Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leaf Traits of Drought Tolerance for 37 Shrub Species Originating from a Moisture Gradient

Identifying the drought-tolerance traits of plant species originating from a moisture gradient will increase our understanding of the differences and similarities in plant drought tolerance. However, which traits can be used to evaluate drought tolerance remain an open question. Here, we conducted a common-garden experiment on 37 shrub species originating from desert to humid regions. The correlations between plant traits and the native environmental conditions were studied. Leaf sizes and Huber values were significantly correlated with most climate variables of the shrubs’ origins. The osmotic potentials at full turgor (π100), turgor loss point (ΨTLP), and midday leaf water potential (Ψmid) were significantly correlated with most climate variables of their origins. We proposed using leaf sizes, Huber values, and ΨTLP as predictors of drought tolerance across shrub species and shrub biomes. Statistically significant correlations were found between π100, ΨTLP, and specific leaf area (SLA). However, owing to the weak correlations between SLA and the climate variables of the shrubs origins and between Huber values and leaf size and turgor loss traits, it was difficult to integrate leaf morphological traits with physiological traits to find a simple way to accurately quantify drought-tolerance-related differences among these shrub species.
The Effect of High Boron Additions on the Microstructure of Cast Steel

This study summarizes research into the effect of high boron additions on the microstructure of cast steel under the certain carbon (0.42 C wt.%) and chromium (11.65 Cr wt.%) content. Varying amounts of boron between 0.48 - 4.75 wt. % was added into steel melt. The boron analysis of the alloys was conducted by wet chemical analysis. The microstructure of the specimens was characterized with optical microscope, Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (SEM/EDX) and X-Ray Diffraction (X-RD). The experimental results showed that high boron steel was successfully produced by sand casting with high casting yield. The microstructure of boron alloyed high chromium cast steel consists of three dimensional networks of M 2 B borides surrounding the martensitic matrix in as cast condition. Under the certain carbon and chromium content, boron carbide volume fraction is directly depended on the boron additions. Due to the high amount of chromium and boron, carbides and borides were embedded in each other in all additions. In the specimens having less than 2.44 B wt. %, carbide/boride structure was fishbone type with dendritic distribution over the matrix whereas rod/needle like structure with randomly distribute was observed in specimens having 2.44 - 4.75 B wt. %. In all specimens containing boron, M 2 B and M 7 (C, B) 5 type carbides/boride peaks were detected by X-RD analysis.
A ferrocene based glucose biosensor with an extended linear measuring range

The work described in this research is centred on the performance of ferrocene as a mediator to replace oxygen in the oxidation of glucose. Three immobilization methods were studied to minimize the leaking of the mediator. Glucose oxidase (GOD) and ferrocene mediator were immobilized in cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) (CLPVA), composite sol-gel-silica (SGS)/CLPVA/nafion and layer-by-layer (multilayer) covalent attachment. The biosensor response was evaluated amperometrically at 0.363V (vs. Ag/AgCl). The results showed that SGS/CLPVA/nafion membrane demonstrated the highest ability in retaining the enzyme and mediator whilst CLPVA membranes showed the poorest ability. The low current response with high Michaelis-Menten constant (Km app) and slow response time was observed in CLPVA membrane. Relative to that, SGS/CLPVA/nafion membrane and multilayered membrane were able to achieve larger current responses with lower Km app at faster response time. CLPVA was able to retain only 10% of the initial current whilst SGS/CLPVA/nafion and multilayered membranes were able to retain about 83% and 76% respectively of the initial current after 2 months of storage. All membranes showed good sensitivity with good stability except the CLPVA membranes. The Km app value for multilayered membrane was increased up to 28.68mM after the addition of nafion to the membrane. With such a high Km app, multilayered-nafion membrane can be applied as the enzymatic layer for a glucose biosensor since the value nearly encompasses the relevant concentration of glucose in blood which is from 1mM to 30mM. Subsequently, three types of external membranes were attached to the multilayered-nafion membranes to extend the linearity of sensor response and also to protect the biosensor. The external layers were cross-linked poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA), cellulose acetate incorporated poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (CA-pHEMA) and cellulose acetate incorporated poly(ethylene glycol) (CA-PEG). Among these three types outer membranes, multilayered-nafion membranes with cross-linked pHEMA demonstrated acceptable Km app, which was around 40.58mM with high sensitivity and fast response time towards the glucose. Overall, the ferrocene based glucose biosensor showed very promising performances.
Genomes from bacteria associated with the canine oral cavity: A test case for automated genome-based taxonomic assignment

