Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Delivering on the E-Learning Promise: A Case for a Learning Environment that Enables Collaborative Online Problem Solving (COPS).

Research spanning the last thirty years confirms that people learn better by active enquiry, collaboration and experimental problem solving than by passive reception and acceptance of information. Empirical evidence, as well as the pressing demands of pervasive social and technological change, requires learning and teaching approaches that combine problem-centred learning and collaborative learning, and open up possibilities for equitable participation in real-world learning. This paper mounts a theoretical and pedagogical case for such an approach by examining the developmental work being conducted in this area at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). It argues for a collaborative online problem solving environment (known colloquially as COPS) that will combine the problem-centred and collaborative dimensions of learning. The developmental work of COPS seeks to go beyond current online learning and teaching resources offered by most learning management systems, to provide a framework and system to create and deploy environments where teams of student learners can collaborate, engage, grapple with and seek to make sense of authentic problems within an online environment. It seeks to do so by creating problem-centred ’learning designs’ that can be integrated with face to face teaching to bridge the gap between the classroom and real world experience.
Evaluation of Some Commercial Growth Promoters on the Performance and Carcass Quality of Broiler Chickens

This research was conducted to compare between growth promoters Zigbir (commercial herbal product), Biogine (Probiotic) and X Mos (Yeast) on the growth performance and carcass quality of broiler chicken. One hundred twenty eight one week-old unsexed broiler chicks of Arbor Acres hybrid were randomly allotted to four experimental diets: 1control (basal diet), 2basal diet plus Zigbir, basal diet plus Biogine and basal diet plus X Mos Yeast, in a complete randomized design. Each treatment contained 32 chicks (8 birds/ replicate). Feed intake, Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were recorded weekly. On the 35 th day 4 birds per treatment were slaughtered and the weights of carcass, carcass cuts and edible organs of individual birds were measured. Results of this study revealed no significant (P > 0.05) improvement of performance, carcass yield, carcass cuts and edible organs of broiler chicken by the dietary supplements compared to the control.
Analysis of some metals in some brands of tea sold in Kano, Nigeria

Tea leaves can be a source of mineral components and trace elements as well as some undesirable substances due to exposure to the environment. In this study, Mg, Fe, Ca, Zn, Mn, Cu and Pb were analyzed by Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), K and Na were also determined by flame photometer. Among the metals analyzed, K was the most abundant, ranging from 30.00mg/dm3 in china sample to 34.60 mg/dm3 in Srilanka sample, followed by Mg with 9.03 mg/dm3 in India sample to 9.21 mg/dm3 in Srilanka sample. Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Na and Cu were also found in reasonable amounts. Fortunately, toxic heavy metal (Pb) had the lowest concentration in all the tea samples with concentration ranging from 0.04 mg/dm3 in India and Srilanka samples to 0.09 mg/dm3 in China sample. Keywords: Essential metals, Trace metals, Tea, Kano
Evaluation of Clinical Symptoms Related to Common Serogroups of Leptospirosis in North of Iran

Leptospirosis is a common disease between humans and animals. Identifying common serogroups and comparing different clinical symptoms among them can help in finding the clinical pattern associated with pathogen serogroupes of leptospirosis. Therefore, the purpose of this study has been to investigate the common serotypes of the infection and their clinical symptoms in northern Iran. This cross-sectional study was carried out in educational hospitals of Babol University of Medical Sciences during the years 2011- 2014. Subjects with clinical findings consistent with leptospirosis were included in the study. According to the standard MAT guidelines, the titre >=1: 200 was considered positive. Then, the patients identified by serogroup separation, were examined and compared clinical symptoms. Among 6o patients with primary diagnosis of leptospirosis in this study, 35 of them proved to be infected to the disease. The most common serogroups were serjoe (40%) and icterohemorrhagia (31.4%). Autumnalis (22.8%), grippotyphosa (11.4%), canicola (8.6%), and pomona (2.8%) were included the subsequent serogroups. The highest frequency of fever (28%) and gastrointestinal manifestations (36%) were observed in icterohemorrhagia and the highest icterus (30%) was found in serjoe serogroup. In this study, serjoe serogroup with fever and icterus, and then icterohemorrhagia with fever and gastrointestinal symptoms were introduced as the most common serogroups of Leptospirosis. Also the rarest serogroups were canicola and pomona.
Farmers’ Assessment of the Training and Visit Extension System in Central Nigeria: Evidence from Barkin Ladi, Plateau State

