Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neem extract formulations to control Diabrotica speciosa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) larvae in maize

Las larvas de Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) son una de las principales plagas subterraneas de varios cultivosy su principal hospedero es el maiz (Zea mays). Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar los efectos de extracto de nim formulado en aceite y extracto de nim en micro encapsulacion para el control de larvas de D. speciosa, asi como el efecto de la aplicacion de las distintas formulaciones en el desarrollo de las plantas de maiz. En el primer experimento, las dosis 0,25; 0,5; 1,0; 2,0; y 4,0 mL de extracto de nim formulado en aceite fueron aplicadas por 25 g de suelo y comparadas con el insecticida fipronil WG y agua desionizada (control). En el segundo experimento, las dosis 160, 80, 40, 20 y 10 mg de extracto de nim en formulacion micro encapsulada fueron aplicadas por 25 g de suelo, y comparadas con los controles. Ambas formulaciones de nim fueron tan eficientes como el insecticida fipronil WG en el control de larvas de D. speciosa. Las dosis evaluadas de las formulaciones de nim no interfieren negativamente en el desarrollo de las plantas de maiz. Se concluye que, a partir de los resultados de esta investigacion y bajo condiciones de laboratorio, las formulaciones extracto de nim formulado en aceite y extracto de nim en micro encapsulacion son promisoras para el control de larvas de D. speciosa en maiz, beneficiando el manejo sustentable de plagas.
Report of a large depletion in the ozone layer over southern Brazil and Uruguay by using multi-instrumental data

Abstract. Ozone is one of the chemical compounds that form part of the atmosphere. It plays a key role in the stratosphere where the “ozone layer” is located and absorbs large amounts of ultraviolet radiation. However, during austral spring (August–November), there is a massive destruction of the ozone layer, which is known as the “Antarctic ozone hole”. This phenomenon decreases ozone concentration in that region, which may affect other regions in addition to the polar one. This anomaly may also reach mid-latitudes; hence, it is called the “secondary effect of the Antarctic ozone hole”. Therefore, this study aims to identify the passage of an ozone secondary effect (OSE) event in the region of the city of Santa Maria – RS (29.68 ∘ S, 53.80 ∘ W) by means of a multi-instrumental analysis using the satellites TIMED/SABER, AURA/MLS, and OMI-ERS. Measurements were made in Sao Martinho da Serra/RS – Brazil (29.53 ∘ S, 53.85 ∘ W) using a sounding balloon and a Brewer Spectrophotometer. In addition, the present study aims to describe and analyse the influence that this stratospheric ozone reduction has on temperatures presented by these instruments, including data collected through the radio occultation technique. The event was first identified by the AURA/MLS satellite on 19 October 2016 over Uruguay. This reduction in ozone concentration was found by comparing the climatology for the years 1996–1998 for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which is close to Uruguay. This event was already observed in Santa Maria/RS-Brazil on 20 October 2016 as presented by the OMI-ERS satellite and the Brewer Spectrophotometer. Moreover, a significant decrease was reported by the TIMED/SABER satellite in Uruguay. On 21 October, the poor ozone air mass was still over the region of interest, according to the OMI-ERS satellite, data from the sounding balloon launched in Santa Maria/RS-Brazil, and measurements made by the AURA/MLS satellite. Furthermore, the influence of ozone on the stratosphere temperature was observed during this period. Despite a continuous decrease detected in height, the temperature should have followed an increasing pattern in the stratospheric layer. Finally, the TIMED/SABER and OMI-ERS satellites showed that on 23 October, the air mass with low ozone concentration was moving away, and its layer, as well as the temperature, in the stratosphere was re-established. Keywords. Atmospheric composition and structure (middle atmosphere – composition and chemistry; instruments and techniques)
Endophytic bacteria and their potential application in agriculture: A review

