Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Velocity and attenuation in partially saturated rocks: poroelastic numerical experiments

We use a poroelastic modelling algorithm to compute numerical experiments on wave propagation in a rock sample with partial saturation using realistic fluid distribution patterns from tomography scans. Frequencies are in the range 10 to 500 kHz. The rock is a homogeneous isotropic sandstone partially filled with gas and water, which are defined by their characteristic values of viscosity, compressibility and density. We assume no mixing and that the two different pore‐fills occupy different macroscopic regions. The von Kármán self‐similar correlation function is used, employing different fractal parameters to model uniform and patchy fluid distributions, respectively, where effective saturation is varied in steps from full gas to full water saturation.
Stunting in the Context of Plenty: Unprecedented Magnitudes Among Children of Peasant's Households in Bukombe, Tanzania

Background: It is perceived that children living in peasants' households are protected from undernutrition owing to a relative better food availability. However, evidence suggests an increased vulnerability that is not conforming to such norm and varies from one region to another. To address this research gap, we examined the magnitude and factors associated with stunting among under-5 children from peasant's households and compared them with children of other households in a rural district in Tanzania. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Bukombe district, Tanzania, among the randomly selected 358 under-5 child-caregiver pairs. We collected data through face-to-face interviews and took anthropometric measurements, which were converted to height for age Z-score. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and logistic regression methods to compare the nutrition status of children in two contexts and determine other factors associated with stunting among children in Bukombe district. Results: Under-5 children in Bukombe district succumbed to a higher magnitude of stunting (52.8%) compared to the national average. In comparison to the children from the other households, those residing in peasant households succumbed to even higher burden of stunting (46 vs. 56%). Poor feeding practices were common in these communities and more pronounced among peasant communities. About 71% of children in peasants' households had lower dietary diversity compared to 55% of other households (p = 0.003). Other factors associated with stunting included older age (AOR = 2.74, p = 0.003), severe food insecurity (AOR = 3.34, p = 0.002), and birth weight (AOR = 0.31, p = 0.02). Conclusion: Children of peasants' households in Bukombe district are at a higher risk of stunting compared to households with other occupations despite their engagement in farming. In addressing this persistent challenge in rural Tanzania and areas with similar context, efforts should be streamlined to address poor feeding practices, food insecurity, and the interventions tailored for maternal nutrition to ameliorate low birth weight.
Dissolution kinetics of iron from diasporic bauxite in hydrochloric acid solution

The dissolution of iron in the bauxite ore including diasporite mineral from Kayaderesi region in Mugla-Milas city, Turkey was investigated in hydrochloric acid solution. The bauxite was calcined at different temperatures and periods, and then dissolved in hydrochloric acid solution. After determining the optimum calcination conditions as 1-hour period at 1173 K temperature and the optimum acid concentration as 8 M HCI, dissolution temperature and period for removal of iron from the bauxite were examined experimentally. In calculations of dissolution kinetics of iron, the experimental data showed that the dissolution process was controlled by interfacial chemical reaction with the apparent activation energy of 41.38 kJ/mol. First order reaction kinetics in shrinking core model was found to fit the experimental results. The dissolution of iron from the bauxite was achieved as 96.46% together with 23.40% aluminium.
BIOGAS PRODUCTION FROM ANAEROBIC DIGESTION-A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.

Edward Kwaku Armah 1 and Thomas Armah 2 . 1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Durban University of Technology, S4 Level 1 Steve Biko Campus, P.O. Box 1334, Durban, 4000, South Africa. 2. Department of Port and Shipping, Regional Maritime University, P.O. Box GP 1115, Accra, Ghana. Manuscript Info Abstract . Manuscript History
Evaluation of Handwritten Urdu Text by Integration of MNIST Dataset Learning Experience

The similar nature of patterns may enhance the learning if the experience they attained during training is utilized to achieve maximum accuracy. This paper presents a novel way to exploit the transfer learning experience of similar patterns on handwritten Urdu text analysis. The MNIST pre-trained network is employed by transferring it’s learning experience on Urdu Nastaliq Handwritten Dataset (UNHD) samples. The convolutional neural network is used for feature extraction. The experiments were performed using deep multidimensional long short term (MDLSTM) memory networks. The obtained result shows immaculate performance on number of experiments distinguished on the basis of handwritten complexity. The result of demonstrated experiments show that pre-trained network outperforms on subsequent target networks which enable them to focus on a particular feature learning. The conducted experiments presented astonishingly good accuracy on UNHD dataset.
NATURAL ORGANIC MATTER FRACTIONATION ALONG THE TREATMENT OF WATER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