Abstract The Training and Visit (T&V) extension has been criticized for being top-down, top-heavy, inefficient and ineffective. The purpose of this study therefore was to assess the effectiveness of the T & V extension in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Council (LGC), Plateau State in Central Nigeria. Four specific objectives guided the study. A total of 60,000 farmers who had been in active production between 1986 and 1995 in the LGC constituted the population for the study. A three percent sample (1,800) was randomly selected for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data pertinent to the study. Data were descriptively analysed. Demographically, majority of the respondents were males, aged 25-26 years, and married. Slightly less than 50 percent (43.5%) were literate. Majority had farmed for at least 11 years (53%) and had land holdings almost exclusively by inheritance (96%). Other results of the study indicated that although majority of the respondents had contact with extension agents, most depended on other sources for agricultural information. Respondents reported that the frequency of extension visits were unsatisfactory, but found the information given by extension agents very useful. Majority of the respondents were aware of recommended agricultural technologies. The adoption of fertilizer and improved crop varieties was higher than capital-intensive innovations such as mechanized land preparation and use of fishing gear. Recommendations were made on the basis of major results of the study.
Development of a reliable and easy method for screening Oenococcus carbohydrate consumption profile.

Aims : The aim of this study was to develop a colorimetric test to determine Oenococcus carbohydrate consumption profile. Methods and results : A semi-defined growth medium which enabled efficient bacterial growth and medium acidification in the presence of glucose was developed. The inoculum size and the presence of citrate in the medium were optimized. Acidification of the medium was revealed by adding bromocresol green and was shown to be perfectly correlated with D-glucose, D-fructose, L-arabinose, D-xylose, L-rhamnose, D-cellobiose or D-trehalose consumption by 23 distinct O. oeni strains and one O. kitaharae strain (confirmed with HPLC analysis). Significance and impact of the study : Efficient bacterial growth is essential before malic acid degradation occurs in wine. The method developed here will facilitate the comparison of numerous O. oeni strains and their ability to grow by using the various carbohydrates present in wine prior to malolactic fermentation.
Service innovation and electronic word‐of‐mouth: is it worth listening to?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate what discussants in internet based discussion forums talk about. Investigates electronic word of mouth (e‐WOM) as a potential source of information for service innovation. The aim is to derive four core categories of unique dialogues that provide valuable information to service innovation.Design/methodology/approach – Apart from Harrison‐Walker's effort to develop a scale of measuring WOM, disclosing the inside of electronic word‐of‐mouth has never been done before. For this reason a qualitative approach using Netnography was adopted. The paper analyzes the content of all postings taking place during 100 days in five defined discussion forums on the internet.Findings – The results indicate that conversations taking place in electronic discussion forums can be divided into four core categories, i.e. information request, usage experience, business practice issues, and comments pertaining to new product launches.Research limitations/implications – The stu.
Evolution of compositional polarity and zoning in tourmaline during prograde metamorphism of sedimentary rocks in the Swiss Central Alps

Abstract The compositional evolution of tourmaline from diagenetic to lower amphibolite-facies conditions was investigated in two metasedimentary units (redbed and black shale formations) along a traverse across the Central Alps. With increasing metamorphism, three distinct rim zones grew around detrital tourmaline cores, simultaneously with the development of prismatic neoblasts. Detrital cores and all successive rim zones are preserved in the amphibolite-facies rocks. As indicated by whole-rock data, the B required for tourmaline growth was released from illite and muscovite and was not introduced from external sources. The studied samples of tourmaline exhibit compositional polarity, i.e., their compositions are different at the opposite ends of the c axis. The compositional difference between the two poles can be expressed by the substitutions Na + Mg ⇌ ⃞ + Al and 2Al ⇌ Ti + Mg, with the positive pole always richer in Al and having more X-site vacancies. Both chemical and optical polar effects are most pronounced in the internal rim zones and become less prominent toward the external zones. The systematic prograde compositional trends are depicted in a vector space for Li-poor tourmaline. At low-grade conditions, the tourmaline composition is clearly controlled by the host-rock composition, but with increasing metamorphic grade the compositions of tourmaline from a variety of rocks converge. The data show that in the Central Alps, increasing metamorphic grade is reflected by increases in Ca/(Ca + Na) and Mg/(Mg + Fe2+), a decrease in Fe3+, and an increase in the occupancy of the X site of tourmaline.
The effect of variable-retention riparian buffer zones on water temperatures in small headwater streams in sub-boreal forest ecosystems of British Columbia

Stream temperature impacts resulting from forest harvesting in riparian areas have been documented in a number of locations in North America. As part of the StuartTakla FisheriesForestry Interaction Project, we have investigated the influence of three variable-retention riparian harvesting prescriptions on temperatures in first-order streams in the interior sub-boreal forests of northern British Columbia. Prescriptions were designed to represent a range of possible harvesting options outlined by the Forest Practices Code of B.C., or associated best management practice guidelines. Five years after the completion of harvesting treatments, temperatures remained four to six degrees warmer, and diurnal temperature variation remained higher than in the control streams regardless of treatment. Initially, the high-retention treatment acted to mitigate the temperature effects of the harvesting, but 3 successive years of windthrow was antecedent to reduced canopy density and equivalent temperature impacts. We spe.
New ground ice maps for Canada using a paleogeographic modelling approach