Evolution and biodiversity of plants may depend on their mutual relationship with soil microbes. Endophytes are such microbes that grow within the plants and can be isolated from leaves, stem, roots, seeds, fruits and flowers. This review gives information on the importance of endophytic bacteria and their role in agriculture by giving some of the products which is more beneficial in improving the agriculture and a detailed knowledge about the potential biotechnological applications of endophytic bacteria in agriculture.
Laser interactions with bundle fiber structures

Laser damages of materials are in research focus during the last decade. These terms can be understood as useful in the treatment of materials or in theoretical modeling of interactions of laser beams with the material. Also, they can be destructive when it comes to high power density where the nonlinear effects are present, too. In addition to the theory, many detailed experimental work is required for new optical components applications. The experiments with Nd: YAG laser (1.064 μm) with defined working regime and power densities and specifically developed optical fiber bundles are the subject of this paper. The fibers are developed in laboratory conditions for specific purposes. Also, commercial optical fiber bundle for dental use are presented and discussed as comparison with the same laser types.
Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Selected Canned Fruits

Fruits are high in polyphenols which are compounds associated with the protection against diseases such as diabetes and cancer. However, food processing including canning can leads to the loss of polyphenol in the fruits. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity of canned fruits commercially available in the local supermarkets in Malaysia. The TPC was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu method while the antioxidant capacity was evaluated by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH assay) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP assay). Five types of different canned fruits with the total of 21 samples including longan, lychee, rambutan, pineapple and orange were selected for the analysis. The samples were analyzed in two forms which were, the homogenized (fruits and syrup) and syrup samples. Canned pineapples have the highest TPC for both homogenized (95.16±30.16 mg GAE/100 g) and syrup sample (108.62±33.88 mg GAE/100 g). For antioxidant capacity, canned pineapple also had the highest value for the homogenized sample (41.79±4.20 umol TE/100 g) while lychee was the highest (46.84±12.81 umol TE/100 g) for syrup sample assessed by DPPH assay. For FRAP assay, lychee was highest in antioxidant capacity for both homogenized sample (40.61±10.55 umol TE/100 g) and syrup sample (33.58±7.56 umol TE/100 g). A positive and significant (P < 0.001) correlation was found between TPC and antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP). In conclusion, canned pineapple and lychee were the highest sources of polyphenol as compared to other types of canned fruits. Further investigation is warranted to determine the specific polyphenol present in the canned fruits.
Effects of leaf compounds, climate and natural enemies on the incidence of thrips in cassava.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of rainfall, temperature, sunlight and relative humidity, as well as predators and parasitoids, leaf chemical composition and levels of leaf nitrogen and potassium on the intensity of Scirtothrips manihoti (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) attack on cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz var. Cacau. The leaf compounds (E)-farnesene/trans-farnesol and D-friedoolean-14-en-3-one correlated significantly with the population of S. manihoti. Insect population decreased in the dry and cold season probably due to leaf senescence. Significative correlation was observed between Syrphidae with S. manihoti populations.
Recuperation of the high germinability condition of papaya seed through priming technology and bioregulators

La perdida rapida de la viabilidad de la semilla de Carica papaya L. (papaya) y su elevado precio comercial afectan la disponibilidad de semillas de alta calidad para los cultivadores. Se uso semilla certificada de papaya cv. Maradol para determinar las metodologias practicas para recuperar la capacidad de germinacion de las semillas. Las semillas se sometieron a: a) preacondicionamiento hi d rico: tras 4 d de preacondicionamiento hidrico la germinacion de semillas aumento hasta 84%, 250% mas que en aquellas que no se trataron; sin embargo, las plantulas generadas a partir de las semillas no tratadas acumularon mas biomasa que las que si se trataron; 2) preacondicionamiento quimico: las semillas tratadas durante 4 d en una solucion de cloruro de calcio 10–5 M germinaron 262% mas que las no tratadas y, ademas, sus plantulas acumularon mas biomasa que las plantulas testigo. Cuando las semillas se trataron ya sea en solucion de acido salicilico 10–4 o en la de Agromil S®, se obtuvo una germinacion significativa, 81 y 73% mas alta que en las no tratadas. Todas las semillas tratadas germinaron con mayor rapidez que las no tratadas
A Novel PI Converter based High VoltageGain DC DC Converter

