Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of blended learning on critical thinking skills of nursing students

Introduction: Rapid growth of information and communication technology (ICT) has taken the attention of technology into human needs. One of the basic needs of mankind is critical thinking which has an effective role in the growth and evolution of individual and mankind’s civilization. The influence of many variables on critical thinking has been studied without considering the effect of using blended learning on critical thinking skills among nursing students. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the effects of using blended learning on nursing students’ critical thinking. Method: This was a Quasi-experimental study. The study population was nursing students from Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardebil, Iran. We have chosen two classes using convenience sampling. The tools that have been used in this research were California Critical Thinking Skills Test; Form B (CCTST). At the beginning of the study, the questionnaire of critical thinking was accomplished for both control and experimental groups. The experimental group was taught by blended learning method and control group which was taught by face to face method. At the end of the semester, post test of critical thinking skills was accomplished for both groups. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA. Results: There was no significant difference in the mean score in the critical thinking skills between the control and experimental groups before the intervention (control group: 10.93, experimental group 11.25). Results after intervention shown that the score of critical thinking experimental group has significantly increased in comparison with control group’s score (P<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study have shown that blended learning has significant impact on critical thinking skills and sub-components of analysis, evaluation, and inferential, but it has not significant impact on component of inductive and deductive thinking. So, using of blended learning is one of the important factors of development and prosperity of nursing students’ critical thinking skills. Thus, it is recommended to use this method in educational systems.
A High-Accuracy Alignment System Based on the Dispersion Effect

All geodetic systems utilizing electromagnetic waves in the visible or near IR-range must take the characteristics of the medium into account in which propagation occurs. As more sophisticated electro-optical systems for precision measurements are developed, more details of the propagation medium and coevally solutions of atmospherically induced limitations will become important. Density variations in this propagation medium, i.e. in the air, due to spatial and temporal variations in the atmospheric states, e.g. temperature and pressure, cause inhomogeneities in the refractive index field which lead to gradients in the refractive index of the air. Considering laboratory conditions the detrimental influences of the ambient air arise in the quasi-stationary gradients which appear to have a large systematic component. These refraction effects induce discrepancies in angle between the true and the apparent direction, which are called the refraction angles [see Fig. 1]. Furthermore a contribution towards a turbulent atmosphere has to be made. In an indoor measurement scenario larger turbulent structures with a long-lasting influence can cause similar effects at low frequencies, as described above. Hence the accuracy of the in-air alignment is not limited by the precision of the alignment systems but by these inhomogeneities in the atmosphere that cannot be averaged out within reasonable integration times [1].
Determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) Breakpoints for second-line drugs associated with clinical outcomes in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment in China

7 a Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 8 China and Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety (Fudan University), Ministry of 9 Education, China; 10 b Xiamen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fujian Province, China; 11 c Department of Microbiology, the Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden 12 d Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, 13 Solna, Sweden; 14 e Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 15 Stockholm, Sweden 16 f Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, 17 Sweden 18
Transpiration of Irrigated Tahiti Acid Lime Trees with Different Canopy Leaf Areas , Reference Evapotranspiration and Water Balance for Precision Irrigation Schemes

Regardless of the canopy leaf area, daily normalized transpiration (per unit leaf area) of irrigated Tahiti acid lime trees were equivalent to the normalized reference evapotranspiration (per unit of grass leaf area). Normalized transpiration represented about 1/3 of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) during the growing season. Such coefficient represents the inverse of the leaf area of a hypothetical reference surface. Tree phenology disturbed substantially such relationship during the physiological rest of autumn/winter when photoperiod was short and minimum temperature was below 15°C. Normalized transpiration was nearly constant ( 0.4 L m leaf d) and independent of ETo during the rest period. However, once the tree was physiologically prepared to bloom (late winter/early spring) minimum temperature was not a limiting factor to the transpiration. Large canopy leaf area (99 m) did play a major role reducing drastically the normalized transpiration during summer days with high atmospheric demand (minimum relative humidity below 50%; maximum vapor pressure deficit above 2 kPa). During such days transpiration was reduced by 30 to 40% indicating that the shallow root system was not able to uptake soil water fast enough to supply the large transpiration surface under high demand. Conversely, a small tree (3 m of leaf area) did not show any transpiration restriction. This is an indication that a pruning or topping program would reduce the growth of the transpiring area to keep a potential transpiration rate. An individualized soil water balance approach for precision irrigation schemes is presented. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Assessment of rural farm household poverty : Evidence from Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State , Nigeria

