Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(L‐lactide)/poly(vinyl acetate) blends

Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) was added to the crystalline blends of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) (40/60) of higher molecular weights, whereas diblock and triblock poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(L-lactide) copolymers were added to the same blend of moderate molecular weights. The crystallization rate of PLLA of the blend containing PVAc was reduced, as evidenced by X-ray diffraction measurement. A ringed spherulite morphology of PLLA was observed in the PEO/PLLA/PVAc blend, attributed to the presence of twisted lamellae, and the morphology was affected by the amount of PVAc. A steady increase in the elongation at break in the solution blend with an increase in the PVAc content was observed. The melting behavior of PLLA and PEO in the PEO/PLLA/block copolymer blends was not greatly affected by the block copolymer, and the average size of the dispersed PEO domain was not significantly changed by the block copolymer. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 3618–3626, 2001
Emergency medicine patient wait time multivariable prediction models: a multicentre derivation and validation study

Objective Patients, families and community members would like emergency department wait time visibility. This would improve patient journeys through emergency medicine. The study objective was to derive, internally and externally validate machine learning models to predict emergency patient wait times that are applicable to a wide variety of emergency departments. Methods Twelve emergency departments provided 3 years of retrospective administrative data from Australia (2017–2019). Descriptive and exploratory analyses were undertaken on the datasets. Statistical and machine learning models were developed to predict wait times at each site and were internally and externally validated. Model performance was tested on COVID-19 period data (January to June 2020). Results There were 1 930 609 patient episodes analysed and median site wait times varied from 24 to 54 min. Individual site model prediction median absolute errors varied from±22.6 min (95% CI 22.4 to 22.9) to ±44.0 min (95% CI 43.4 to 44.4). Global model prediction median absolute errors varied from ±33.9 min (95% CI 33.4 to 34.0) to ±43.8 min (95% CI 43.7 to 43.9). Random forest and linear regression models performed the best, rolling average models underestimated wait times. Important variables were triage category, last-k patient average wait time and arrival time. Wait time prediction models are not transferable across hospitals. Models performed well during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Conclusions Electronic emergency demographic and flow information can be used to approximate emergency patient wait times. A general model is less accurate if applied without site-specific factors.
Effects of Cadmium and Lead on Growth, Yield, and Metal Accumulation in Cabbage

A greenhouse experiment was performed to determine the cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) distribution and accumulation in cabbage grown on soil amended with Cd and Pb. The soil was amended with 0, 5, 10, 40, and 80 mg Cd kg−1 in the form of cadmium nitrate [Cd(NO3)2] and with 0, 10, 50, 100, and 500 mg Pb kg−1 in the form of lead nitrate [Pb(NO3)2]. Main soil properties, concentrations of total and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)–extractable Pb and Cd in soil, plant growth, and total contents of metals in leaves and roots were measured. The DTPA-extractable Cd and Pb were significantly and positively related to the addition of Cd and Pb respectively. Cadmium accumulation in cabbage plants was increased with the increase of Cd rates in soil whereas Pb accumulation was significantly increased by the greatest dose of Pb only, in comparison to control treatment. The largest proportions of Pb and Cd accumulated in roots. Cabbage plants did not show growth disturbance and the plants showed no symptoms of phytotoxicity as results of Cd and Pb application. On the contrary, fresh weights of leaves and roots were increased significantly in the lowest applications (5 mg Cd kg−1 and 10 mg Pb kg−1) compared to the control treatment. Further additions of Cd and Pb had positive, but not significant, effects on biomass except for the weight of roots. The tolerance of cabbage plants to high concentrations of these metals in soil is discussed.
Developing Culture-Based English Instructional Materials to Improve Students’ Thinking, ELT Achievement, and Classroom Interaction

The research aimed to provide students’ learning and target needs of incorporating culture-based English instructionalmaterials in enhancing students’ critical thinking skills, ELT achievement, and classroom interaction at the Central Lombokmiddle schools. The research was a quantitative study. The 350 students and 10 English teachers were involved in theresearch. The average of students’ age ranged from 12-13 years old, while the English teachers were certified Englishteachers at the middle schools. They had also been from five to seven years of teaching practice experience. The data were collected using a questionnaire to see the students’ and teachers’ needs that were focused on target needs and learning needs. The target needs comprised the learning goals, lacks, and wants, while the learning needs included learning inputs, students’ roles, and classroom management. The data were analyzed using some steps; computation, display, drawing conclusion, and verification processes. Based on the data analysis, the target needs show that students are expected to get English proficiencies by providing them various cultural materials, namely local arts, traditional games, traditional rates, traditional technologies, and traditional pieces of literature. It can bring them to think critically to improve ELT achievement and build classroom interaction. At the same time, the analysis of learning needs informs that students need an appropriate English learning approach. They show they have an intention to be autonomous learners.
FIRST RECORD OF BACTERIAL GALL OF CHINABERRY CAUSED BY Pseudomonas meliae IN DUHOK, KURDISTAN REGION, IRAQ