Taxonomy for bacterial isolates is commonly assigned via sequence analysis. However, the most common sequence-based approaches (e.g. 16S rRNA gene-based phylogeny or whole genome comparisons) are still labor intensive and subjective to varying degrees. Here we present a set of 33 bacterial genomes, isolated from the canine oral cavity. Taxonomy of these isolates was first assigned by PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene, Sanger sequencing, and taxonomy assignment using BLAST. After genome sequencing, taxonomy was revisited through a manual process using a combination of average nucleotide identity (ANI), concatenated marker gene phylogenies, and 16S rRNA gene phylogenies. This taxonomy was then compared to the automated taxonomic assignment given by the recently proposed Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB). We found the results of all three methods to be similar (25 out of the 33 had matching genera), but the GTDB approach was less subjective, and required far less labor. The primary differences in the remaining taxonomic assignments related to proposed taxonomy changes by the GTDB team.
NOC’S: Buffered and Bufferless Structure and their design methodologies for High throughput and Low latency

To know and meet the existing issues and demands related to scalability of number of nodes, their sizes of Network on Chip (NoC) which are important networks for efficient communication to transfer multimedia data at low latency and high throughput. These NoC’s was designed and developed the chips for both 2D and 3D which includes switching, routing and crossbar techniques, out of which routing algorithms are plays major role due to the computational operations take place here and produce the different delay. In turn these delays are affected on throughput and latency. Many of the NoC’s has buffered and bufferless routers to optimize the area, power consumption and latency. Therefore the detailed literature survey has been done mainly on latest buffered and bufferless NoC’s with different routing algorithms used for addressing the major constraints like QoS, throughput, latency and hardware utilizations for different injection rates. As per requirements at present situation for better communication within core networks, this paper mainly focused on commonly used architectures and their inter components connectivity’s that can deal with methodologies and design challenges for optimization of signal integrity, scalability, throughput and latency in an NoC’s. At the last, modified buffered and bufferless NoC architectures are proposed which includes the modified routing algorithm called Dynamically buffered and bufferless reconfigurable NoC (DB 2 R-NoC’s) and feasible direction finding (FDF) for switching. Making use of these architectures, any dimensions of NoC’s can be designed and can validate for multimedia data and also can test on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPAG) processors.
INVESTIGATING SELECTED GASTRONOMIC TRENDS FROM DEMAND AND SUPPLY SIDE

The study aims to identify the role of the selected gastronomic trends in the Czech gastronomic establishments. The study highlights the key findings of quantitative and qualitative research provided with the focus on both the demand and the supply side. It is focusing on the dispute between guests’ opinions and entrepreneurs’ views based on few variables for gastronomic trends. Entrepreneurs’ and guests’ views in three Czech Regions were studied in one set with notes incorporated on possible mutual differences between them. The partial least squares variant of linear discriminant analysis (plsLDA) and partial least squares (PLS) was applied as they give a clear superiority due to both, interpretational and stability property. It was proven that the partial least squares variants lead to direct answers to questions in the studied field. Participation/organization of food festivals and slow food are positively related. The significant tasks emerge to a great extent covering differences between guestś and entrepreneurś opinions. On the other hand, the connection of economic interest to gastronomic trends is relatively weak.
A comparative study of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in post menopausal women with diabetes and without diabetes as a predictor of cardiovascular events

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are one of the leading causes of death in women across the globe. CVD is more prevalent in women after menopause due to the lack of estrogens which have a cardioprotective effect Menopause and diabetes mellitus are individually high risk for cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy which in turn results in CV accidents and deaths. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Autonomic Nervous System dysfunctions in post menopausal women with diabetes mellitus, to grade the severity of dysfunctions and to compare the severity of the ANS dysfunction with age matched healthy controls. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Akash Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Devanahalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. A total of 120 postmenopausal women were examined for the study. They were divided into two equal groups (60 women in each group) as menopausal women with diabetes and without diabetes. The ANS dysfunctions were evaluated based on symptoms and also specific tests like heart rate response to Valsalva maneuver, heart rate response to standing up from supine position, blood pressure response to sustained handgrip, blood pressure response to standing up from supine position. The ANS dysfunctions were categorized into mild, moderate and severe dysfunctions. Results: Of the 60 postmenopausal women without diabetes, 20 women had symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in the form of hot flushes, giddiness and palpitations, (33%) and they also tested positive for ANS dysfunction. Though the remaining 40 women did not have any symptoms, they tested positive for ANS dysfunction. 40 women had mild ANS dysfunctions, 12 had moderate dysfunctions and 8 had severe dysfunctions. In the other group of postmenopausal women with diabetes, 30 women had symptoms of ANS dysfunction (50%) and also tested positive for ANS dysfunction. The remaining 30 women,
PREDICTABILITY OF CHALLENGES ON PROFESSIONAL SELF – EFFICACY BELIEF OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY SPECIALISTS

