Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dung beetle assemblages in lowland forests of Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Priawandiputra W, Tsuji Y, Widayati KA, Suryobroto B. 2020. Dung beetle assemblages in lowland forests of Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 497-504. Dung beetles play crucial role in forest ecosystem, but no information on the dung beetle fauna has been reported in lowland forest of Java Island, Indonesia. Pangandaran Nature Reserve (PNR) area, which is recognized as lowland habitat of wildlife, can also support diversity of dung beetles. This study was conducted to examine the dung beetle diversity in lowland forests of PNR. The dung beetles were collected using pitfall traps baited with five species of mammal’s feces and hand collection of beetles found on dung along the road, between 2016 and 2018. During the study, 853 individuals of dung beetles from 17 species were collected. The dominant species were Onthophagus babirussa with 434 individuals (50.8%). The species were not dominant in the mountainous forests of West Java and in lowland forests of Southeast Sulawesi and East Kalimantan. The highest dung beetle abundances were found during the dry season (August): 335 individuals in 2017 and 286 in 2018. However, the diversity index value of dung beetles in this study was lower in the dry season than in the wet season (t-test of diversity index, P<0.05). The dung beetle assemblages in PNR were barely similar to most dung beetle studies of other regions.
Effects of syllable name change on pitch comparison

Previous research has found that musicians’ pitch judgments, unlike non-musicians’, are influenced by syllable names. Although non-musicians fail to identify absolute pitches, they acknowledge the direction of pitch change. The present experiment investigated whether non-musicians’ judgments of pitch change can be influenced by the direction of syllable name change. Moreover, we examined the spatial, magnitudinal and sequential nature of pitches and syllable names. Participants (N = 33) were asked to hear two successive tones sung by syllable name and to judge the direction of pitch change by pressing vertically arranged buttons. Participants’ accuracy of pitch change judging was found to be influenced by the direction of syllable name change. However, the response location was not found to interact with pitch change or syllable name change. The distance effect was found in pitches but not in syllable names. A sequence effect was found that trials with early-in-sequence syllable names were responded faster than trials with late-in-sequence syllable names. These results suggest that syllable names can influence non-musicians’ pitch judgments in a relative context. We suggest that it is the sequential order of syllable names that is the product of cultural activities that interfere with the judgment of pitch change.
A Secondary Cooling Pattern for Preventing Surface Cracks of Continuous Casting Slab

Synopsis In order to redllce the occurrellce oj suiftlCe difects oj a cOlltillUOUS castillg slab, the most suitable secolldary coolillg pattern was de filled all the basis oj the results oj a theoretical calCillalioll allri a laboratory scale exIlerimellt all the thermal hysteresis similar to those oj cOlltilluous castillg slabs. M oreover, i t has been considered ill this study that the trallsverse corner cracks could be relaled to the p resellce oj precipitates appeared ill the austenite grain boundaries. (1) T rallsverse corner cracks are formed by the precipitates oj AI N ap/leared all the grain boundary in the austenite region at the temperatures in the rallge oj 700 to 950°C. Especially , the AIN Jormatioll is accelerated by reheatillg it at the temperature above 700 e Jrom Ihp. lower temperature. (2) From tlIP experimelltal results all the roles oj secondary coolillg pattern and oj temperature nt the unbending roll in slnbs continuously cnst, it is nscertained that the occurrence oj transverse corner crack is SllCcessflll~l' prevellted ~y the secolldary cooling pattern, that is, a suitable coolillg rate is less thall 83 e lm ill the upper part oj continuolls casting machille. (3) T he lI<w~)'-devleoped slnay coolillg I,nttern is also eflective Jar the redllctioll oj 10llgitudillal slIr/ace cracks.
Wide-Area Phase-Angle Measurements for Islanding Detection—An Adaptive Nonlinear Approach

 Abstract —The integration of an ever growing proportion of large scale distributed renewable generation has increased the probability of maloperation of the traditional RoCoF and vector shift relays. With reduced inertia due to non-synchronous penetration in a power grid, system wide disturbances have forced the utility industry to design advanced protection schemes to prevent system degradation and avoid cascading outages leading to widespread blackouts. This paper explores a novel adaptive nonlinear approach applied to islanding detection, based on wide area phase angle measurements. This is challenging, since the voltage phase angles from different locations exhibit not only strong nonlinear but also time-varying characteristics. The adaptive nonlinear technique, called moving window kernel principal component analysis is proposed to model the time-varying and nonlinear trends in the voltage phase angle data. The effectiveness of the technique is exemplified using both DigSilent simulated cases and real test cases recorded from the Great Britain and Ireland power systems by the OpenPMU project.
Effects of Flood on Food Security, Livelihood and Socio-economic Characteristics in the Flood-prone Areas of the Core Niger Delta, Nigeria

