2,2′-Bi-1,3,4-thia­diazole-5,5′-diamine tetra­hydrate

In the title compound, C4H4N6S2·4H2O, the complete organic mol­ecule is generated by crystallographic twofold symmetry and the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 10.24 (3)°. In the crystal, inter­molecular N—H⋯N, N—H⋯O, O—H⋯N and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and aromatic π–π stacking inter­actions [centroid–centroid separations = 3.530 (3) and 3.600 (3) Å] are observed

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIARY IN IMPROVING THE ABILITY IN WRITING DESCRIPTIVE TEXT

This research aims to prove if the use of diary is effective to improve the ability in writing descriptive text. The researcher applied a quasi-experimental research design which involved an experimental group and a control group. The samples were X MIPA 2 class, as the experimental group, and X MIPA 4 class, as the control group. They were selected by using a cluster random sampling technique. In collecting the data, the researcher gave pretest and posttest for both groups. The result of the data analysis shows that there is a significant difference between pretest and posttest results. The mean score of the experimental group before the treatment is 41.06 while the control group is 42.31. After the treatment, the mean score of the experimental group is 70.05 and the control group is 57.26. It is also shown that tcounted is 3.87 greater than the t- table 1.68 which indicates that the research hypothesis is accepted. Thus, it can be inferred that the use of diary is effective to improve the students’ ability in writing descriptive text. Keywords: Writing Ability, Descriptive text, DiaryAbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuktikan apakah penggunaan catatan harian efektif untuk meningkatkan kemampuan menulis teks deskriptif siswa kelas X SMA Negeri 5 Palu. Peneliti menerapkan desain penelitian kuasi eksperimen yang melibatkan kelompok eksperimen dan kelompok kontrol. Sampel adalah kelas X MIPA 2, sebagai kelompok eksperimen, dan kelas X MIPA 4, sebagai kelompok kontrol. Mereka dipilih dengan menggunakan teknik cluster random sampling. Dalam mengumpulkan data, peneliti memberikan pretest dan posttest untuk kedua kelompok. Hasil analisis data menunjukkan bahwa ada perbedaan yang signifikan antara hasil pretest dan posttest. Nilai rata-rata dari kelompok eksperimen sebelum perawatan adalah 41,06 sedangkan kelompok kontrol adalah 42,31. Setelah perawatan, skor rata-rata dari kelompok eksperimen adalah 70,05 dan kelompok kontrol adalah 57,26. Hal ini juga menunjukkan bahwa t- hitung 3,87 lebih besar dari t-tabel 1,68 yang menunjukkan bahwa hipotesis penelitian diterima. Dengan demikian, dapat disimpulkan bahwa penggunaan catatan harian efektif untuk meningkatkan kemampuan siswa dalam menulis teks deskriptif.Kata Kunci: Kemampuan menulis, Test Deskriptif, Catatan Harian

catena-Poly[copper(I)-di-μ-bromido-copper(I)-bis­[μ-4-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione-κ2 S:S]]

In the title coordination polymer, [CuBr(C3H5N3S)]n, the CuI atom adopts a tetra­hdral CuS2Br2 coordination geometry arising from two S-bonded 4-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3(4H)-thione ligands and two bromide ions. Both the S and Br atoms act as bridging ligands, connecting pairs of CuI atoms and generating chains propagating in [100]. Inter-chain N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds generate layers in the ac plane. Weak intra-chain N—H⋯Br inter­actions also occur

Optimization of Vinegar Production from Nipa (Nypa fruticans Wurmb.) Sap Using Surface Culture Fermentation Process

  Background and objective: Sap from nipa mangrove palms is rich in nutrition and chemical components. Currently, sap is used for production of fresh juice, syrup, molasses, alcohol and traditional vinegar. The aim of this study was to enhance nutritional values of nipa sap in highquality vinegar using surface culture fermentation.Material and methods: Vinegar was produced from nipa sap using a two-step surface culture fermentation process including vinegar starter culture preparation and vinegar production. Vinegar acetic acid, residual alcohol and pH were optimized. Nipa sap vinegar from surface culture fermentation was compared to that from traditional methods for compliance with regulatory standards. Antioxidant activities (total phenolic content, 2, 2-diphenyl-2picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays) and sensory of the product were assessed.Results and conclusion: Acidity increased to 6.20% using surface culture fermentation at 2.9fold, compared to that using traditional methods (2.14%). Alcohol concentration included 11.9% during wine fermentation. The surface culture fermentation converted alcohol to acetic acid using Acetobacter aceti TISTR 354 in ten days. A good antioxidant activity was reported for the vinegar. Organoleptic properties scored more than “neither like nor dislike” in each attribute. Therefore, high quality vinegars could be produced from nipa sap using surface culture fermentation which could be scaled up in the future.Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Coffee Commercialization in the Bolaven Plateau in the Southern of Lao PDR