The main objective of this study was to characterize the organic matter present in raw water and along the treatment process, as well as itsseasonal variation.A natural organic matter fractionation approach has been applied to Lever water treatment plant located in Douro River, in Oporto (Portugal). The process used was based on the sorption of dissolved organic matter in different types of ion exchange resins, DAX-8, DAX-4 and IRA-958, allowing its separation into four fractions: very hydrophobic acids (VHA), slightly hydrophobic acids (SHA), charged hydrophilic (CHA) and hydrophilic neutral (NEU). The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) determi nation was used to quantify dissolved organic matter. Samples werecollected monthly, during approximately one year, from raw water captured at the surface and under the bed of the river, and after each step of the treatment: pre-filtration in sand/anthrac ite filters, ozonation, coagulation/flocculation, counter current dissolved air flotation and filtration (CoCoDAFF) and chlorination. The NEU fraction showed a seasonal variation, with maximum values in autumn for the sampling points corresponding toraw water captured at the surface and under the bed of the river . It was usually the predominating fraction and did not show a significant decreasethroughout the treatment. Nevertheless their low concentration, the same occurred for the CHA and VHA fractions.There was an overalldecrease in the SHA fraction throughout the water treatment (especiallyafterCoCoDAFF and ozonation)as well as in theDOC . The TSUVA 254 values obtainedfor raw watergenerally variedbetween 2.0 and 4.0LmgC -1 m -1 and between 0.75and 1.78 LmgC -1 m -1 for treated water. It wa s observed a decrease of TSUVA values along the treatment,especially after ozonation. These results may contribute to a further optimization in the process of treating water for human consumption.
Advances in Understanding the Physiological and Molecular Responses of Sugar Beet to Salt Stress

Soil salinity is a major environmental stress on crop growth and productivity. A better understanding of the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying salt tolerance will facilitate efforts to improve crop performance under salinity. Sugar beet is considered to be a salt-tolerant crop, and it is therefore a good model for studying salt acclimation in crops. Recently, many determinants of salt tolerance and regulatory mechanisms have been studied by using physiological and ‘omics approaches. This review provides an overview of recent research advances regarding sugar beet response and tolerance to salt stress. We summarize the physiological and molecular mechanisms involved, including maintenance of ion homeostasis, accumulation of osmotic-adjustment substances, and antioxidant regulation. We focus on progress in deciphering the mechanisms using ‘omic technologies and describe the key candidate genes involved in sugar beet salt tolerance. Understanding the response and tolerance of sugar beet to salt stress will enable translational application to other crops and thus will have significant impacts on agricultural sustainability and global food security.
Definition of the Anti-inflammatory Oligosaccharides Derived From the Galactosaminogalactan (GAG) From Aspergillus fumigatus

Galactosaminogalactan (GAG) is an insoluble aminosugar polymer produced by Aspergillus fumigatus and has anti-inflammatory properties. Here, the minimum glycosidic sequences required for the induction of IL-1Ra by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was investigated. Using chemical degradation of native GAG to isolate soluble oligomers, we have found that the de-N-acetylation of galactosamine residues and the size of oligomer are critical for the in vitro immune response. A minimal oligomer size of 20 galactosamine residues is required for the anti-inflammatory response but the presence of galactose residues is not necessary. In a Dextran sulfate induced colitis mouse model, a fraction of de-N-acetylated oligomers of 13 < dp < 20 rescue inflammatory damage like the native GAG polymer in an IL-1Ra dependent pathway. Our results demonstrate the therapeutic suitability of water-soluble GAG oligosaccharides in IL-1 mediated hyper-inflammatory diseases and suggest that α-1,4-galactosamine oligomers chemically synthesized could represent new anti-inflammatory glycodrugs.
A study of data and label shift in the LIME framework

LIME is a popular approach for explaining a black-box prediction through an interpretable model that is trained on instances in the vicinity of the predicted instance. To generate these instances, LIME randomly selects a subset of the non-zero features of the predicted instance. After that, the perturbed instances are fed into the black-box model to obtain labels for these, which are then used for training the interpretable model. In this study, we present a systematic evaluation of the interpretable models that are output by LIME on the two use-cases that were considered in the original paper introducing the approach; text classification and object detection. The investigation shows that the perturbation and labeling phases result in both data and label shift. In addition, we study the correlation between the shift and the fidelity of the interpretable model and show that in certain cases the shift negatively correlates with the fidelity. Based on these findings, it is argued that there is a need for a new sampling approach that mitigates the shift in the LIME's framework.
Caring for Oneself or for Others? How Consistent and Inconsistent Profiles of Health-Oriented Leadership Are Related to Follower Strain and Health