The study examined the effects of flood risk levels on food security, livelihood and socio-economic characteristics in the flood-prone areas of the core Niger Delta, Nigeria using a descriptive survey design and 790 respondents were selected with the aid of a multistage stratified sampling technique in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States, representing the core Niger Delta. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis and presentation of data. The findings of the study showed that 75.3% of the respondents agreed that basic food is scarce after all flood incident. However, 69.9% attested to the fact that growth and development of crops are affected when flood washes away farmlands. It can also be seen that flood increases food insecurity, unavailability of staple food and malnutrition as agreed by 78.3% of the total respondents. Furthermore, 77.1% of respondents agreed that flood increases the inability of plants to absorb essential nutrients necessary for proper growth while 71.4% agreed that flooding leads to the erosion or loss of the nutritional status of crops planted in the communities. Also, 69.9% agreed that the washing away of farmlands have led to chronic, longOriginal Research Article Week and Wizor; AJGR, 3(1): 1-17, 2020; Article no.AJGR. 53627 2 lasting food insecurity in the communities. Further evidence from the study shows that 75.6% of respondents agreed that the incident of flood leads to acute food insecurity which affects the livelihood of the residents. It is also revealed that flood affects households or residents' investments (64.7%) and losing occupation and source of income from flooding leads to difficulty in caring for the children (60.9%). It is concluded that floods have reduced the efficiencies of farmland in terms of food production causing food insecurity, income reduction and poor livelihood among the residents of the core the Niger Delta States. The study, therefore, recommended that communities should advocate, promote and inculcate the spirit of the commitment of individuals and households towards the continued and holistic development (via social, economic, health, and infrastructural), food security, and increased livelihood in flood-prone communities. The Ministry of Agriculture should ensure that smart agriculture is adopted as a way out to resolve the issues of flood-induced food insecurity and structural measures like dams, culverts, drainages and ditches should be constructed by government and her intervention agencies to accommodate and reduce the runoff or overflow of floodwaters which causes severe social, economic and infrastructural damages or impacts during flooding.
In Vitro Analysis of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Root Extract Activity on Streptococcus mutans in Comparison to Chlorhexidine and Fluoride Mouthwash.

AIM The present study was done to determine the activity of licorice root extract on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in comparison to chlorhexidine and fluoride mouthwash. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the current study, the different concentrations of aqueous and ethanolic licorice root extract were subjected to microbiological assay and zone of inhibition was determined against S. mutans by agar ditch method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of aqueous and ethanolic solution was obtained by using broth dilution method and agar dilution method. Chlorhexidine and fluoride mouthwash were kept as a positive control in the present study. One-way ANOVA along with Tukey post hoc test were used at 5% level of significance to analyze data. RESULTS Mean zone of inhibition of chlorhexidine mouthwash, fluoride mouthwash, aqueous and ethanolic licorice root extracts against S. mutans at 24 hours were 23 mm, 14.2 mm, 15.8 mm and 22.4 mm, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration of aqueous and ethanolic licorice root extract on S. mutans was 20 mg/mL and 12.5 mg/mL, respectively by both broth dilution method and agar dilution method. CONCLUSION The antibacterial effect produced by ethanolic licorice root extract on S. mutans was comparable to chlorhexidine mouthwash while significantly higher in comparison with aqueous form and fluoride mouthwash. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The interest in the plants with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity has increased now days to treat various dental diseases as consequences of current problems associated with the conventional agents. Licorice root is easily available, economically feasible and culturally acceptable and may possess minimal side effects as compared to conventional means of chemicotherapeutic agents used for reduction of S. mutans in oral cavity and hence can be recommended for prevention of dental caries.
Comparative study of two pear cultivars to PEG-induced osmotic stress

We studied the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced osmotic stress on pear cultivars (Harrow Sweet and Bartlett) under in-vitro culture conditions. Explants were cultured in QL medium containing 4% and 8% PEG6000 using a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design. The medium without PEG was considered as control. Drought injury index, which was calculated based on morphological disorders, increased at 8% PEG nearly to 2.00 and 1.50 units in CVs. Bartlett and Harrow Sweet, respectively. Owing to osmotic stress, the increase of malondialdehyde was accompanied with the reduction of cell membrane stability index in both cultivars. Total phenolic components and antioxidant activity in leaves increased significantly in response to application of 4% and 8% PEG. However, the severity of increase was higher in CV. Harrow Sweet. It was revealed that CV. Harrow Sweet had higher tolerance to osmotic stress than Bartlett. Moreover, the parameters related to oxidative damages and ROS scavenging capacity were more descriminant against osmotic stress under in vitro system.
CSR, Tax Avoidance, and Cost of Debt