Bu calismanin amaci is guvenligi uzmanlarinin yasadiklari zorluklarin mesleki oz – yeterlilik inancini yordayiciligini incelemektir. Bu calismada ayrica, is guvenligi uzmanlarina yonelik psikometrik ozellikleri acisindan gecerli ve guvenilir mesleki oz – yeterlilik inanci olcegi gelistirilmistir. Arastirmaya ozel sektorde calisan 332 is guvenligi uzmani katilmistir. Gecerlilik ve guvenirlik analizleri sonucunda 7 maddelik is guvenligi uzmanlarina yonelik mesleki oz – yeterlilik olcegi ortaya cikmistir. Regresyon analizi sonuclari ana zorluklarin alt boyutlarindan biri olan isverenin yetersiz farkindaliginin ve organizasyonel zorluklarin is guvenligi uzmanlarinin mesleki oz – yeterlilik inancini yordadigini gostermistir.
Effects of calcium carbonate on the fermentation quality and aerobic stability of total mixed ration silage

Total mixed ration (TMR) silage has been commonly used in Asian countries because of its balanced nutrients, good aerobic stability and easy transportation (Xu et al., 2007; Weinberg et al., 2011; Miyaji et al., 2017). In the previous study we have indicated that TMR silage increases the digestibility of crude protein (CP), ether extract and acid detergent fibre (ADF) and decreases ruminal methane emissions and energy loss of sheep in comparison to unfermented TMR (Cao et al., 2010). Moreover, TMR silage reduces urinary N loss without adverse effects on feed intake, milk production and ruminal fermentation of lactating cows (Miyaji et al., 2013). However, high moisture content and prolonged ensiling caused excessive acidification of TMR silage especially during the summer season (Hao et al., 2015). The over-acidification leads to a decline in silage palatability which often reduces feed intake and growth performance of livestock (Gao and Oba, 2014; Oladosu et al., 2016). Furthermore, high moisture content of TMR promotes undesirable microbes including aerobic bacteria and moulds which may lead to lower aerobic deterioration after unsealing (Hao et al., 2015; Wang et al., 2016). The additives for TMR silages under high moisture and prolonged ensiling condition may improve TMR fermentation and safer salts have been proposed as alternative silage additives (Oladosu et al., 2016). ABSTRACT. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of calcium carbonate (CCA) on the fermentation quality, aerobic stability and microbial counts during the aerobic deterioration of two high moisture total mixed ration (TMR) silages. The alfalfa hay, sweet potato residue, maize flour, soybean meal, molasses and vitamin-mineral supplement were mixed on a dry matter (DM) basis in the rations of 40:30:18:9:2:1, respectively, to prepare TMR. The moisture level of TMR silage was adjusted to 600 (medium) and 750 g/kg (high) before ensiling with 0, 5, 15 and 25 g/kg CCA (on a fresh weight (FW) basis). The fermentation quality, chemical composition, microbial counts and aerobic stability of TMR were assessed after 150 days of ensiling. It was observed that pH, lactic acid, acetic acid, ammonia nitrogen and the population of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were influenced (P < 0.05) by moisture level, CCA application and their interaction. Likewise, adding increasing amounts of CCA increased aerobic stability (P < 0.05) of the TMR silage from 18.4 to 23.7 days and from 3.7 to 11.5 days at medium and high moisture level, respectively. Moreover, it was observed that the growth of yeasts and aerobic bacteria were inhibited by the CCA application during the aerobic deterioration. The application of CCA additive is an appropriate strategy for improving fermentation quality and aerobic stability of both relatively high moisture TMR silages. Received: 4 December 2019 Revised: 19 May 2020 Accepted: 9 June 2020
Xanthones from Calophyllum gracilipes and their cytotoxic activity.

Extraction and chromatographic isolation of the hexane, chloroform and methanol extracts of stem bark of Calophyllum gracilipes has led to the isolation of a new xanthone, gracixanthone (1) and the known zeyloxanthanone (2) and trapezifolixanthone (3) together with three common sterols, namely stigmasterol, friedelin and lupeol. The structures of the compounds were elucidated and established by spectroscopic analysis and compared with the spectral data from literature. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated and zeyloxanthanone (2) exhibited strong activity towards five cell lines with IC50 values ranging at 8.00-26. 00μM.
Determining the Factors Affecting on Digital Learning Adoption among the Students in Kathmandu Valley: An Application of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