Abstract. Ground ice melt caused by climate-induced permafrost degradation may trigger significant ecological change, damage infrastructure, and alter biogeochemical cycles. The fundamental ground ice mapping for Canada is now >20 years old and does not include significant new insights gained from recent field- and remote-sensing-based studies. New modelling incorporating paleogeography is presented in this paper to depict the distribution of three ground ice types (relict ice, segregated ice, and wedge ice) in northern Canada. The modelling uses an expert-system approach in a geographic information system (GIS), founded in conceptual principles gained from empirically based research, to predict ground ice abundance in near-surface permafrost. Datasets of surficial geology, deglaciation, paleovegetation, glacial lake and marine limits, and modern permafrost distribution allow representations in the models of paleoclimatic shifts, tree line migration, marine and glacial lake inundation, and terrestrial emergence, and their effect on ground ice abundance. The model outputs are generally consistent with field observations, indicating abundant relict ice in the western Arctic, where it has remained preserved since deglaciation in thick glacigenic sediments in continuous permafrost. Segregated ice is widely distributed in fine-grained deposits, occurring in the highest abundance in glacial lake and marine sediments. The modelled abundance of wedge ice largely reflects the exposure time of terrain to low air temperatures in tundra environments following deglaciation or marine/glacial lake inundation and is thus highest in the western Arctic. Holocene environmental changes result in reduced ice abundance where the tree line advanced during warmer periods. Published observations of thaw slumps and massive ice exposures, segregated ice and associated landforms, and ice wedges allow a favourable preliminary assessment of the models, and the results are generally comparable with the previous ground ice mapping for Canada. However, the model outputs are more spatially explicit and better reflect observed ground ice conditions in many regions. Synthetic modelling products that incorporated the previous ground ice information may therefore include inaccuracies. The presented modelling approach is a significant advance in permafrost mapping, but additional field observations and volumetric ice estimates from more areas in Canada are required to improve calibration and validation of small-scale ground ice modelling. The ground ice maps from this paper are available in the supplement in GeoTIFF format.
EFFICACY OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS: A SUMMARY OF ITS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

Hypnosis is a valuable clinical intervention for the treatment of a wide variety of psychological and medical problems which helps improve the quality of life in patients. This paper reviews the state of the evidence regarding the efficacy of hypnosis taking into account the most rigorous research results in this respect, together with other studies of clinical relevance although they do not fulfill stringent methodological criteria. Overall, the findings of research indicate that hypnosis used as an adjunctive to other medical or psychological interventions increases the efficacy and/or efficiency of these interventions. Moreover, hypnosis efficacy is well established in certain clinical applications, especially pain management and other medical conditions, and there is acceptable evidence of its efficacy in treating depression, sleep disorders, smoking cessation, obesity, asthma, and enuresis in children. According to the literature to date, continued research using randomized, controlled methodologies as well as adequate sample sizes is well justified, and it is essential in order to establish the efficacy of hypnosis in other areas.
Working Capital Management and Profitability of The Manufacturing Sector: An Empirical Investigation of Nestle Nigeria PLC and Cadbury Nigeria PLC

Working capital management is very fundamental to the liquidity and profitability of any organisation and the two variables are vital in evaluating the performance and ultimately deciding the survival of any organisation. This study presents an empirical investigation of the relationship between working capital management and profitability using Nestle Nigeria Plc and Cadbury Nigeria Plc as case studies. The study used correlation and regression analysis to analyse data. Quick ratio was used to measure liquidity, current ratio, trade receivable collection and trade payables payment periods were used as efficiency variables to capture the working capital management policy adopted by these companies while return on equity was used as the profitability variable. Liquidity and efficiency variables were correlated against return on equity. The study found a negative relationship between the liquidity, two of the efficiency ratios and return on equity for Nestle Nigeria Plc while it found a positive relationship between the liquidity, efficiency ratios and return on equity of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. To enhance profitable short-term investments, the study recommends that companies should manage their working capital efficiently by upgrading the quality of their assets while obsolete inventories should be written off.
Relationship between phytoplankton and bacterioplankton production in vegetated humic shallow lakes

