Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMPROVING BIOSORPTION OF CU(II)-ION ON ARTIFICIAL WASTEWATER BY IMMOBILIZED BIOSORBENT OF TROPICAL MICROALGAE

This research purposes to study the role of microalgae in tropical environment – isolated from Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Setiabudi, Jakarta, Indonesia – on biosorption of Cu(II) ion in heavy metal wastewater. The effects of pH and contact time on the rate of metallic biosorption were examined to reach the greatest biosorption efficiency. Microalgae diversity analysis through phenotypic approaches showed that the microalgae community was comprised of 3 species of Chloropyceae i.e Ankistrodesmus braunii, Chlorella sp. , and Scenedesmus quadricauda var quadrispina. Immobilized biosorbent from microalgae was prepared by oven-drying, grinding, and entrapping the microalgae biomass into polymeric matrix of alginate. The sorption properties of biosorbent was characterized by using infrared spectroscopy and SEM micrograph analysis. The optimization of sorption parameters was conducted in batch systems using Cu(II)-artificial wastewater of 300 ppm with pH arrangement of 2-7 and the contact time arrangement of 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 minutes. During the experiment, the Chlorophyceae free and Na-alginat immobilized biomass were added. The research showed that either free and immobilized biomass could adsorb Cu(II) metal ion and reduce its concentration into 25-50 ppm. A maximum biosorption by the alginate-immobilized biosorbent obtained at pH 3,0 and contact time of 180 minutes with 43% absorption efficiency. Sorption properties of microalgae biomasses were indicated by various functional groups presence on biosorbent that could bind heavy metals compared to others. The research proved that the alginateimmobilized biosorbent was highly effective for the treatment of Cu(II)-artificial wastewater and that tolerant cholorophyceae could act as an effective biosorbent in further optimization.
The effect of age on visuo-spatial short-term memory in family dogs

Decline in the visuo-spatial memory domain may be an early marker for cognitive decline and has a relevant impact on animal welfare. Current research on visuo-spatial memory in family dogs is often limited byfactors such as the need of extensive pre-training, limited attention to co-occurring medical conditions, a focus on laboratory dogs, or low sample size. Therefore, we aimed to develop a test that relies on visuospatialshort-term memory, may be performed in a short time, and does not require explicit training. We tested a large sample of young and old dogs, finding that young dogs were more likely to perform correctly, although performance decreased with consecutive trials in both age groups. However, groups did not vary in the severity of mistakes. This task represents the first measure of dogs’ age-related decline of short-term spatial memory that does not require explicit training. The test could potentially be used in veterinary behaviour contexts to monitor cognitive changes in ageing dogs, utilizing a simple binary measure ofsuccess.
Emergence of field-based underwater video for understanding the ecology of freshwater fishes and crustaceans in Australia

Underwater video is increasingly being used to record and research aquatic fauna in their natural environment, and is emerging alongside Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (DIDSON) as a powerful tool in Australian freshwater ecology. We review current progress with field-based applications of underwater video in studying Australian freshwater fish and crustacean ecology. Drawing upon searches of online literature databases and our expert knowledge, we located 11 relevant publications: five set in the Murray-Darling Basin, three in the Eastern Province, two in the Northern Province and a single study in the Pilbara Province. In total, 10 studies reported using video for fish ecology, while three studies included crustaceans. Across the 11 publications, eight examined threatened species, while the remaining studies developed video techniques for surveying species richness in remote or difficult to access habitats. Habitat-use was also a dominant theme (seven studies). Seven of the eight studies that centred on threatened species focused on at least one percichthyid species in either the Murray-Darling Basin or the Eastern Province. Miniaturisation in equipment and increases in compact battery capacity seem to have driven a shift from above-water battery supplies and data storage to small, inexpensive and mobile underwater cameras. We foresee wider use of video in freshwater ecology primarily in the study of animal behaviour and also to improve species detection in field surveys. There is scope for testing novel techniques such as animal-borne video and unmanned underwater vehicles and making use of video in citizen science initiatives.
Access Control for Electronic Health Records. A Delphi study of current challenges and highlighting of potential improvements

