Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of personal information sources on the decision-making process of Costa Rican dairy farmers

The attitudes of farmers in relation to the importance of different people as information and opinion sources (InfS) for different phases of the decision-making process were studied in 91 Costa Rican dairy farmers. The InfS studied were: Family members, Other farmers, Technical advisors, Farm staff and Commercial agents, while the phases were: Problem detection, Seeking for problem solutions, Seeking for new practices and Seeking for opinion. A Multidimensional Preference Analysis (MDPREF) was used to obtain a two-dimensional map of preference of the farmers. A factor analysis was used to define new variables representing the farmers’ predilection towards the InfS. A canonical correlation analysis was performed to find-out simple and canonical correlation between farmers’/farms’ characteristics and the InfS preferences. Informational profiles in the population were defined through a Cluster Analysis. The MDPREF suggests that Family members and Technical advisors were the most preferred InfS. However their relative importance changed throughout the phases. Farm staff were rated in third place and their role became more important in the ‘Problem detection’ phase. Other farmers and Commercial agents were, in general, the less preferred information sources. The former became slightly more important in the ‘Seeking for new practices’ phase. The canonical correlation analysis found three low-medium correlations between the farmers’/farms’ characteristics and the InfS factors. These correlations showed that the farmers’ age, educational level and dedication and the farms’ characteristics of area, herd size and distance to population centres had significant influence on the preference of the farmers towards different information sources. The cluster analysis found nine groups of similar farmers according to their preferences towards informational sources. Some implications mainly for extension activities are also stated and discussed. The importance of different informational sources 0308-521X/03/$ see front matter # 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII : S0308 -521X(02)00074 -4 Agricultural Systems 76 (2003) 3–18 www.elsevier. com/locate/agsy * Corresponding author. E-mail address: m.herrero@cgiar.org (M. Herrero). slightly change throughout the decision-making steps, the family and farm staff being the most preferred information sources. # 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Design of a biofilm cultivation devices for the analysis of microbial interactions

The biofilms are multispecies communities fixed to a surface and producing extra poylmeric substances which encapsulate the cells. The biofilm can be considered as a balance between a planktonic and a biofilm phase.Researches about the interaction and cells communications are important to fully understand all the mechanisms taking place in this system. For the controlled growth of repeatable biofilms for such researches, cultivation devices as the Drip Flow reactor are needed and have to bemastered. With this master thesis, a methodology of use of Drip Flow reactor hax been developed to obtain more repeatable biofilm growth. Then its adaptation to interactions studies was tested by growing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens GA1 with supernatant of Pseudomonas fluorescens 69 (or A214). The impacts on growing were investigated by optical density measurement, surface hydrophobicity evaluation and gene expression byReal-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (or qRT-PCR). The selected genes were tasA, yuaB (both implicated in the matrix production and properties) and degU (a regulator gene also involved in the cells differentiation). All results prove the efficacity of the Drip Flow methodology to lead such experiences on biofilms.
μ FLU 08-220 TWO-PHASE DROPS IN MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE

We report experimental and theoretical studies of double droplets produced in microfluidic systems. Standard softlithography with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) is used for the device fabrication; the geometry is a double flow focusing. In theory, morphologies of double droplets are determined by spreading parameters involving surface tension. The comparison between the morphologies predicted thanks to surface tensions measurements and the objects produced in the microfluidic device is done for more than thirty triplets of fluids. It is shown that as a whole the observed morphologies (complete engulfing, partial engulfing and non engulfing) on long time scales are solely controlled by fluid interfacial energies and therefore can be predicted independently of the geometry and the surface properties of the microsystem. Non-equilibrium long lived double droplets, are observed in the flow just after their formation such as complete engulfing (a droplet in a drop) even if the stable state is different. A simple hydrodynamic theoretical model based on Hadamard Rybzynski analysis estimates the lifetime of these metastable structures assuming recirculations are responsible the displacement of the internal droplet in a drop. We cured the objects in the metastable state in order to illustrate microfluidic technology allows the synthesis of particles impossible to produce with standard technologies.
Modelling of ultrafast coherent strong-field dynamics in potassium with neural networks

We investigate the applicability of neural networks (NNs) for the automated generation of effective computer models for coherent light–matter interactions. The simulation of Autler–Townes doublets from strong-field ionization of potassium atoms is chosen as a test system that exhibits distinct quantum-mechanical effects. Shaped femtosecond laser pulses are employed for studying the response of a quantum-mechanical system to a large variety of different electric fields, and the resulting data can be used for training a NN. We show that a NN is able to approximate the investigated process in parameter regions sampled by the training data and that it can be employed for the interpolation of control landscapes.
Field assessment of disease resistance status of some newly-developed early and extra-early maize varieties under humid rainforest conditions of Nigeria