The paper examined the poverty status of rural farm households in Yobe State, Nigeria using a descriptive statistics, Foster, Greer and Thorbecke poverty (FGT) indices and probit regression model. The data used were generated from a survey involving 100 rural farm household’s which were selected using simple random sampling technique. The findings revealed that 70%, 80%, 90% and 88% of the respondents were male, married, with farm holding between 1 – 2 ha and no formal education respectively Results of analysis showed that only 10% of the farm households have access to potable water; while the common toilet facility was the bush. The study showed that the poverty incidence (Po) was discovered to be 99%, the poverty depth/gap (P1) was found to be 98.9% and the poverty severity (P2) was 98.8%. The result of probit regression model indicated that gender, age, household size, farm size, education, membership of cooperatives and farm income are the major determinants of poverty among rural farm households. It is therefore recommended that government should create awareness to on birth control to reduce large family size, provide social infrastructure and make education accessible and affordable to rural farmers’ household. Rural farm households should endeavour to be more active in the value chain.
An Empirical Analysis of Audit Committee Characteristics and Earnings Restatements

This study investigates the impact of audit committee characteristics on the occurrence of earnings restatements. Our general finding is that a large audit committee increases the incidence of earnings restatements, while firms with longer tenure audit committee members, members holding more board seats, and firms with committee members holding more stocks reduce the probability of firms restating their earnings. Moreover, we document an increase in earnings restatements after the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX). More importantly, we provide evidence that the SOX is positively related to an increase in voluntary restatements, but not related to those restatements forced by the SEC or external auditors. This could be explained by the improved internal control and corporate governance, achieving the targeted goal of the SOX. Overall, our study provides additional evidence of the important role of audit committee characteristics in improving the quality of financial statements.
Workplace change and skill needs: workers' perceptions

Across the world, and particularly in developed countries, workplaces are changing, arguably more rapidly than ever before, in response to external and internal forces. Altering the ways that workplaces operate inevitably requires changes in the knowledge and skills workers need. This relationship is evident in the conclusion reached by the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency (2013). The agency contends that the major influences on the nation's skills and workforce development needs are globalisation, technological change, the changing nature of work, the need to respond to climate change impacts, and issues of sustainability. These are very broad influences, however, raising the question of the extent to which they impact on workers, as distinct from affecting industries and enterprises. In order to examine how employees perceive the impact of change, 86 workers in various occupations in four different Australian industries were asked about current and anticipated changes in their jobs. An analysis of the semi-structured interview transcripts (part of a larger study on continuing education and training) revealed that workers tend to perceive workplace changes in terms of their immediate work tasks rather than, for example, in terms of an organisation's strategic directions or industry workforce development. That is, their need to learn as a result of workplace change is essentially based on maintaining their individual competence, and hence their employability. This focus on their own workplace practice means that the most appropriate setting for individual learning in response to change appears to be the workplace itself, and this, in turn, has implications for the way that such learning is organised
QUALITY AND SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF EGGS FROM DIFFERENT CHICKEN GENOTYPES IN PAKISTAN

This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the quality and sensory attributes of eggs from different chicken genotypes in Pakistan (Fayoumi, White Leghorn, Aseel, Rhode Island Red, Naked Neck, and White Plymouth Rock). For quality analysis, 10 eggs from each chicken genotype were randomly collected and subjected to egg quality analysis. For sensory evaluation, another sample of 10 eggs of each genotype was boiled and presented to a well-trained panel of 20 experts and evaluated on 15 points hedonic scale. The data were analyzed through one-way ANOVA using a completely randomized design and means were compared through Duncan’s Multiple Range test using SAS 9.4. Eggs of Fayoumi breed showed significantly higher (P≤0.05) specific gravity, Haugh unit score, and yolk color score as compared to other breeds. Similarly, among different breeds, eggs of Rhode Island Red breed had the highest albumen percentage, while yolk percentage was significantly higher (P≤0.05) in eggs of Aseel, Naked Neck, and Fayoumi breeds. Eggs from White Leghorn hens received the highest (P≤0.05) sensory ratings regarding yolk and albumen taste, mouthfeel, flavor and overall acceptance. Eggs of Aseel had the lowest ratings for the color of albumen, while, eggs of White Plymouth rock hens had a very strong aroma of albumen. Overall results of the present study suggest that eggs from Fayoumi have better internal quality and White Leghorn have better organoleptic/sensory attributes.
A two-leaf model for canopy conductance , photosynthesis and partitioning of available energy I : Model description and comparison with a multi-layered model