Theories in management strategy argue that CSR generates economic value either through enhancing corporate performance or through preserving corporate performance. The insurancelike argument of CSR focuses on generating economic values through mitigating the adverse effects of negative events. This paper examines the insurance property of CSR in the context of cost of debt financing and tax avoidance. Specifically, I examine whether tax-avoiding firms with superior CSR performance enjoy a lower cost of debt financing. Using three measures of tax avoidance, two measures of cost of debt, and a measure of CSR based on KLD indicators, I find that firms with higher levels of tax avoidance and a better CSR performance have lower bond spread and superior credit rankings. Additional analysis indicates that tax-avoiding firms reduce their cost of debt mainly through enhancing positive CSR performance than reducing poor CSR activities. Further analysis reveals that firms with higher levels of tax avoidance (i.e. top quartile of tax avoidance) receive greater benefits from participation in CSR activities . These findings provide support for the hypothesis that firms utilize CSR activities to temper adverse effects of risky behaviors such as tax avoidance.
An Adaptive Robot Soccer Image Segmentation Based on HSI Color Space and Histogram Analysis

We proposed an adaptive image segmentation method based on HSI color space, which can be used for object identification in robot soccer games. This method requires no human intervention, and can guarantee the real-time performance and stability of segmentation to cope with the high real-time requirement and uneven illumination in the competition. Traditional image segmentation methods usually require high computer performance, which cannot be applied to the limited computational power of the robot. The results shows our method has highly accuracy and stability in most of situations.
Diversity of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Sub-Montane and Sub-Tropical Cityscape of Northeastern Mexico

ABSTRACT - The role of urban ecosystems in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services is highly variable because of the heterogeneity of habitats in human-use landscapes. We analyzed ant diversity in a sub-montane and sub-tropical urban area of northeastern Mexico to determine the conservation value of this cityscape. Ants were collected in 16 across the cityscape, including spaces at the periphery and urban center, during the rainy season (August to October) of 2015. To capture ants, eight trap traps were installed along a 100-m transect, and hand collections were performed. In total, 7,415 ant workers belonging to 32 species, 23 genera, 11 tribes, and 5 sub-families were collected. The richness and structure of the assemblages varied among the sampling sites. The compositional similarity also varied significantly among sampling sites, and unique species were found in four sites. Each site showed an important and particular ant assemblage that differed from that of the other sites and the surrounding habitats in the cityscape. The results suggest that some sampling sites in the studied cityscape may contribute to the conservation of certain ant groups and invertebrate communities threatened by urban intensification. Ultimately, our findings support the importance of conserved areas and green spaces for the conservation of native species in and near urban areas.
Prediction of Ultimate Tensile Strength of Prestressed Concrete Strand Using Artificial Neural Network Model

The iron and steel industry is one of the essential sector for the industrial and economic development of a country. The most common problem in iron and steel industry is to determine the ultimate tensile strength of the product. The raw materials that are used in the Prestressed Concrete (PC) strand product are deformed under force and their shape and size are changed since the characteristics of them are not constant. To understand the material properties of the product such as the yield and the ultimate tensile strength, some mechanical tests are carried out. The product, the time and the labor loss occured in these mechanical tests reveal the need to develop a prediction method based on non-destructive measurement. In this study, the mechanical properties of PC strand product is predicted by using artificial neural networks (ANN). 'Feed-Forward Backpropagation (FFBP)' has been preferred since it is the most accurate network type for the current process. To determine the ultimate tensile strength, the data such as the load applied to the material (loadcell output), the DC voltage and the DC current of the induction furnace, the speed of the PC strand line, the temperature of the induction furnace, the temperature of the quench tank and the diamater of the PC strand product are collected from a real production line and are utilized as the input parameters of the ANN in the simulation environment. The study illustrates that the ANN model give a very good prediction of the ultimate tensile strength of PC strand.
Morphine Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism in Humans Enterohepatic Cycling and Relative Contribution of Metabolites to Active Opioid Concentrations