Access control is an essential function in electronic health records (EHR) to maintain the duality between patient safety and patient privacy by ensuring that authorized personnel are allowed access to health records. In the Norwegian secondary care, access control in EHR must be given on the basis of decisions about health care, so called decision based access. There is however no empirical data on experiences with the use and setup of decision based access. A Delphi survey was therefore undertaken to identify what end users and system administrators consider to be important challenges, and ways to improve the access control. The survey shows that challenges identified in previous studies are still present. Access control is not sufficiently tailored to treatment processes, and there is extensive use of exception mechanisms, which creates long event records that are not followed up systematically and therefore may go at the expense of patient privacy. Possible improvements include more education, standardization of access control, easier use of exception mechanisms and a more process oriented access control.
Strategic Leveraging: The Top-line Impact of Dynamic Capabilities

It is commonly assumed that the world’s most successful companies have built their success on the basis of their own internal competencies and relentless single-handed pursuit of market impact. However, as Iansiti and Levien (2004) show, using examples of Microsoft, Wal-Mart, Dell and others, many of those firms have attained market leadership in their respective industries by developing and nurturing business ecosystems of partner firms. By embedding their competencies in technologically sophisticated and standard-setting platforms have those large firms attracted smaller firms to become partners and enabled them to leverage platforms, build on top of them and pursue particular niche. In doing so, large firms have become keystone players for their industry and expanded their impact, as in addition to their own activity they created basis for activity of bulk of smaller firms (niche players). This leads to the following question: how does such leveraging impact top-line and bottom-line growth of both keystone players and niche players? This paper addresses top-line impact in the context of niche players in the IT industry. Building on dynamic capabilities framework by Teece et al. (1997) and literature on measurement of intangible assets, this paper: i) presents conceptual model that shows how niche players can increase their competitiveness by strategically leveraging competencies of keystone players, and ii) proposes measures to estimate impact of such leverage on top-line growth of niche players.
Role of self-efficacy and self-concept beliefs in mathematical problem solving: A path analysis.

Path analysis was used to test the predictive and mediational role of self-efficacy beliefs in mathematical problem solving. Results revealed that math self-efficacy was more predictive of problem solving than was math self-concept, perceived usefulness of mathematics, prior experience with mathematics, or gender (N = 350). Self-efficacy also mediated the effect of gender and prior experience on self-concept, perceived usefulness, and problem solving. Gender and prior experience influenced self-concept, perceived usefulness, and problem solving largely through the mediational role of self-efficacy. Men had higher performance, self-efficacy, and self-concept and lower anxiety, but these differences were due largely to the influence of self-efficacy, for gender had a direct effect only on self-efficacy and a prior experience variable. Results support the hypothesized role of self-efficacy in A. Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory. Social cognitive theory suggests that self-efficacy, "people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances" (Bandura, 1986, p. 391), strongly influences the choices people make, the effort they expend, and how long they persevere in the face of challenge. According to Bandura (1986), how people behave can often be better predicted by their beliefs about their capabilities than by what they are actually capable of accomplishing , for these beliefs help determine what individuals do with the knowledge and skills they have. Although researchers have established that self-efficacy is a strong predictor of behavior (Maddux, Norton, & Stoltenberg, 1986), research on the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance in areas such as mathematics is still limited (Bouffard-Bouchard, 1989). Studies of math self-efficacy have been largely correlational, and researchers have emphasized the need to construct causal models with which to conceptualize and test hypothesized relationships (Hackett & Betz, 1989; Meece, Wigfield, & Eccles, 1990). When causal modeling has been used, most models have excluded key variables identified as influencing math performance (most notably, self-concept), or the theoretical framework used to hypothesize relationships was not based on social cognitive theory. Thus, results have added little to a better understanding of self-efficacy's influence. Bandura (1986) hypothesized that self-efficacy beliefs mediate the effect of other determinants of performance such as gender and prior experience on subsequent perfor
ATTITUDES OF URBAN FEMALE CONSUMERS TOWARD FOOD PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Socioeconomic, demographic, and location characteristics as well as opinions and views of South Korean urban females were analyzed to understand how these characteristics influence preferences for foods produced through different production practices. The generalized ordinal logistic model results show that education of the respondent and household location have significant influence on preferences. Age and income influence preferences for selected production techniques and respondents’ opinions on the use of pesticides and importance of other food attributes weaken preferences for food produced by conventional practices, but increase preferences for food produced using unconventional practices.
SPAWNING PERFORMANCE OF Clarias gariepinus ADMINISTERED SERIALLY DILUTED DOSES OF OVAPRIM