The work done in this research is an attempt to through the light on identification and record on bacterial gall caused by Pseudomonas meliae L. for the first time in Iraq. The infected plants clearly showed soft and woody gall symptoms with deformed shoots and young stems. The field survey in Duhok plantations obviously obtained diseased transplants with percentage range between 25-88%. The pathogenic bacteria revealed the high host specification on chinaberry and Neem plants (Melia indica). The bacterial colonies on Mac Conkey’s agar media were white creamy in color, circular in growth, dome shaped shiny, and smooth. Analytical Profile Index API20NE demonstrated that three of eight tests were negatives, Nitrate reduction, Indole production, (Tryptophan) and Urease, whereas capable to hydrolyse arginin but didn’t produce levan and non fluorescent. Assimilation tests of ADIpic acid (ADI) and PhenylACetic acid (PAC) were negative, though the bacterial strains were able to utilize glucose (GLU), ARAbinose (ARA), and MANnitol (MAN). KEY WORD: P. meliae, Chainberry, M. Azedarach
Nitrogen and Chloride Movement in Small Upland Piedmont Watersheds: II. Nitrogen and Chloride Transport in Runoff

Selective management practices were used on two upland Southern Piedmont watersheds to assess their influence on overland transport of Cl, soluble-N, and total Kjeldahl-N (TKN). Ammonia-N and TKN were measured in both runoff water and sediment phases and related to these transport modes. Chloride (112 kg Cl/ha) served as a tracer anion because of its inert biological activity. Optimum rates of N-fertilizer (∼140 kg N/ha) were applied in recommended split-applications for corn growth. Annual NH₄-N and TKN losses were 35 to 40% less when associated with terraces and double cropping of corn (Zea mays L.) and winter rye (Secale cereale L.) than from a watershed without conservation practices. This difference was related primarily to differences in sediment yield from the two watersheds. No real annual differences were detected for Cl and NO₃-N losses between watersheds. Total seasonal nutrient losses were strongly affected by the quantity of sediment transported during highly erosive periods of May, June, and July. Chloride and TKN concentrations in runoff were more constant among cropping seasons; therefore, individual storm yields were best related to runoff water volume. Nitrate-N and NH₄-N concentrations in runoff decreased rapidly during corn canopy development causing the quantity of these N species to be best related to sediment transport. An inadequate number of runoff storms occurred during these short periods of high soil chemical concentrations, derived from Cl- and N-fertilizer sources, in the surface depth (0 to 8 cm) to significantly develop a relation to runoff concentrations. Runoff water and sediment variation accounted for 82 to 93% of nutrient loss variation on the nonconservation watershed. The same variables accounted for as little as 61% of the nutrient variation on the conservation watershed. Runoff losses of plant nutrients may be reduced by shifting most of their application to periods of rapid plant canopy development and periods of less intense rainfall.
Selective Solvent Extraction of Silver(I) by Tris-Pyridyl Tripodal Ligands and X-Ray Structure of a Silver(I) Coordination Polymer Incorporating One Such Ligand

Two tripodal ligands, each derived from 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane and terminated respectively by 4-pyridyl (L1) and 2-pyridyl groups (L2), have been synthesised. Competitive seven-metal extraction studies (H2O/CHCl3) incorporating equal concentrations of cobalt(ii), nickel(ii), copper(ii), zinc(ii), silver(i), cadmium(ii), and lead(ii) in the aqueous phase and L1 or L2 in the organic phase showed selective extraction of silver(i) in each case. A parallel solvent extraction experiment involving a related tripodal tris-pyridyl ligand (L3) based on a 1,3,5-substituted aryl ring scaffold and incorporating thioether sulfurs in each tripod arm also showed extraction selectivity for silver(i); extraction efficiencies towards this metal ion fall in the order L3 > L1 > L2. Physical data are in accord with L1 forming a capsule-like complex of type [Ag3L12]3+ in which silver ions link pairs of pyridyl groups from different ligands. In contrast, L2 yields a complex of type [Ag2L2(NO)3]n whose X-ray structure showed it to be a two-dimensional coordination polymer in which the three pyridyl donors of each L2 coordinate to three silver(i) centres, two of which are crystallographically distinct, with the centres also bonded to bidentate and/or bridging bidentate nitrato groups.
On the estimation of discrete choice models to capture irrational customer behaviors