An one-layered, two-leaf canopy model which calculates the ̄uxes of sensible heat, latent heat and CO2 separately for sunlit and shaded leaves is presented. The two-leaf model includes: (1) a simple but robust radiation model, (2) an improved leaf model accounting for the interaction of conductance and photosynthesis and the response of stomata to water vapour pressure de®cit and available soil water and (3) a new parameterisation of radiative conductance which simpli®es solution of the leaf energy balance equation. Comparisons with a multi-layered model show that predicted ̄uxes of CO2, latent and sensible heat ̄uxes usually agree within 5% over a range leaf area index typical of a wheat crop grown in a temperate climate. The two-leaf model is computationally 10 times more ef®cient than the multi-layered model and is suitable for the incorporation into regional and global climate models. For a hypothetical canopy with a leaf area index of 5 under very dry (vapour pressure de®cit of air of 2 kPa) and sunny conditions, the net canopy photosynthesis and latent heat ̄uxes calculated by the two-leaf model agree with those by the multi-layered model within 10% for the whole range of soil water conditions (from very dry to wet) and the sensible heat ̄uxes of the canopy calculated by the two-leaf model agree with those by the multi-layered model within 25 W mÿ2 (or usually within 15%). For a canopy with leaf area index less than 2, the differences in the modelled ̄uxes of canopy CO2, latent or sensible heat are less than 5% between the multi-layered model and two-leaf model. Our results show that the two-leaf model can predict net photosynthesis, latent and sensible heat ̄uxes of a canopy quite accurately under a wide range of soil water availability and meteorological conditions, as compared with the multi-layered model. # 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
ffect of tile effluent on nutrient concentration and retention efficiency in gricultural drainage ditches

Tile drainage is a common water management practice in many agricultural landscapes in the Midwestern United States. Drainage ditches regularly receive water from agricultural fields through these tile drains. This field-scale study was conducted to determine the impact of tile discharge on ambient nutrient concentration, nutrient retention and transport in drainage ditches. Grab water samples were collected during three flow regimes for the determination of soluble phosphorus (SP), ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations and their retention in three drainage ditches. + oluble phosphorus
Mean Squared Error Cross Entropy TGCF DA Aug Student Teacher X Source Images Target Images X XA EMA Weighted Sum Supervised Loss Consistency Loss TGCF-DA Augmented Images Source Labels

Deep learning-based semantic segmentation methods have an intrinsic limitation that training a model requires a large amount of data with pixel-level annotations. To address this challenging issue, many researchers give attention to unsupervised domain adaptation for semantic segmentation. Unsupervised domain adaptation seeks to adapt the model trained on the source domain to the target domain. In this paper, we introduce a self-ensembling technique, one of the successful methods for domain adaptation in classification. However, applying self-ensembling to semantic segmentation is very difficult because heavily-tuned manual data augmentation used in self-ensembling is not useful to reduce the large domain gap in the semantic segmentation. To overcome this limitation, we propose a novel framework consisting of two components, which are complementary to each other. First, we present a data augmentation method based on Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), which is computationally efficient and effective to facilitate domain alignment. Given those augmented images, we apply self-ensembling to enhance the performance of the segmentation network on the target domain. The proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art semantic segmentation methods on unsupervised domain adaptation benchmarks.
Phoneme learning is influenced by the taxonomic organization of the semantic referents

Word learning relies on the ability to master the sound contrasts that are phonemic (i.e., signal meaning difference) in a given language. Though the timeline of phoneme development has been studied extensively over the past few decades, the mechanism of this development is poorly understood. Previous work has shown that human learners rely on referential information to differentiate similar sounds, but largely ignored the problem of taxonomic ambiguity at the semantic level (two different objects may be described by one or two words depending on how abstract the meaning intended by the speaker is). In this study, we varied the taxonomic distance of pairs of objects and tested how adult learners judged the phonemic status of the sound contrast associated with each of these pairs. We found that judgments were sensitive to gradients in the taxonomic structure, suggesting that learners use probabilistic information at the semantic level to optimize the accuracy of their judgements at the phonological level. The findings provide evidence for an interaction between phonological learning and meaning generalization, raising important questions about how these two important processes of language acquisition are related.
Payment Contracts and Trade Finance in Export Relationships