This study aim to study the spawning performance of African catfish induced with ovaprim serially diluted with 9% saline and coconut water at ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 1:8 and 1:9 with 1:0 serving as the control, latency period was standardized using recommended time by the manufacturer. For saline water, egg hosed out with ease only for dilution of 1:1 and with harder press striping was possible till 1:7 beyond which stripping was not possible, however using coconut water, eggs hosed out with ease up to 1:4 while harder press made striping possible till the last dilution (1:9). Fertilization decreased significantly (P > 0.05) as the dilution increases with both diluents. Hatching was presumed complete at about 28 hours after fertilization. Result obtained show that hatchability decreased with increasing dilution with saline while there was no statistical change in values obtain with coconut water up to 1:3 however value decreased thereafter, the study shows that hatchery operation for African catfish can use coconut water and saline water as diluents up to 1:4 and 1:1 dilution respectively at normal latency period without significant effect on spawning performance. Keyword: Coconut water, Saline water, Fertilization, Hatchability, Synthetic hormone.
Labour market transitions in South Africa: What can we learn from matched Labour Force Survey data?

We generate a longitudinal dataset using the rotating panel component of the nationally representative Labour Force Surveys from 2001 to 2003. We then estimate the transition probabilities across different labour market states over a six month period. We find that unemployed searchers are more likely to find employment than the non-searching unemployed. Informal sector workers are more likely to find formal sector employment than the searching unemployed. Whites are more likely to find and remain in formal sector jobs. However, some part of the Black-White unemployment gap arises from unemployed Whites leaving the labour force at a higher rate.
Reappraising the Legacy of Colonialism: A Response to Feyrer and Sacerdote

A recent paper by Feyrer & Sacerdote (2006) argues that the legacy of colonialism in a sample of 80 small islands is positive rather than negative, in the sense that a long period as a colony in the 18th and 19th centuries correlates positively with present-day incomes and low infant mortality rates. Remaining a colony to the end of the 20th century is also positive for income. Colonial rule in the 17th and 20th centuries has no impact. This review essay relates Feyrer & Sacerdote’s work to other recent, cross-country research on the linkages between colonialism and development, and offers some criticisms of their data and conclusions. An interesting ongoing debate, as well as plenty of opportunities for further research along these lines, are anticipated.
Optimal polarizations for radar detection and recognition of targets in clutter

The authors investigate the detection and recognition of stationary ground targets in high-resolution, fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. Using 1-ft*1-ft SAR imagery of targets and clutter gathered by a 33-GHz sensor, several techniques for improving target detection performance through optimal processing of the fully polarimetric SAR data. <<ETX>>
Simulations of the ﬂow-driven rotation of the Francis-99 turbine runner. Evaluating the use of PANS and ILES turbulence modelling.

Today, the steadily increasing amount of renewable energy production is changing the way hydraulic power plants are used. The intermittent generation of wind and solar power creates instabilities in the electric grid that need to be countered in a fast and reliable way. Hydro power plants are good at changing power output by simply adjusting the ﬂow through the turbine. They are, however, not designed for that amount of transient loads, which will result in a lower eﬃciency at oﬀ-design operating conditions and a higher degree of fatigue. In this thesis, the ﬂow in a high-head Francis turbine is investigated. The turbine is a model of a full scale prototype turbine operating in Norway. It is in the spirit of the Francis-99 workshop series, aimed to determine the state of the art in high-head Francis turbine simulations, that this thesis is written. The geometry and experimental results of the Francis-99 turbine that are used in this work are freely available at the Lule˚a University of Technology homepage. The focus of the thesis is two-fold; ﬁrstly, the accuracy of a number of turbulence modelling methods are investigated at the best eﬃciency operating condition. The turbulence modelling approaches used are the k-e RNG and k-ω SST URANS models, together with the k-ω SST PANS and ILES methods. Secondly, the implementation of ﬂow driven runner rotation for the purpose of transient operation simulations is evaluated. The operating condition used to test the functionality of this implementation is a load-rejection case. All simulations are performed in an unsteady framework using the ﬁnite volume code FOAM-extend 3.1, which is a highly modiﬁable, open-source CFD code. The geometry comprises all parts from the spiral casing to the draft tube outlet, with the full runner and all guide vanes included. All turbulence models perform similarly when comparing the velocity proﬁles, with the ILES and k-ω SST models correlating best with the experiments. The strong swirl appearing in most of the simulations presented at the 2014 workshop does not appear in the present work, which is closer to the experimental results. The turbine head is over-predicted by 10-20% and the extracted shaft work by 12-21%, resulting in good agreement with experimental eﬃciency. The main frequencies of the pressure probes agree with experiments, and correspond to the blade passing frequencies of the runner blades and guide vanes. The implementation of the ﬂow-driven rotation show robustness and promising trends, but further investigation is needed before comments can be made on accuracy.
The Effect of the Teaching Practice on Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Science Teaching Efficacy and Classroom Management Beliefs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the teaching practice on preservice elementary teachers’ science teaching efficacy and classroom management beliefs. The subjects were 185 pre-service elementary teachers from two different universities in Izmir. In this study, Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (STEBI-B) and the Attitudes and Beliefs on Classroom Control (ABCC) instruments were utilized to collect data. Results of the study indicated that almost all pre-service elementary teachers had high self-efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching. In addition, teaching experience did not affect pre-service elementary teachers’ science teaching efficacy beliefs. However, preservice elementary teachers’ classroom management beliefs tended to change with the teaching practice. While pre-service teachers’ beliefs related to instructional management decrease with teaching practice, their People Management beliefs increase with teaching practice.
Dependence of spreading and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells on micropatterned surface area