Health-oriented leadership consists of three dimensions that contribute to employee health: staff care, i.e., health-specific follower-directed leadership, as well as both leaders’ and followers’ self care, i.e., health-specific self-leadership. This study explores profiles of follower self care, leader self care and staff care, and investigates the relationships with follower health in two samples. We identified four patterns of health-oriented leadership: A consistently positive profile (high care), a consistently negative profile (low care), and two profiles showing inconsistencies between follower self care, leader self care, and staff care (leader sacrifice and follower sacrifice). The high care profile reported the best health compared to both the low care profile and the inconsistent profiles. The follower sacrifice profile reported more strain than the leader sacrifice profile, while strain and health levels were the least favorable in the low care profile. Findings reveal that (in-)consistency between follower-directed leadership and self-leadership contributes to follower strain and health.
The Impact of School Climate on Well-Being Experience and School Engagement: A Study With High-School Students

The aim of this work is to investigate the factors promoting students’ engagement at school and supporting their well-being experience. According to the Positive Education there is a strong relationship between school environment and student’s well-being. Moreover, the quality of the school climate perceived by the students was found to influence engagement in school activities, as well. In this study, 153 students (M = 67) attending 10th grade were presented with tests and questionnaires to assess individual assets (personality traits, literacy skills), emerging appraisals (school-climate, well-being experience) and emerging actions (school engagement), according to the Student Well-Being Model. Path analysis showed that the best model does include neither individual assets nor direct effect of school climate on engagement, as the effect of school climate on engagement is mediated by well-being experience. The main result is that school climate has been confirmed as an important factor to be considered to improve engagement in school activities, but it is effective only when its influence can modify the well-being experience of the students. Moreover, the lack of significant effects of individual assets in the model suggests that improving school climate means to support well-being experience and, indirectly school engagement, irrespective to learning abilities and personality traits. This work encourages working in/with schools to implement positive education programs that support and sustain a positive school climate and culture for school-community wellbeing.
Anomalous Heat Transport in One Dimensional Systems: A Description Using Non-local Fractional-Type Diffusion Equation

It has been observed in many numerical simulations, experiments and from various theoretical treatments that heat transport in one-dimensional systems of interacting particles cannot be described by the phenomenological Fourier's law. The picture that has emerged from studies over the last few years is that Fourier's law gets replaced by a spatially non-local linear equation wherein the current at a point gets contributions from temperature gradients in other parts of the system. Correspondingly the usual heat diffusion equation gets replaced by a non-local fractional-type diffusion equation. In this review, we describe the various theoretical approaches which lead to this framework and also discuss recent progress on this problem.
Comparison of Multi-Compartment Cable Models of Human Auditory Nerve Fibers

Background: Multi-compartment cable models of auditory nerve fibers have been developed to assist in the improvement of cochlear implants. With the advancement of computational technology and the results obtained from in vivo and in vitro experiments, these models have evolved to incorporate a considerable degree of morphological and physiological details. They have also been combined with three-dimensional volume conduction models of the cochlea to simulate neural responses to electrical stimulation. However, no specific rules have been provided on choosing the appropriate cable model, and most models adopted in recent studies were chosen without a specific reason or by inheritance. Methods: Three of the most cited biophysical multi-compartment cable models of the human auditory nerve, i.e., Rattay et al. (2001b), Briaire and Frijns (2005), and Smit et al. (2010), were implemented in this study. Several properties of single fibers were compared among the three models, including threshold, conduction velocity, action potential shape, latency, refractory properties, as well as stochastic and temporal behaviors. Experimental results regarding these properties were also included as a reference for comparison. Results: For monophasic single-pulse stimulation, the ratio of anodic vs. cathodic thresholds in all models was within the experimental range despite a much larger ratio in the model by Briaire and Frijns. For biphasic pulse-train stimulation, thresholds as a function of both pulse rate and pulse duration differed between the models, but none matched the experimental observations even coarsely. Similarly, for all other properties including the conduction velocity, action potential shape, and latency, the models presented different outcomes and not all of them fell within the range observed in experiments. Conclusions: While all three models presented similar values in certain single fiber properties to those obtained in experiments, none matched all experimental observations satisfactorily. In particular, the adaptation and temporal integration behaviors were completely missing in all models. Further extensions and analyses are required to explain and simulate realistic auditory nerve fiber responses to electrical stimulation.
The Propositional Evaluation Paradigm: Indirect Assessment of Personal Beliefs and Attitudes

