construction industry in West Java, namely project management factors. These indicators are; Location management, Cost management, Quality management, Time management, Contract management, Problem solving expertise, Risk management, Logistics and supply chain management, Effectiveness in coordination with subcontractors, Effectiveness in site safety management, Knowledge of local construction law, Number of major accidents in The last 3 years, and the contract ratio successfully committed. for project implementation, Coordination of all activities and labor involved.
Protective effects of astaxanthin on diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats

ABSTRACT This study investigated the protective effects of astaxanthin on diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats. The rat diabetes mellitus model was treated with astaxanthin. Compared with the model group, in the 20 mg/kg astaxanthin group the LVSP (92.03 ± 11.96 mmHg), + dp/dtmax (6045.36 ± 52.74 mmHg/s) and -dp/dtmax (4956.33 ± 448.21 mmHg/s), myocardial superoxide dismutase (163.41 ± 17.42 U/mg) and glutathione peroxidase activity (148.39 ± 19.28 nmol/mg) were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the LVEDP (1.66 ± 0.91 mmHg), blood TG (0.83 ± 0.28 mmol/L) and TC level (2.78 ± 1.45 mmol/L), serum TNF-α (1.02 ± 0.33 mol/L) and IL-6 (1.48 ± 0.26 mol/L) level and myocardial malondialdehyde level (15.78 ± 2.01 nmol/mg) were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and ratios of p-JNK/JNK (0.92 ± 0.06), p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 (0.22 ± 0.04) and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK (0.28 ± 0.05) were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). In conclusion, astaxanthin can reduce the myocardial damage in diabetic cardiomyopathy rats, which may be related to its improving blood glucose and blood lipid metabolism, resisting oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction, and inhibiting activation of MAPK signaling pathway.
Measurement of chemical sludge floc density and implications related to sludge dewatering

An isopycnic centrifugation procedure was developed for estimating the characteristic floc density present in several chemical sludges. Issues addressed included selection of a low osmotic pressure gradient medium; selection of appropriate centrifugal acceleration and time values for testing; viscosity effects; and need for temperature control. Increases in sludge floc density were predictive of an increase in cake solids concentration following mechanical dewatering. Most sludge water removal during dewatering was hypothesized to be external to the floc structure
Elaboration et caractérisation d'un vernis antireflet sol-gel innovant pour application dans les systèmes d'écrans embarqués en aéronautique

Des revetements antireflectifs hydrophobes a bas indice de refraction ont ete synthetises sous forme de couches minces nanometriques de silice mesoporeuses par chimie sol gel couplee a un procede de depot par dip coating sur substrats polymeriques thermosensibles de polymethacrylate de methyle (PMMA) et de triacetate de cellulose (TAC). Les couches minces de silice pure et hybride ont ete durcies par traitement en vapeur d’ammoniaque (TVA) a temperature ambiante. Les proprietes optiques, mecaniques et de resistance chimique des revetements ont ete optimisees et des mecanismes decrivant les modifications de la structuration induit par TVA selon la composition chimique des films ont ete proposes grâce a l’etude de l’influence des conditions et des temps de traitement en vapeur d’ammoniaque. La condensation et la stabilisation de vapeur d’eau a l’interieur de films de silice mesoporeux hydrophobes a l’aide de vapeur d’alcool ont ete realisees a temperature et pression ambiantes. L’etude de l’influence de la chimie de surface, de la taille des pores ainsi que des pressions partielles en eau et alcool, et de la nature du co-adsorbant alcoolique a permis de mettre en lumiere les mecanismes d’adsorption et de confinement d’eau dans des nano-cavites hydrophobes. La diffusion d’eau a l’interieur de monolithes de xerogel de silice millimetriques a ete rapportee en utilisant pour la premiere l’ellipsometrie environnementale in situ. Des sujets aussi varies que la realisation de films a gradient de fonctionnalite, la fabrication d’actuateurs sensibles a l’humidite a partir de films minces inorganiques, la synthese de couches minces mesostructurees de BaTiO3 et la mise de forme 3D de films de quartz sont discutes dans ce manuscrit.
A strategy for visual structural data analysis of labor accident data