The random utility maximization model is by far the most adopted framework to estimate consumer choice behavior. However, behavioral economics has provided strong empirical evidence of irrational choice behaviors, such as halo effects, that are incompatible with this framework. Models belonging to the random utility maximization family may therefore not accurately capture such irrational behavior. Hence, more general choice models, overcoming such limitations, have been proposed. However, the flexibility of such models comes at the price of increased risk of overfitting. As such, estimating such models remains a challenge. In this work, we propose an estimation method for the recently proposed generalized stochastic preference choice model, which subsumes the family of random utility maximization models and is capable of capturing halo effects. In particular, we propose a column-generation method to gradually refine the discrete choice model based on partially ranked preference sequences. Extensive computational experiments indicate that our model, explicitly accounting for irrational preferences, can significantly boost the predictive accuracy on both synthetic and real-world data instances. Summary of Contribution: In this work, we propose an estimation method for the recently proposed generalized stochastic preference choice model, which subsumes the family of random utility maximization models and is capable of capturing halo effects. Specifically, we show how to use partially ranked preferences to efficiently model rational and irrational customer types from transaction data. Our estimation procedure is based on column generation, where relevant customer types are efficiently extracted by expanding a treelike data structure containing the customer behaviors. Furthermore, we propose a new dominance rule among customer types whose effect is to prioritize low orders of interactions among products. An extensive set of experiments assesses the predictive accuracy of the proposed approach by comparing it against rank-based methods with only rational preferences and with more general benchmarks from the literature. Our results show that accounting for irrational preferences can boost predictive accuracy by 12.5% on average when tested on a real-world data set from a large chain of grocery and drug stores.
The Effect of Television Advertising in United States Elections

We provide a comprehensive assessment of the influence of television advertising on United States election outcomes from 2000–2018. We expand on previous research by including presidential, Senate, House, gubernatorial, Attorney General, and state Treasurer elections and using both difference-in-differences and border-discontinuity research designs to help identify the causal effect of advertising. We find that televised broadcast campaign advertising matters up and down the ballot, but it has much larger effects in down-ballot elections than in presidential elections. Using survey and voter registration data from multiple election cycles, we also show that the primary mechanism for ad effects is persuasion, not the mobilization of partisans. Our results have implications for the study of campaigns and elections as well as voter decision making and information processing.
CONTRIBUTION OF DEAD WOOD AND FOREST SOIL TO CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN PARSA NATIONAL PARK, NEPAL

Dead wood and forest soil contribute as a medium for carbon storage and suitable habitat for diverse flora and fauna species. This study was done with the objective to assess status of dead wood in Parsa National Park (PNP), and to analyze the role of dead wood and forest soil in carbon sequestration. Line transects and circular sample plots were randomly established; measurement of down dead wood, standing dead wood, and soil analysis were conducted using standard methods. Dead wood was categorized into three density class (sound, intermediate, and rotten) based on wood hardness. Total volume and biomass of dead wood were 39.83 m3 ha-1, and 22.39 t ha-1, respectively, and total carbon stock in dead wood was 10.74 t ha-1. Total volume of dead wood was dominated by intermediate class (61%) in both standing and down dead woods, followed by sound (23%), and rotten (16%) density classes. Regarding total carbon stock for each dead wood class in the park, standing dead wood contributed almost two times more carbon stock than that of down dead wood. All three density classes were equally responsible in contributing carbon stock in PNP. Formulation and implementation of the localized plans for management of dead wood are necessary in PNP.
Control Patterns in Contracting-Out Relationships: It Matters What You Do, Not Who You Are

The contracting-out of public services has often been accompanied by a strong academic focus on the emergence of new governance forms, and a general neglect of the processes and practices through which contracted-out services are controlled and monitored. To fill this gap, we draw on contracting-out and inter-organizational control literatures to explore the adoption of control mechanisms for public service provision at the municipal level and the variables that can explain their choice. Our results, based on a survey of Italian municipalities, show that in the presence of contracting-out, market-, hierarchyand trustbased controls display different intensities, can co-exist and are explained by different variables. Service characteristics are more effective in explaining marketand hierarchybased controls than relationship characteristics. Trust-based controls are the most widespread, but cannot be explained by the variables traditionally identified in contractingout and inter-organizational control studies.
Central Bank Independence – Theory and Case of Czech and Slovak National Bank

The topic of this thesis is the central bank independence. It is divided in two parts. The first part is devoted to theoretical concepts that are they key instruments in discussion about an independent monetary authority. Next chapters introduce several possibilities how to measure central bank independence from purely legal indices to indicators capturing the behavioral aspects of central banking. The second part deals with application of previously acquired knowledge to the analysis of current status of the Czech National Bank and the National Bank of Slovakia. The methodological approach of this thesis balances on the borderlines of political economy, institutional economics, purely abstract monetary policy and law.
Effect of herbicides on weed control yield, quality and herbicide residue in radish