Morphine, morphine·6-glucuronide (M6G). morphine·3·glucuronide (M3G) and normorphine were analysed with high performance liquid chromatography in plasma and urine. collected over 72h after administration of single intravenous Smg and oral 20mg doses of morphine to 7 healthy volunteers. Systemic plasma clearance of morphine was on average 21 . 1 ± 3.4 ml/min/kg (1.27 ± 0.20 L/h/kg), volume of distribution was 2.9 ± 0.8 L/kg and oral bioavailability was 29.2 ± 7.2%. Clearance of morphine to form M3G and M6G comprised S7.3% and 10.4%, respectively, and renal clearance comprised 10.9% of total systemic plasma clearance; hence, more than one· fifth of a dose (20.8%) remained as unidentified residual clearance. On the basis of the area under the plasma concentration·time curves determined after oral and intravenous administration, the ratios of M6G: morphine were 3.6 ± 1.2 and 0.7 ± 0.3, respectively. The corresponding figures for M3G: morphine were 29.9 ± 6.8 and 7.7 ± 1.4. Differences in metabolic ratios between the parenteral and oral routes could be attributed solely to differences in morphine concentrations as evidenced both by plasma concentrations and amounts excreted in urine. An oral: parenteral potency ratio of I : 3 may. thus. be due to differences in circulating amounts of morphine since the proportions of an administered dose found as M6G and M3G after administration by both routes were equal. A major finding was a slowly declining terminal phase of morphine and metabolites that was evident both in plasma and in urinary excretion versus time curves, where the half·lives of morphine, M3G and M6G were IS. I ± 6.Sh, 11.2 ± 2.7h and 12.9 ± 4.Sh. respectively. The terminal half-life of normorphine was 23.9 ± 10.lh after oral administration. Comparison of oral with intravenous excretion curves showed that a greater part of morphine and metabolites were excreted during the slowly declining phase after the oral dose than the intravenous dose, which is highly suggestive of enterohepatic cycling. The renal clearance of M6G and morphine was seen to exceed creatinine clearance. possibly due to an active secretion process.
Feature Extraction in Speechreading

To solve the problem of feature extraction in speechreading, several appearance-based feature extraction method are compared and a new improved LDA algorithm is proposed in this paper. In speech or speechreading recognition application, Linear Discriminant Analysis(LDA) usually choose syllable、HMM state or other units as class unit. but the feature dimensionality reduction direction based on this traditional LDA have no direct relations with recognition accuracy,To this problem, A LDA algorithm based on Object (LDAO) which is fit for isolated words recognition in speechreading is proposed, LDAO choose the objects to be recognized as class unit to Linear Discriminant Analysis, which guarantees feature extraction follow the most discriminant directions among objects in theory. Subsequently, training and recognizing method for LDAO was also given. All experiments were performed on bimodal database, Experimental results showed that this algorithm is superior to any other appearance-based feature extraction algorithm in speechreading. Specifically, LDAO is better than DCT+LDA about 3%.
Intra-day variations of blood reelin levels in healthy individuals

Introduction Reelin (RELN) is an extracellular glycoprotein best known to be crucial for neuronal migration during the embryonic period and regulation of synaptic plasticity in the adult brain, with recent studies pointing to reelin playing an important part in the organization of peripheral organs as well. Abnormalities in RELN function are associated with a variety of medical conditions in human beings. These alterations partly also reflect in RELN’s blood levels, which gives it a clinical relevance as a potential biomarker. Requirement for a possible clinical use is a profound understanding of RELN’s physiology. We hypothesized blood RELN levels could underlie time-dependent variations and therefore examined individuals’ serum reelin concentrations in the course of one day. Material and methods We obtained blood samples from healthy individuals (n = 10) at several times of measurement over a time period of 24 h. We subsequently determined the respective serum RELN concentrations utilizing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and tested for intra- and interindividual variations in serum RELN concentrations over time. Results All tested individuals’ serum RELN levels displayed significant intraindividual variations in the course of 24 h. Test subjects’ reelin day profiles showed substantial divergence among each other. Conclusions Our findings point to short-term fluctuations in blood RELN levels being part of physiological RELN homeostasis. This is of special interest with regard to a potential clinical use of RELN as a biomarker.
Schistosomiasis among pregnant women in Njombe-Penja health district, Cameroon.

INTRODUCTION Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with endemic foci in Cameroon. Epidemiological data on schistosomiasis in pregnancy are scarce in the country. This study describes the prevalence, diversity and factors associated with schistosomiasis in pregnant women in Njombe-Penja where schistosomiasis was first reported in 1968. METHODOLOGY Two hundred and eighty-two (282) pregnant women were enrolled at first antenatal consultation between April and December 2016. A questionnaire was used to document socio-economic and obstetric information. Stool and terminal urine samples were collected and analysed using Kato-Katz/Formol-Ether concentration techniques and centrifugation methods respectively. Haemoglobin concentration was measured from finger prick blood, using an URIT®-12 electronic haemoglobinometer. Bivariate and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses with Epi-Info version 7.2. 1.0. Statistical significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS The overall prevalence of schistosomiasis was 31.91%. Schistosoma guineensis, S. haematobium and S. mansoni infections were found in 0.35% (n = 1), 4.96% (n = 14) and 28.01% (n = 79) of participants, respectively. Co-infection with two species of Schistosoma was found in 4.44% of these women. The prevalence of this disease was significantly higher in younger women (≤ 20 years old) and among residents of Njombe. All S. haematobium infected women were anemic and infection was associated with significantly lower haemoglobin levels (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION The prevalence of schistosomiasis is high among pregnant women in Njombe-Penja, with some adverse effects on blood levels. Three Schistosoma species were found. Female of childbearing age should be considered for mass drug administration.