Labor accidents are a serious social problem that results in damages to employees, employers, and governments, also consuming a signiĄcant portion of the WorldŠs GDP. In Brazil, The Brazilian Federal Labor Prosecution Office is the institutional service responsible for the defense of worker rights, and among its functions is the supervision and control of labor health and safety. They collect data on labor accidents in Brazilian territory and provide an anonymized version of this data publicly. This process generates a large volume of data containing important strategical information, which is often not straightforward to be extracted with manual analysis. Information visualization is a research area that studies the creation of visual representations for abstract structured or non-structured data, aiming to help people execute tasks more effectively. We propose a computational strategy employing a combination of Information Visualization techniques to perform a visual analysis of labor accident data, while not being restricted to this scenario. We developed a system that implements our strategy, and is comprised of two complementary visualizations, i) a multidimensional projection layout + a political map, and ii) a treemap layout + a parallel sets layout. We performed several exploratory analysis, in order to exploit the visualizationsŠ complementary capacities in providing simultaneous analysis of different data aspects. We obtained interesting results, identifying proĄles associated with small/large geographical areas, similarities among geographically distant localities, occurrence patterns related to citiesŠ size and economic development, the frequency distribution of labor accident types in Brazil, and characterized labor accidents in terms of occupation type, gender differences, causer agent, among other aspects. We believe that the proposed strategy facilitates and enhances the analysis of labor accident data, providing effective and efficient means to help governments to evaluate current public policies and foment the creation of new ones to reduce labor accidents and grant safety to employees, and also encourage transparency in governments and citizen participation.
Hepatic Fatty Acid Synthesis Is Suppressed in Mice With Fatty Livers Due to Targeted Apolipoprotein B38.9 Mutation

Humans and genetically engineered mice with hypobetalipoproteinemia due to truncation-producing mutations of the apolipoprotein B (apoB) gene frequently have fatty livers, because the apoB defect impairs the capacity of livers to export triglycerides (TGs). We assessed the adaptation of hepatic lipid metabolism in our apoB-38.9-bearing mice. Hepatic TG contents were 2- and 4-fold higher in heterozygous and homozygous mice, respectively, compared with wild-type mice. Respective in vivo hepatic fatty acid synthetic rates were reduced to 40% and 15% of the wild-type rate. Hepatic mRNAs for sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1c, fatty acid synthase (FAS), and stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase-1 were coordinately decreased. FAS and SREBP-1c mRNA levels were strongly and positively correlated with each other and inversely correlated with hepatic TGs, suggesting that impaired TG export is a potent inhibitor of fatty acid synthesis. In contrast, levels of plasma β-hydroxybutyrate and of hepatic carnit.
Virulence factors genes and drug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains derived from different forms of community and healthcare associated infections

Background: The pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection is multifactorial and depends mainly on two types of virulence determinants: virulence factors involved in acute infections and membrane bound factors, and virulence factors involved in chronic infections. The aim of this laboratory-based study was to analyse the resistance and virulence of PA strains isolated from different types of infections in hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients in Southern Poland. Material/Methods: Non-repetitive samples from urinary tract infections (UTI), bloodstream infections (BSI) and pneumonia (PNU) were collected. Isolates were screened for the presence of virulence factors by PCR method. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using disc diffusion method. Metallo-beta-lactamases (MBLs) were detected using an imipenem-EDTA double-disc synergy test. Results: There were 232 specimens collected: UTI-152, PNU-69, BSI-11. Fifty-one (22%) strains were classified as multidrug resistant (MDR), 23 (10%) as extensively-drug resistant (XDR). MDR/XDR strains were more frequently isolated from pneumonia (OR = 2.28). The prevalence values for the genes of effector proteins were 82.8% for exoS, 89% for exoY, and 24% for exoU. The simultaneous detection of four effector proteins was confirmed in 10.4% of the strains. pilB was more prevalent in isolates from the elderly (p=0.013). lasB occurred more frequently in PNU (p=0.048). Three of the genes were more prevalent in isolates from patients hospitalised in ICU (lasB (p=0.017), aprA (p=0.022), phzS (p=0.039)). Conclusions: Understanding the contribution of selected virulence genes to the outcome of an infection may be important for the therapeutic management of patients infected with PA. Simultaneous detection of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance might be particularly useful because both are clinically important during an infection.