In this project is widely employed in many industrial applications, such as fuel cell system, uninterrupted power supplies, electric traction, distributed photovoltaic generation system and some medical equipment’s. This project a single switch high voltage gain dc-dc converter with coupled inductor and diode capacitor methods are used. The proposed converter is used to reduce voltage stress with help of coupled inductor and attain the high conversion ratio without operating at high duty cycle. To eliminate potential resonance between diode capacitor and leakage inductance. This converter is reliable and low cost. The nonlinear load produces abnormal conditions, such as voltage imbalance, harmonics current and ripple current. The error can be controlled by using PI controller. With the help of proposed converter, the above problems can be reduced and we can obtain the efficient power factor values. Finally the performance can be designed and verified using MATLAB
Real Activities Manipulation and Subsequent Accounting Performance ---Yes, the Manipulating Direction Matters

Previous studies reveal mixed results for the association between managersi¯ aggressive real activities manipulation and a firmi¯s subsequent performance. To examine the effects of real activities manipulation on a firmi¯s subsequent accounting performance, this study incorporates the manipulating patterns (income-increasing vs. income-decreasing) into model, and uses unbalanced- panel data to establish the empirical regressions. The results reveal that a firmi¯s income-increasing real activities manipulation is associated with a remarkable subsequent accounting performance. This finding supports the signal future prospect hypothesis of firmsi¯ strategic earnings reporting through aggressive real activities manipulation. However, the conjecture that the income-decreasing real activities manipulation is associated with better subsequent performance gains supported only in some settings. This study demonstrates some diagnostic checks, and provides evidence that the results are robust to the various specifications.
PREVALENCE OF THE METABOLIC SYNDROME AMONG PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN URBAN NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA

Background: In most people with glucose intolerance or type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), there is a multiple set of risk factors that commonly appear together forming what is now known as the ‘Metabolic Syndrome’ (MS). This ‘clustering’ of metabolic abnormalities that occur in the same individual appear to confer substantial additional cardiovascular risk. There has been no report on the MS among patients with type 2 DM in urban North-central Nigeria. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of the MS among urban North-central Nigerians with type 2 DM and to describe the frequency of the syndrome’s components. Methods: Six hundred and thirty four (634) patients with type 2 diabetes attending the out-patient clinic of the Diabetes Screening and Care Centre, Jos, Nigeria were screened for the MS. A brief history was obtained and their anthropometric indices and blood pressure were measured. Fasting venous plasma samples were analyzed for lipids. Early morning spot urine samples were obtained for estimation of microalbuminuria using the Bayer DCA 2000® machine. The diagnosis of MS was made based on the new International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition. Results: Of the 634 patients enrolled with mean (standard deviation/SD) age 54.2(9.1) years, 56% were females. The prevalence of MS was 63.6% (74.5% in males and 54.9% in females, p Keywords: Prevalence, Metabolic syndrome, Diabetes
Sediment Contamination Due to Toxic Heavy Metals in Mithi River of Mumbai

The present study deals with quantification of accumulated toxic heavy metals in sediments of Mithi River of Mumbai. The study was performed at three different sampling locations along the flow of Mithi River for two years from 2009-12. The different heavy metals studied were Al, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sr and Mn. The results of our study indicate that the concentration level of these toxic heavy metals for the two assessment years increases by the factor of 1.2-5.8 µg/g. The result is a clear indication of day by day increasing pollution level of the Mithi River, which is creating negative environmental impact on biological life of the river. The results emphasises the need of regular scientific monitoring of different pollutants adversely affecting the environment and to reframe the pollution control strategies already in existence.
Quantifying antalgic gait knee function using inertial sensor technology