In this study, we show that depth-integrated pelagic primary production (PP) can exceed bacterioplankton production (BP) in vegetated humic shallow lakes, giving as a result an autotrophic water column, despite light restrictions and availability of organic carbon for lake bacteria. Intuitively, these conditions should favor the development of a heterotrophic water column. Instead, during our survey, BP represented between 1.3 to 5% of PP most of the time. Only once, during late summer, BP was ~71% of PP. Although we cannot conclude about the mechanisms behind the observed results, previous surveys and experimentation in the wetland allow us to hypothesize that autotrophic conditions were favored by: i) the shallow nature of the lakes, which compensates for light attenuation by organic matter when integrating production in the water column, ii) the presence of anaerobic anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria below the macrophyte cover, and iii) high predation rates on bacterioplankton by heterotrophic flagellates below the floating plants.
Impacts of Anthropogenic Land Use Changes on Nutrient Concentrations in Surface Waterbodies: A Review

Increased population leads to land use (LU) changes from natural to urban and agricultural LU. These disturbances not only decrease the natural treatment potential but they also worsen surface water quality (SWQ). The aim of this review is to assess studies about impacts of anthropogenic LU changes on levels of nutrient concentrations in surface waterbodies, highlighting the important parameters needed for an integrated simulation. The results reported in the literature are not always fully consistent. These contradictory results can sometimes be explained by field measurements under different climatic conditions, different features of landscapes, air deposition rates on ground surfaces, and groundwater flow interactions with surface water. Integrated modelling has been suggested to overcome these inconsistencies. Physical-based and empirical models are the most popular approaches for LU-SWQ studies. Generally, anthropogenic LU such as agricultural and urban areas usually enhances nutrient concentrations much more than natural lands such as forest and barren. Developing sustainable metropolitan areas instead of rural areas, establishing high-standard wastewater treatment plants, and practicing efficient fertiliser application would ameliorate the poor nutrient conditions in SWQ. Riparian vegetation, grassed swales, and construction of artificial wetlands as buffer zones are the most promising natural water quality control measures.
Comparison between LDA technique and fuzzy membership roster method for pre-monsoon weather forecasting

In the present study, an attempt is made to propose a new operational technique for weather forecasting at Kolkata (22.53o N, 88.33o E), India, during the pre-monsoon season (March, April and May). The technique is based on fuzzy membership roster method. It can handle inherent non-linearity in a physical phenomenon. To establish the new method, a comparative study is performed between the existing multivariate technique, the linear discriminant analysis and the newly suggested technique based on fuzzy membership roster method. It is interesting to note that for the prediction of weather of next 12 hours based on Radio/Rawin Sonde observation at 1200 UTC of a day, the fuzzy membership roster method is better than the multivariate technique. Both the methods are however almost equally suitable to predict the weather of the next 12 hours based on Radio/ Rawin Sonde observation at 0000 UTC. So, the fuzzy logic based technique, adopted here, is as efficient as the linear statistical rules, but computationally simpler. The degrees of compatibility and the discriminant functions are defined using a training data set for the period 1985-1996 and validated for the period 1997-1999.
TheGaia-ESO Survey: pre-main-sequence stars in the young open cluster NGC 3293

The young open cluster NGC3293 is included in the observing program of the Gaia-ESO survey (GES). The radial velocity values provided have been used to assign cluster membership probabilities by means of a single-variable parametric analysis. These membership probabilities are compared to the results of the photometric membership assignment of NGC3293, based on UBVRI photometry. The agreement of the photometric and kinematic member samples amounts to 65 per cent, and could increase to 70 per cent as suggested by the analysis of the differences between both samples. A number of photometric PMS candidate members of spectral type F are found, which are confirmed by the results from VPHAS photometry and SED fitting for the stars in common with VPHAS and GES data sets. Excesses at mid- and near-infrared wavelengths, and signs of Hα emission, are investigated for them. Marginal presence of Hα emission or infilling is detected for the candidate members. Several of them exhibit moderate signs of U excess and weak excesses at mid-IR wavelengths. We suggest that these features originate from accretion discs in their last stages of evolution.
Cosmological N-body simulations with suppressed variance

We present and test a method that dramatically reduces variance arising from the sparse sampling of wavemodes in cosmological simulations. The method uses two simulations which are fixed (the initial Fourier mode amplitudes are fixed to the ensemble average power spectrum) and paired (with initial modes exactly out of phase). We measure the power spectrum, monopole and quadrupole redshift-space correlation functions, halo mass function and reduced bispectrum at $z=1$. By these measures, predictions from a fixed pair can be as precise on non-linear scales as an average over 50 traditional simulations. The fixing procedure introduces a non-Gaussian correction to the initial conditions; we give an analytic argument showing why the simulations are still able to predict the mean properties of the Gaussian ensemble. We anticipate that the method will drive down the computational time requirements for accurate large-scale explorations of galaxy bias and clustering statistics, enabling more precise comparisons with theoretical models, and facilitating the use of numerical simulations in cosmological data interpretation.