Identification of propositions as the core of attitudes and beliefs (De Houwer, 2014) has resulted in the development of implicit measures targeting personal evaluations of complex sentences (e.g., the IRAP or the RRT). Whereas their utility is uncontested, these paradigms are subject to limitations inherent in their block-based design, such as allowing assessment of only a single belief at a time. We introduce the Propositional Evaluation Paradigm (PEP) for assessment of multiple propositional beliefs within a single experimental block. Two experiments provide first evidence for the PEP’s validity. In Experiment 1, endorsement of racist beliefs measured with the PEP was related to criterion variables such as explicit racism assessed via questionnaire and indicators of behavioral tendencies. Experiment 2 indicates that the PEP’s implicit racism scores may predict actual behavior over and above explicit, self-report measures. Finally, Experiment 3 tested the PEP’s applicability in the domain of hiring discrimination. Whereas general PEP-based gender stereotypes were not related to hiring bias, results suggest a possible role of female stereotypes in hiring discrimination. In the context of these findings, we discuss both the potential and possible challenges in adopting the PEP to different beliefs. In sum, these initial findings suggest that the PEP may offer researchers a reliable and easily administrable option for the indirect assessment of propositional evaluations.
Why do Resource Abundant Countries Have Authoritarian Governments

This article provides a theoretical and empirical investigation of the correlation between resource wealth and authoritarianism. Building on the rentier state literature, I argue that resource wealth facilitates the consolidation of an already established authoritarian government. Resource wealth also generates a breakdown of democratic regimes due to a combination of incumbency advantage, political instability, and political repression. There is strong empirical support for the theoretical argument. Controlling for GDP, human capital, income inequality and other possible determinants, I ? nd a robust and statistically signi? cant association between resource dependence measured by the ratio of fuel and mineral exports as a percentage of total exports and authoritarianism.
Progressive Liver Disease in Patients With Ataxia Telangiectasia

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a devastating multi-system disorder characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia, immunodeficiency, genetic instability, premature aging and growth retardation. Due to better care the patients get older than in the past and new disease entities like disturbed glucose tolerance and liver disease emerge. The objective of the present investigation is to determine the evolution of liver disease and its relation to age and neurological deterioration. The study included 67 patients aged 1 to 38 years with classical A-T. At least two measurements of liver enzymes were performed within a minimum interval of 6 months in 56 patients. The median follow-up period was 4 years (1–16 years). A total of 316 liver enzyme measurements were performed. For analysis, patients were divided into two age groups (Group 1: <12 years; group 2: ≥12 years). In addition, ultrasound of the liver and Klockgether Ataxia Score (KAS) were analyzed. We found significantly higher levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (226,8 ± 20.87 ng/ml vs. 565,1 ± 24.3 ng/ml, p < 0.0001), and liver enzymes like ALT (23.52 ± 0.77 IU/L vs. 87.83 ± 5.31 IU/L, p < 0.0001) in patients in group 2. In addition, we could show a significant correlation between age and AFP, GGT, and KAS. Ultrasound revealed hepatic steatosis in 11/19 (57.9%) patients in group 2. One female patient aged 37 years died due to a hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver disease is present in the majority of older A-T patients. Structural changes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and fibrosis are frequent findings. Progress of liver disease is concomitant to neurological deterioration.
The Impact of Acute Stress Physiology on Skilled Motor Performance: Implications for Policing

Investigations of police performance during acutely stressful situations have primarily focused on higher-order cognitive processes like attention, affect or emotion and decision-making, and the behavioral outcomes of these processes, such as errors in lethal force. However, behavioral outcomes in policing must be understood as a combination of both higher-order processes and the physical execution of motor skills. What is missing from extant police literature is an understanding of how physiological responses to acute stress contribute to observed decrements in skilled motor performance at the neuromuscular level. The purpose of the current paper is to fill this knowledge gap in the following ways: (1) review scientific evidence for the physiological (i.e., autonomic, endocrine, and musculoskeletal) responses to acutely stressful exposures and their influence on skilled motor performance in both human and animal models, (2) review applied evidence on occupationally relevant stress physiology and observed motor decrements in performance among police, and (3) discuss the implications of stress physiology for police training and identify future directions for applied researchers. Evidence is compelling that skill decay is inevitable under high levels of acute stress; however, robust evidence-informed training practices can help mitigate this decay and contribute to officer safety.