The use of body-fixed inertial sensors to analyze human movement may prove useful in the medical field. Improving orthopaedic device design, diagnosing musculoskeletal disorders, and rehabilitation assessment could all benefit from a mobile gait analysis system based on inertial sensors. More specifically, patients recovering from lower limb corrective surgeries tend to adjust gait patterns to accommodate pain, a condition referred to as antalgic gait. Currently there is no quantitative method available to assess recovery for this patient population during post-operative management. A comparison of the inertial sensor system with the camera-based industry standard has confirmed it as a viable method for lower limb motion analysis during normal gait. The inertial sensors consist of multiple accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers used to obtain raw data, which is manipulated to calculate dynamic parameters. By comparing kinematic parameters between affected and unaffected limbs, it is possible to deduce a set of unique knee functionality ratios for recovering fracture patients. A control population was used to verify no significant difference (p 0.05) of seven kinematic parameters between limbs during normal gait. Parameters included peak knee flexion-extension angles at 15 5% and 75 5% gait cycle. These parameters were then analyzed in a group of patients recovering from lower limb fractures, using the unaffected limb as a control/reference. The goal of this project is to use inertial sensor technology to pinpoint specific kinematic parameters of the lower limb that are clinically appropriate in assessing knee function of lower limb fracture patients during the postoperative time span critical in normal gait recovery.
Subscribe System built on a DHT Substrate Master of ScienceThesis in the Program Computer Systems and Networks

Thepublish/subscribe pattern is commonly found inmessaging systems andmessage-oriented middleware. When large numbers of processes are publishing messages in applications where low latency and high throughput is needed, the performance of the messaging system is critical. Several solutions exist that provide high throughput and low latency to a high number of concurrent processes, such as RabbitMQ and Kafka. What happens to the performance of the system when each process also has a complex or large set of subscriptions? This is the case when users of an internet radio application notify each other of songs currently being played and the subscriptions of each user correspond to the user’s wish list – a list of songs that the user is interested in recording. This thesis examines how the popular messaging systems RabbitMQ and Kafka handle this situation when topic-based message filtering is used to model subscriptions. A prototype messaging system, Ingeborg, which is built on the key-value store Riak is also introduced and its performance is examined and compared to the previously mentioned systems. The results of the experimental study show that it is difficult to scale both RabbitMQ and Kafka with regards to the number of topics used, but that RabbitMQ shows greater flexibility in its configuration. Finally, the prototype system Ingeborg shows that it is possible to design a messaging system from scratch based on a key-value store, allowing even greater flexibility in prioritizing trade-offs and performance properties of a system.
THE CHANDRA COSMOS LEGACY SURVEY: OPTICAL/IR IDENTIFICATIONS

We present the catalog of optical and infrared counterparts of the Chandra COSMOS-Legacy Survey, a 4.6 Ms Chandra program on the 2.2 deg2 of the COSMOS field, combination of 56 new overlapping observations obtained in Cycle 14 with the previous C-COSMOS survey. In this Paper we report the i, K, and 3.6 μm identifications of the 2273 X-ray point sources detected in the new Cycle 14 observations. We use the likelihood ratio technique to derive the association of optical/infrared (IR) counterparts for 97% of the X-ray sources. We also update the information for the 1743 sources detected in C-COSMOS, using new K and 3.6 μm information not available when the C-COSMOS analysis was performed. The final catalog contains 4016 X-ray sources, 97% of which have an optical/IR counterpart and a photometric redshift, while ≃54% of the sources have a spectroscopic redshift. The full catalog, including spectroscopic and photometric redshifts and optical and X-ray properties described here in detail, is available online. We study several X-ray to optical (X/O) properties: with our large statistics we put better constraints on the X/O flux ratio locus, finding a shift toward faint optical magnitudes in both soft and hard X-ray band. We confirm the existence of a correlation between X/O and the the 2–10 keV luminosity for Type 2 sources. We extend to low luminosities the analysis of the correlation between the fraction of obscured AGNs and the hard band luminosity, finding a different behavior between the optically and X-ray classified obscured fraction.
Predicting future land cover change and its impact on streamflow and sediment load in a trans-boundary river basin