I examine the use of payment contracts in export partnerships when the importer’s payment moral is uncertain and there is a time gap between the production and sale of traded goods. In the absence of bank finance I find that by deciding upon the payment format the exporter is challenged with a trade-off between maximizing the profits from the current transaction and making use of screening opportunities that differ between format types. Such screening can help to attain information about the reliability of importers which is crucial to develop efficient and intensive export relationships. Trade credit insurance can catalyze export growth and transaction profitability but its positive impact is limited to the initial phase of export relationships.
Screening of soybean [ Glycine max ( L . ) Merrill ] genotypes for seed longevity

Soybean seeds being inherently weak in structure is more susceptible to mechanical injury hence deteriorates faster and losses its seed quality so in the current research twenty one soybean genotypes were screened for seed longevity on the basis of standard germination test, methanol stress test and various morphological traits. Mean germination percentage of genotype after eight month of storage showed approximately the same germination after treating the freshly harvested soybean seeds with methanol. Germination percentage were found to be significantly negatively correlated with 100 seed weight, wrinkled seed coat, cracked seed coat percentage and positively with methanol stress test and smooth seed coat percentage. Bhatt. Kaliturr, TGX 1681-3F and PS 1225 were the best donors identified for longevity.
Marking Strategies of Saudi University Students

The study attempted to investigate the textmarking strategies used by both male and female Saudi university students. It also aimed at finding out the textmarking strategies they used and the differences between the male and female students in the application of these strategies. The results revealed that Saudi students lacked the proper caliber of using textmarking strategies and needed some practical training. However, the female students did better in their textbooks than their male counterparts. Saudi students preferred underlining to highlighting while marking the texts but failed to distinguish between important and unimportant information. Most of them relied on their mother tongue i.e. Arabic for text comprehension. Also, they used nongenerative strategies like underlining rather than generative ones like summarization and annotation
Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation in West Bengal : A Study of Elementary School Teachers ' Attitude

The present research paper aimed to study the attitude of teachers towards the implementation of continuous comprehensive evaluation system at elementary level and to see the influence of variables such as gender, experience and locality of schools on the attitude of such teachers towards CCE in West Bengal. Eighty four (N=84) teachers from 24 schools (2 from each sampled block) were selected randomly. A self developed five-point attitude scale was employed for collecting data. The findings of the study revealed a favourable attitude of teachers towards the existing CCE system. Majority of teachers (62%) were having moderately favourable attitude whereas as 17% were having the least favourable towards the existing CCE system. There was no significant difference in the mean attitude towards continuous Comprehensive Evaluation of male and female teachers. Besides, experience had no role to play in developing attitude towards CCE. On the other hand, mean attitude score significant was significant with reference to urban –rural set up.
Organizational Learning

This paper reviews the literature on organizational learning. Organizational learning is viewed as routine-based, history-dependent, and target-oriented. Organizations are seen as learning by encoding inferences from history into routines that guide behavior. Within this perspective on organizational learning, topics covered include how organizations learn from direct experience, how organizations learn from the experience of others, and how organizations develop conceptual frameworks or paradigms for interpreting that experience. The section on organizational memory discusses how organizations encode, store, and retrieve the lessons of history despite the turnover of personnel and the passage of time. Organizational learning is further complicated by the ecological structure of the simultaneously adapting behavior of other organizations, and by an endogenously changing environment. The final section discusses the limitations as well as the possibilities of organizational earning as a form of intelligence.
Antioxidant System Response in Hot Pepper Fruits ( Capsicum annuum L . ) under Saline Stress Conditions during Cold Storage

A pot experiment was carried out with hot pepper (Capsicum spp. cv. ‘Caballero’) to investigate the antioxidant system response in fruits of this species under moderate saline conditions (12.5 and 25 mM NaCl) for 60 days and stored in the immature stage at 4°C for 90 days. After different storage periods, we counted the number of fruits and measured their length, diameter, and fresh weight, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, lipid peroxidation, ascorbic acid content, protein oxidation, chlorophyll a and b content, and carotenoids (violaxanthin, zeaxanthin, and -carotene). The results showed no statistical changes in the number of fruits or in their morphological characteristics in the different treatments. However, the other parameters that were measured showed significant differences between salt treatments, storage periods, and interaction between both factors. The results suggested the involvement of the different SOD isoenzymes in the ripening process of fruits from the salt-treated plants. The 12.5 mM NaCl treatment was beneficial for the fruits, which presented higher levels of ascorbate (100 mg L) than control fruits and for the long storage at 4°C where fruits showed lower oxidative stress parameters. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________