Coffee commercialization is a part of agricultural commercialization, which is recently tended to be increasingly integrated into the national, regional, and global market to increase the export earnings. In this context, coffee commercialization is discoursed in pertinent to six perspectives involving agricultural commercialization, the linkage of agriculture and commercialization, new thinking of agricultural commercialization, productive resources for coffee commercialization, process of coffee commercialization, and impact of coffee commercialization. Agricultural commercialization has to reconstruct of relation to food security and gender role in agricultural commercialization. The implication of empirical analysis of FATE research project in the Southern of Lao PDR highlights three novel features of coffee commercialization including productive resources for coffee commercialization, process of coffee commercialization, and impact of coffee commercialization. The primary conditions required for coffee commercialization are productive resources including land, capital, and labor. The coffee commercialization is essentially processing through plantation, nurturing, harvesting, and marketing. The commercialization provides livelihood impact arena for local farmers’ food security and employment opportunities including for women and creates compact gender division of labor in different processes of coffee commercialization

Consistent Robustness Analysis (CRA) Identifies Biologically Relevant Properties of Regulatory Network Models

A number of studies have previously demonstrated that "goodness of fit" is insufficient in reliably classifying the credibility of a biological model. Robustness and/or sensitivity analysis is commonly employed as a secondary method for evaluating the suitability of a particular model. The results of such analyses invariably depend on the particular parameter set tested, yet many parameter values for biological models are uncertain.Here, we propose a novel robustness analysis that aims to determine the "common robustness" of the model with multiple, biologically plausible parameter sets, rather than the local robustness for a particular parameter set. Our method is applied to two published models of the Arabidopsis circadian clock (the one-loop [1] and two-loop [2] models). The results reinforce current findings suggesting the greater reliability of the two-loop model and pinpoint the crucial role of TOC1 in the circadian network.Consistent Robustness Analysis can indicate both the relative plausibility of different models and also the critical components and processes controlling each model

Agriculture transition and women's decision-making power in coffee-farming households in Lao PDR

The Lao government introduced a new period of economic liberalisation with the New Economic Mechanism (NEM) in 1986. The present study examineswhether market liberalisation and women’s participation translated into changes in women’s decision-making power in the coffee growing region of the Bolaven Plateau in southern Lao PDR. While women have always been involved in coffee farming, their participation increased when the more labour-intensive arabica coffee plants were introduced to replace the less popular robusta variety in the region. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, the study examines gender decision-making within coffee-farming households. The findings show an increase in women’s participation in decision-making with the introduction of the arabica coffee plants; however, men still hold higher decision-making power in farming households. While the NEM has brought about economic growth and provided better livelihoods for coffee farmers, this has not necessarily translated into women’s empowerment. Economic growth is not enough to bring about gender equality, and there is still a need for specific policy interventions

LABOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN COFFEE PRODUCTION IN SOUTHERN LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

General debate on the issue of labor employment is related to employment opportunity, pattern of labor employment, the contribution to labor employment, and the impact of labor employment on livelihoods. This paper examines labor employment opportunities through different ethnic perspectives, especially labor employment opportunities in coffee production, a non-traditional agricultural export (NTAE) product, as a case. The objectives of this study are to investigate the pattern of labor employment and to examine the impacts of the employment on the labor livelihoods. Qualitative method was applied to collect empirical data in four villages and five coffee planter-exporter companies in Pakxong District, Champasak Province, and Lao Ngam District, Salavanh Province, Lao PDR. Stakeholder consultation was held in relation to promotion of NTAE. Data analysis for this paper includes thematic analysis and narrative method. Findings show that there are many patterns of labor employment in coffee production: daily paid employment, monthly paid employment, and contracting employment. Wage laborers are from different ethnic groups who live in the same village, villages from outside, nearby villages, districts in the same province, and other provinces. Generally, the employment provides laborer with benefits. The laborers receive wage income and other additional benefits from employment in coffee production. The laborers benefit the most from a monthly salary and contracted employment compared to daily paid employment. The monthly paid employment secures employment status, provides additional benefits including welfare schemes such as medical care, accommodation, food provision, and telecommunication fees. The laborers, however, prefer to work as daily labor which provides incentive and is flexible for both the laborers and employers. In addition, migrant laborers experienced some negative impacts on their livelihood while working in a coffee garden such as working long hours, changing living style, and conflict with colleague workers and employers. The study suggests that related public and private agencies have to work closely with the farmers to regulate their workers’ employment conditions to be in line with the national labor code of conduct.