Abstract. Sediment load can provide very important perspective on erosion of river basin. The changes of human-induced vegetation cover, such as deforestation or afforestation, affect sediment yield process of a catchment. We have already evaluated that climate change and land cover change changed the historical streamflow and sediment yield, and land cover change is the main factor in Red river basin. But future streamflow and sediment yield changes under potential future land cover change scenario still have not been evaluated. For this purpose, future scenario of land cover change is developed based on historical land cover changes and land change model (LCM). In addition, future leaf area index (LAI) is simulated by ecological model (Biome-BGC) based on future land cover scenario. Then future scenarios of land cover change and LAI are used to drive hydrological model and new sediment rating curve. The results of this research provide information that decision-makers need in order to promote water resources planning efforts. Besides that, this study also contributes a basic framework for assessing climate change impacts on streamflow and sediment yield that can be applied in the other basins around the world.
The Size of Political Jurisdictions: Evidence from a Fascist Consolidation

The paper uses the consolidation of municipalities brought about by the Fascist dictatorship in Italy during the 1920s to gauge the role of the size of local jurisdictions for economic development. It finds that the consolidation was associated with relevant net welfare gains for the communities involved. In particular, the advantages related to the bigger economies of scale made possible in jurisdictions of larger size overwhelmed the costs owing to the higher heterogeneity.
Hydroxynorketamine: Implications for the NMDA Receptor Hypothesis of Ketamine’s Antidepressant Action

The prevailing hypothesis of ketamine’s unique antidepressant effects implicates N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) inhibition-dependent enhancement of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor-mediated transmission, activation of intracellular signalling pathways and increased synaptogenesis. Recently, however, a seminal study by Zanos et al. directly challenged the NMDAR hypothesis of ketamine with the claim that an active ketamine metabolite, (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine, devoid of NMDAR binding properties or key side effects of its parent compound, is both necessary and sufficient for ketamine’s antidepressant effects in rodents. However, following these encouraging initial findings, one preclinical study failed to replicate the antidepressant effects of (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine (HNK), while others have questioned the metabolite’s contribution to ketamine’s therapeutic effects or argued against rejecting the NMDAR hypothesis of ketamine action. In light of these potentially paradigm-shifting, but highly controversial, findings, this review will summarise and critically evaluate the evidence for and against the NMDA receptor hypothesis of ketamine action, with a particular focus on (2R,6R)-HNK and the implications of its discovery for understanding ketamine’s mechanism of action in depression. Ultimately, uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of ketamine and possibly (2R,6R)-HNK, will aid the development of novel and more efficacious antidepressant agents so urgently needed to address a major public health concern, and could hold potential for the treatment of other stress-related psychopathologies, including bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidality.
The assessment of the impact of myofascial training on postural control – a case study

Introduction. A sedentary lifestyle with lack of physical activity contributes to deteriorated balance among healthy young people. Physical activity is import_ant since it stimulates neuromuscular junctions that control body posture, especially at younger age, when greater postural sway may be observed in stabilography compared to adults. Proper work of individual muscle groups is import_ant to maintain proper balance. Abnormal muscle tone can lead to dysbalances that make it difficult o maintain a stable posture in a variety of conditions. Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a training cycle consisting of stretching of the ilopsoas, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, hamstring and rectus abdominis, and eccentric training of the above mentioned muscles to improve static and dynamic balance. Methods. Oobjective and qualitative-subjective were used to assess the results in a man aged 22 yrs. Postural control was tested twice in the patient with the Neurocom International Inc. SMART EquiTest device under static conditions without visual control and with dynamic visual surrounding and unstable support surface. Automatic postural reflexes were also evaluated. In addition, clinical tests were performed. Results. Myo-fascial training, which included eccentric training combined with lower limb and trunk stretching improved the postural control in the subject.