Periodic assessment of resistant status of genetic materials in a breeding program is an important activity to ensure its continued progress. Forty newly-developed early and extra-early maize varieties were evaluated under natural field infection conditions for two years to assess their resistance status to some common diseases prevalent in the humid rainforest agro-ecology, and to determine effect of the diseases on grain yield and other agronomic characters. The experiment was laid out using a 5 x 8 alpha lattice design with three replications. Data were recorded on flowering traits, disease scores as well as yield and yield components. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance, correlation and regression analyses. Results revealed that the varieties were significantly different for flowering traits, as well as yield and yield components except ears per plant, ear aspect and plant aspect. For disease scores, the varieties were not significantly different except for Helminthosporum maydis. There was a differential response of the early and extra-early maize varieties under the field evaluation conditions. However, all varieties maintained their resistance level against streak, northern leaf blight, southern leaf blight and smut. Although, none of these diseases significantly reduced yield, scores for Curvularia leaf spot and rust disease significantly exceeded the resistance threshold, suggesting an urgent attention is needed for the management of the diseases before the damages reach economic threshold. Key words: Blight, Curvularia, maize, rainforest, streak.
Hydrogen-selective microelectrodes based on silicon needles

The fabrication of hydrogen-selective microelectrodes on silicon needle-shaped substrates is described. The microelectrodes are based on an ion-selective poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane with an intrinsically conducting polymer (polypyrrole (PPy)) solid contact layer. The polypyrrole is prepared with the dopant anion cobaltbis(dicarbollide) [3,3-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2] , which gives a high stability to the polymer layer. The performance of the resulting solid-contact ion-selective microelectrodes (SCISME) is investigated by using potentiometric measurement and electrochemical impedance spectrometry. The feasibility of the fabrication technology is demonstrated and the devices operate satisfactorily, with a response showing good sensitivity and selectivity against common interfering cations in background solutions. The SCISME has been developed for organ monitoring during cardiac surgery or during transportation for transplants. # 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Consideration of the listener in the assessment and treatment of dysarthria

Traditionally, speech production deficits have been the focus of clinical practice and research in dysarthria. However, recent research has begun to examine the role of the listener in communication interaction. This article provides an overview of perceptual processing theory relevant to dysarthria. In addition, it discusses the relationship of current theoretical models of speech perception to the assessment and treatment of dysarthria. Finally, it provides insight into how this information may inform current clinical practices and future research in the field.
Selection and use of domain ontologies in Learning Networks for Lifelong Competence Development

Please, cite this publication as: Todorova, C. & Stefanov, K. (2006). Selection and use of domain ontologies in Learning Networks for Lifelong Competence Development. Proceedings of International Workshop in Learning Networks for Lifelong Competence Development, TENCompetence Conference. March 30th-31st, Sofia, Bulgaria: TENCompetence. Retrieved June 30th, 2006, from http://dspace.learningnetworks. org
Information Retrieval: An Empirical Study on Search Engine

Search engine is very widely and around the world. Search engine allow the user to enter search terms by using phases or keyword. The search engine retrieved web pages from its database that match the search terms entered by the searcher. The total respondents are 375 student from were selected randomly Universiti Teknologi MARA Perak were selected randomly. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) in getting descriptive statistic and correlation also to find the relationship effectiveness using search engine for retrieving information and search engine problem and also accessing information. The result indicates that there is a positive finding.
Light-driven crystallization of polystyrene micro-spheres

We investigate the dynamic crystallization processes of colloidal photonic crystals, which are potentially invaluable for solving a number of existing and emerging technical problems in regards to controlled fabrication of crystals, such as size normalization, stability improvement, and acceleration of synthesis. In this paper, we report systematic high-resolution optical observation of the spontaneous crystallization of monodisperse polystyrene (PS) micro-spheres in aqueous solution into close-packed arrays in a static line optical tweezers. The experiments demonstrate that the crystal structure is mainly affected by the minimum potential energy of the system; however, the crystallization dynamics could be affected by various mechanical, physical, and geometric factors. The complicated dynamic transformation process from 1D crystallization to 2D crystallization and the creation and annihilation of dislocations and defects via crystal relaxation are clearly illustrated. Two major crystal growth modes, the epitaxy growth pattern and the inserted growth pattern, have been identified to play a key role in shaping the dynamics of the 1D and 2D crystallization process. These observations offer invaluable insights for in-depth research about colloidal crystal crystallization.
Tax Lotteries: The Crowding-Out of Tax Morale and Long-Run Welfare Effects