A field experiment was carried out at Ludhiana during winter 2007-2008 to find out effective and safe herbicides for radish (Raphanus sativus L.). Pre-emergence herbicides viz., pendimethalin (0.37, 56 and 0.75 kg/ha), trifluralin (0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 kg/ha), alachlor (1.25, 1.87 and 2.5 kg/ha), oxyfluorfen (0.117, 0.147 and 0.176 kg/ha), vis-a-vis, two hand hoeing (20 and 40 days after sowing) and unweeded control wer e evaluated. Uncontrolled weeds reduced the radish root yield by 10.7 to 27.1%. All the herbicidal treatments significantly reduced weed density and dry matter. Trifluralin 1.2 kg/ha recorded the highest radish root yield and was at par with trifluralin 0.9 kg, pendimethalin 0.75 kg, alachlor 1.25 and 2.5 kg, oxyfluorfen 0.147 and 0.176 kg/ha and two hand hoeing. The herbicides did not influence the total soluble solids and isothiocyanate content in radish roots. Herbicide residues in crop roots were below detectable level.
Piezoresistive Behavior Study on Finger‐Sensing Silicone Rubber/Graphite Nanosheet Nanocomposites

A novel finger‐sensing nanocomposite with remarkable and reversible piezoresistivity is successfully fabricated by dispersing homogeneously conductive graphite nanosheets (GNs) in a silicone rubber (SR) matrix. Because of the high aspect ratio of the graphite nanosheets, the nanocomposite displays a very low percolation threshold. The SR/GN nanocomposite with a volume fraction of conductive nanosheets closest to that for the percolation threshold presents a sharp positive‐pressure coefficient effect of the resistivity under very low pressure, namely, in the finger‐pressure range (0.3–0.7 MPa), whereby the abrupt transition could be attributed to compressive‐stress‐induced deformation of the conducting network. The super‐sensitive piezoresistive behavior of the nanocomposite is accounted for by an extension of the tunneling conduction theory which provides a good approximation to the piezoresistive effect.
RESEARCH ARTICLE Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity in Bulgarian Plans (dry seeds)

Manuscript History: Anethum graveolens (Dill), Carum carvi (Caraway) and Coriandrum sativum (Coriander), 2,2-Diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel), Pimpinella anisum (Anise), Rutin, Tannins, Total flavonoids, Total phenolics. Objective: Comparative evaluations of the phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity to various seeds from the Apiaceae family to which belong: Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel), Anethum graveolens (Dill), Pimpinella anisum (Anise), Carum carvi (Caraway) and Coriandrum sativum (Coriander) were carried out. Methods: The seeds were analysed for their tannins content by titrimetric method; rutin was determined spectrophotometrically by using ammonium molybdate; the total phenolics content was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu assay; the total flavonoids were measured spectrophotometrically using the colorimetric reaction with aluminum (III) chloride. Antioxidant capacity was also analysed spectrophotometrically by a 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging effect of the seeds. Results: The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) varied between 115.96 mg GAE/100g and 68.10 mg CE/100g. This content for the Coriandrum sativum (Coriander) is lower (between 17.04 mg GAE/100g and 11.10 mg CE/100g, respecively). The content of rutin and tannins of the Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) varied between 2.81 % and 1.52 %. It was found to be much higher than the rutin content of the Coriandrum sativu (Coriander) (between 0.99 % and 0.42 %, respectively). The highest radical scavenging effect was observed in the Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) with IC50 of 113.19 mL/L. Conclusions: In the present study, the seeds from the Apiacea family to which belong: Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel), Anethum graveolens (Dill), Pimpinella anisum (Anise), Carum carvi (Caraway) and Coriandrum sativum (Coriander), were studied as sources of natural antioxidants. The results from the antioxidant assays show that all seeds can act as radical scavengers to a certain extent. Further studies in this area are in progress.
The Student Placement Decision-Making Process: A Study Of Administrator Considerations

A myriad of factors are considered in the out-of-district placement process of special needs students, but there is not a standardized process for weighing these. Little is known about how Maine School Administrators weigh each factor to determine the appropriate placement. This interpretive phenomenological study examined the question: What is the hierarchy of priority of the factors used to determine out-of-district placements by Maine special education administrators? Six special education administrators representing different geographic areas of the state of Maine were interviewed individually. The researcher utilized a purposive sampling method to recruit from within the targeted population those who have experience with the phenomenon of out-of-district placements. This qualitative phenomenological study identified trends and correlations based on transcript analysis of these six interviews. Data collected included information about length in position, demographics of district, number of out-of-district placements, experiences with the placement process, and an analysis of each director’s priorities during the decision-making process. Thematic findings included factors such as: safety, progress, medical needs, disability category, and finances. Safety was the primary or most important factor identified in the process hierarchy. The notion that students are making progress in their individual program was also a