Micropatterning technology is a highly advantageous approach for directly assessing and comparing the effects of different factors on stem cell functions. In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol)- (PVA-) micropatterned polystyrene surfaces were prepared using photoreactive PVA and ultraviolet photolithography with a photomask. The micropatterned surface was suitable for single-cell array formation and long-term cell culture due to the nanometer thickness of nonadhesive PVA layer. Different degrees of cell spreading with the same cell shape were established by adjusting the sizes of circular, cell-adhesive polystyrene micropatterns. Cell spreading and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the micropatterns were investigated at the single-cell level. The assembly and organization of the cytoskeleton were regulated by the degree of cell spreading. Individual MSCs on large circular micropatterns exhibited a more highly ordered arrangement of actin filaments than did those on the small circular micropatterns. Furthermore, the differentiation of MSCs was dependent on the degree of cell spreading. Increased cell spreading facilitated the osteogenic differentiation but suppressed the adipogenic differentiation of MSCs. This micropatterning method is valuable for stem cell research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
The need for bioactivity-safety evaluation and conservation of medicinal plants - a review.

The use of medicinal plants as raw materials in the production of new drugs is ever increasing because of their potentials in combating the problem of drug resistance in micro-organisms. Demand for medicinal plants is increasing in both developing and developed countries. Research on medicinal plants is one of the leading areas of research globally. However, there is a need to pay closer attention to the issue of bioactivity-safety evaluation and conservation of medicinal plants. Although some of the screening tests on medicinal plants are performed in vitro, the fact still remains that the ultimate aim of the researcher is to use the medicinal plants to treat diseases in humans and animals, who has to take the product orally or through other means into the system. There is also the need to conserve the medicinal plants to prevent their total extinction from the natural flora. This is because the expanding trade in medicinal plants has serious implications on the survival of several plant species, with many under serious threat to become extinct. The aim of this review is to justify and emphasize the need for the bioactivity-safety evaluation and conservation of the medicinal plants. Key words: Biosafety, evaluation, conservation, medicinal plants.
Does Hot Money in Equity Flows Affect Emerging Stock Markets?

This research study investigates the influence of hot money in equity flows from the United States to twelve emerging-market (EM) countries on the local stock markets during January 1993 to December 2013, including both crisis and non-crisis periods. The study identifies de facto hot money as the temporary component of equity flows. Vector autoregressive models were conducted using monthly data on EMs with the Granger causality test and impulse response analysis. The study found that hot money in equity flows from the United States to EMs does have a significant impact on the local stocks, but the local stock market has little effect on hot money. The findings suggest a new factor regarding equity predictability and profitability that both investment advisors and consultants as well as policymakers may take into account.
The Fekete-Szegö functional problems for some subclasses of m-fold symmetric bi-univalent functions

In this paper, we introduce several new subclasses of the class of m -fold symmetric bi-univalent functions and obtain estimates of the Taylor-Maclaurin coefficients |am+1| , |a2m+1| and Fekete-Szegö functional problems for functions in these new subclasses. The results presented in this paper improve the earlier results of Ali et al. [1], Frasin and Aouf [6], and Srivastava et al. [14] in terms of the bounds as well as the ranges of the parameter under consideration. Our results also further generalize the results of Peng et al. [19]. Mathematics subject classification (2010): Primary 30C45, 33C50; Secondary 30C80.