textabstractThis paper examines tax lottery policies as a method to reward consumers who request business receipts for goods and services they have paid for. We argue that the evaluation of the welfare effects of tax lotteries based solely on short-run tax revenue variations overlooks important long- term sources of inefficiency. Tax lotteries may crowd out the willingness of individuals with leading roles in shaping social norms to engage in voluntary third-party tax enforcement, and thus cause long-term welfare losses. We sought support for our argument analyzing the case of the Portuguese tax lottery and conducting an empirical study with a sample of Portuguese nationals. Findings show that tax morale is a key determinant of voluntary third-party tax enforcement, and that the level of education is positively associated with the crowding out of the intrinsic motivation to engage in voluntary third-party tax enforcement.
THE IMPACT OF JWST BROADBAND FILTER CHOICE ON PHOTOMETRIC REDSHIFT ESTIMATION

The determination of galaxy redshifts in the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) blank-field surveys will mostly rely on photometric estimates, based on the data provided by JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) at 0.6–5.0 μm and Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI) at . In this work we analyze the impact of choosing different combinations of NIRCam and MIRI broadband filters (F070W to F770W), as well as having ancillary data at , on the derived photometric redshifts (zphot) of a total of 5921 real and simulated galaxies, with known input redshifts z = 0–10. We found that observations at are necessary to control the contamination of high-z samples by low-z interlopers. Adding MIRI (F560W and F770W) photometry to the NIRCam data mitigates the absence of ancillary observations at and improves the redshift estimation. At z = 7–10, accurate zphot can be obtained with the NIRCam broadbands alone when , but the zphot quality significantly degrades at . Adding MIRI photometry with 1 mag brighter depth than the NIRCam depth allows for a redshift recovery of 83%–99%, depending on spectral energy distribution type, and its effect is particularly noteworthy for galaxies with nebular emission. The vast majority of NIRCam galaxies with [F150W] = 29 AB mag at z = 7–10 will be detected with MIRI at [F560W, F770W] mag if these sources are at least mildly evolved or have spectra with emission lines boosting the mid-infrared fluxes.
Coupling otolith microstructure analysis and hydrographic backtracking suggests a mechanism for the 2000s North Sea herring recruitment failure

The North Sea autumn spawning herring (Clupea harengus L.) has, since the 2002 year class, shown an unprecedented sequence of ten years of sharply reduced recruitment, in spite of a high spawning biomass and low fishing mortality. Recent work has identified this reduction in recruitment level (or stock productivity) as taking place during the larval over-wintering phase: however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In this study we analysed archived larval samples captured both before and after the onset of the reduced survival to test the hypothesis of a reduction in the larval growth rate. Individual larval growth rates, averaged over the 30 days prior to capture, were estimated for two hundred larval otoliths from four different years using a model-based analysis of the ring widths. The otolith measurements were complemented with additional information derived from hydrographic backtracking models (e.g. average temperature experienced, time available for feeding and spawning origin) to reconstruct the recent history of the larvae. A mixed-modelling approach was then employed to analyse the combined data: after correcting for the effect of the other variables, a significant reduction in larval growth rate, associated with the onset of the reduced recruitment, was identified. These results suggest that the reduced recruitment is associated with a reduction in the growth rate of the larval survivors, most probably through changes in either the amount or quality of the available food. Furthermore, this study demonstrates how coupling two different techniques (otolith microstructure analysis and hydrographic modelling) can yield unique insights into fish ecology.
A Study: Graft Copolymerization of Methylmethacrylate onto Psyllium

The chemical modification of plantago psyllium, an anionic polysaccharide, was done by grafting of polymethylmethacrylate chains to prepare a graft copolymer (psy-g-MMA). It was synthesized under microwave irradiation without adding any radical or catalyst with 139% grafting using 850 W MW power in 70 second at MMA concentration 2 M/L, psyllium (10g/L). The maximum grafting was optimized by varying the MW power, exposure time and MMA/psyllium concentration. MW synthesized psy-g-PMMA copolymer was characterized by FTIR, TGA, XRD and SEM. The grafted sample was evaluated for physiochemical properties such as swelling behavior, chemical resistance. The graft copolymer has been successfully used for the removal of metal ions, dye adsorption and decoloration of dye solution.
Speech Perception after Early Cochlear Implantation