This study investigated students’ perception towards acceptance of digital transformation in teaching-learning activities studying at different levels in Kathmandu valley (includes 3 districts: Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur), Nepal. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a research framework to examine the factors affecting how students come to accept and use technology. The literature review indicated that social influence, accessibility, computer self-efficacy, infrastructure, and perceived enjoyment were the most common external factors of TAM. A total of 384 students were participated in the study. Different statistical analyses have been performed in order to test the significance of the considered factors that may affect the digital learning practices of students. The result of the data analysis revealed that social influence, accessibility, computer self-efficacy, infrastructure, and enjoyment have a significant impact on perceived ease of use of the digital learning system. Furthermore, social influence, accessibility, computer self-efficacy, infrastructure, and enjoyment were also found to have a positive influence on the perceived usefulness of the digital learning system. The Digital learning system is changing the traditional practice of learning with technology and innovation. The study support that using digital tools in education makes academic activities more interesting, easy to access, creative, effective, and productive.
Evaluating the potential of remote sensing imagery in mapping ground-level fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for the Vaal Triangle Priority Area

The quality of air breathed in South Africa is of great concern, especially in industrialised regions where PM2.5 concentrations are high. Long term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with serious adverse health impacts. Traditionally, PM2.5 is monitored by a network of ground-based instruments. However, the coverage of monitoring networks in South Africa is not dense enough to fully capture the spatial variability of PM2.5 concentrations. This study explored whether satellite remote sensing could offer a viable alternative to ground-based monitoring. Using an eight-year record (2009 to 2016) of satellite retrievals (MODIS, MISR and SeaWIFS) for PM2.5 concentrations, spatial variations and temporal trends for PM2.5 are evaluated for the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area (VTAPA). Results are compared to corresponding measurements from the VTAPA surface monitoring stations. High PM2.5 concentrations were clustered around the centre and towards the south-west of the VTAPA over the highly industrialised cities of Vanderbijlpark and Sasolburg. Satellite retrievals tended to overestimate PM2.5 concentrations. Overall, there was a poor spatial agreement between satellite-retrieved PM2.5 estimates and ground-level PM2.5 measurements. Root mean square error values ranged from 6 to 11 µg/m3 and from -0.89 to 0.32 for the correlation coefficient. For satellite remote sensing to be effectively exploited for air quality assessments in the VTAPA and elsewhere, further research to improve the precision and accuracy of satellite-retrieved PM2.5 is required.
An Accurate Measure of Reaction Time can Provide Objective Metrics of Concussion

There have been numerous reports of neurological assessments of post-concussed athletes and many deploy some type of reaction time assessment. However, most of the assessment tools currently deployed rely on consumer-grade computer systems to collect this data. In a previous report, we demonstrated the inaccuracies that typical computer systems introduce to hardware and software to collect these metrics with robotics (Holden et al, 2020). In that same report, we described the accuracy of a tactile based reaction time test (administered with the Brain Gauge) as approximately 0.3 msec and discussed the shortcoming of other methods for collecting reaction time. The latency errors introduced with those alternative methods were reported as high as 400 msec and the system variabilities could be as high as 80 msec, and these values are several orders of magnitude above the control values previously reported for reaction time (200-220msec) and reaction time variability (10-20 msec). In this report, we examined the reaction time and reaction time variability from 396 concussed individuals and found that there were significant differences in the reaction time metrics obtained from concussed and non-concussed individuals for 14-21 days post-concussion. A survey of the literature did not reveal comparable sensitivity in reaction time testing in concussion studies using alternative methods. This finding was consistent with the prediction put forth by Holden and colleagues with robotics testing of the consumer grade computer systems that are commonly utilized by researchers conducting reaction time testing on concussed individuals. The significant difference in fidelity between the methods commonly used by concussion researchers is attributed to the differences in accuracy of the measures deployed and/or the increases in biological fidelity introduced by tactile based reaction times over visually administered reaction time tests. Additionally, while most of the commonly used computerized testing assessment tools require a pre-season baseline test to predict a neurological insult, the tactile based methods reported in this paper did not utilize any baselines for comparisons. The reaction time data reported was one test of a battery of tests administered to the population studied, and this is the first of a series of papers that will examine each of those tests independently.
Implementation of output impedance in single‐phase inverters with repetitive control and droop control

A strategy for the implementation of the output impedance in single-phase inverters connected in parallel with droop control for uninterruptible power supply applications is proposed in this study. The proposal allows the load current to be distributed in proportion to the power capacity of the inverters connected in parallel, by establishing the magnitude and phase of the output impedance at the fundamental frequency and its harmonics, when the voltage control is performed through odd harmonic repetitive controllers. This is accomplished through the design of an output impedance profile based on the transfer function of a second-order high-pass filter and a virtual impedance loop. The proposal achieves a correct operation of the droop control strategy and the proper sharing of the harmonics of the non-linear load current between the inverters connected in parallel, obtaining reduced values of individual harmonic content and harmonic distortion in the output voltage with reduced processing requirements. The validity of the proposal is verified through a 2 kVA experimental prototype, considering the requirements of the international quality standards IEC62040-3 and IEC61000-2-2, in terms of output voltage regulation, individual harmonic content, and harmonic distortion for inverters operating both in islanded-mode and in parallel.