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of age on speech perception in children implanted before 5 years of age over the first 3 years after surgery. Material and Methods: A total of 31 children are divided into 2 groups; 12 were implanted before 2 and 19 implanted between 3 and 5 years of age. Assessment battery designed to measure speech perception was used to evaluate recipients at 12, 24 and 36 months after implantation. We used the following tests: 1. Closed and open-set for monosyllabic and polysyllabic words in quiet and noise 2 and Open-set sentence in quiet. Testing was performed with recorded voice in free field. Results: The mean value on the open-set for monosyllabic words for all patients increased with time. The difference between the values for each group at 12, 24 and 36 months was significant (p<0.001). As duration of cochlear implant use increased, speech perception also improved. The mean value on the open-set with polysyllabic words at 36 months for all patients (82.7%) was significantly higher than the mean value at 24 months (77.2%) (p=0.10). The mean value for this parameter at 36 months in children aged 3 to 5 years of age (82.1%) was significantly higher than the mean value at 24 months (74.2%) (p=0.08). Improvement in speech perception is faster if implantation occurs at a younger before 2 years of age. Conclusion: Age at time of implantation has a positive effect on speech perception, especially in situations such as background noise. Children implanted before 2 years of age have faster improvement in speech perception. Those who are implanted between 3 and 5 years of age showed delay 2 years postoperatively and significant improvement after this time. Three years after cochlear implantation there was no significant differences among them.
Search Behavior and Selection of Innate Chemosensory Cues by Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) Larvae

Chemoreception of the cues that allow a caterpillar to locate and select a specific host plant reflects evolutionary constraints. In a stable environment, the evolution of innate preferences for specific host plants can increase feeding efficiency through stimulus filtering in a noisy environment. However, food choice plasticity, including the learning of new food cues, can allow survival when a population is faced with a changing environment. We used the caterpillars of cabbage whites, Pieris rapae, to test the hypothesis that preference for innate food cues would be stronger than for learned food cues. P. rapae caterpillars have sensitivity to a sugar compound, gluconasturtiin, found in their host plants, family Brassicaceae, which allows for search specificity to members of this family. We offered caterpillars, both in pairs and individually, choices between artificial food on which they had previously been reared (a learned cue) and kale, Brassica oleraceae, (an innate cue). Caterpillars grouped in pairs did not demonstrate a significant preference for either choice, although the first caterpillar in each pair to select a food item chose the innate cue of kale. Caterpillars tested individually showed a significant preference for the innate cue of kale, which persisted with experience. These individual results support our hypothesis that cabbage whites primarily use innate cues when choosing a food source. The presence of other caterpillars, however, may affect that choice, as observed in the initial group trials.
A large impact of tropical biomass burning on CO and CO2 in the upper troposphere

A large interannual variation of biomass burning emissions from Southeast Asia is asso- ciated with the ENSO events. During 1997/98 and 1994 El Nino years, uncontrolled wildfires of tropical rainforests and peat lands in Indonesia were enlarged due to a long drought. Enhanced CO injection into the upper troposphere from the intense Indonesian fires was clearly observed in the 8-year measurements from a regular flask sampling over the western Pacific using a JAL air- liner between Australia and Japan. This airliner observation also revealed that upper tropospheric CO2 cycle largely changed during the 1997 El Nino year due partly to the biomass burning emis- sions. Widespread pollution from the biomass burnings in Southeast Asia was simulated using a CO tracer driven by a 3D global chemical transport model. This simulation indicates that tropical deep convections connected to rapid advection by the subtropical jet play a significant role in dis- persing biomass-burning emissions from Southeast Asia on a global scale.
Respiratory System Symptoms in theNeighborhood of a WastewaterTreatment Plant

The aim of our study was to assess the incidence of respiratory system disorders among residents in the neighborhood of a wastewater treatment plant compared to the population living outside the impact area. We conducted a questionnaire survey on two populations: one from the vicinity of the wastewater treatment plant (586 people) and another from a village located far away from the plant (502 people). Studied populations were also divided according to place of residence and distance from the plant: zones A, B, C. Survey questions concerned the respiratory system symptoms and housing conditions. Respondents from the exposed group reported the following symptoms more often than the control group: frequent colds, recurrent respiratory tract infections, throat irritation, dyspnoea, recurrent rhinitis, and nasal irritation/ burning sensation. Among the risk factors for respiratory disorders, signifi cant were: living in blocks of fl ats (OR = 1.78; CI 1.13-2.81), air pollution by odours (OR = 1.64; CI 1.04-2.56), period of residence (OR = 1.02; CI 1.00-1.03) and age of respondents (OR = 0.98; CI 0.97-0.98), while the ownership of pets had a protective effect (OR<1). Reported symptoms were also associated with air pollution by staphylococci (OR~5). The obtained results show that proximity to a wastewater treatment plant deteriorates the health of nearby residents.