Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An analysis of barriers affecting implementation of sustainable supply chain management in electronics industry: a Grey-DEMATEL approach

Purpose World over organizations are focusing on sustainable goals, where along with economic success their role in protecting the planet and people are becoming important. Whilst transforming the supply chain into a sustainable one, there would be some barriers which might hinder this process. This paper aims to study these barriers in the context of the electronics industry so that organizations can better implement sustainable supply chain programs. Design/methodology/approach In this research, barriers affecting sustainability implementation in the electronics supply chain are shortlisted from literature review and experts’ opinion. Using the combined methodology of Grey DEMATEL, the causal factors, the effect factors and degree of prominence of barriers is found out. The overall relationship among barriers is established by a diagraph. Sensitivity analysis is performed to check the robustness of the results. Findings It is found that lack of regulation and guidance from authorities is the primary causal barrier affecting operations of sustainable supply chain management. There are five barriers which fall in the influenced group and among them, complexity in measuring and monitoring sustainability practices has the largest net effect value on the implementation of a sustainable supply chain. The barrier having the highest correlation with other barriers is the high cost for disposal of hazardous wastes. The implications of these findings on managers and academicians is explored in the study. Research limitations/implications In this research, the number of barriers shortlisted is limited to 11 in the context of the electronics supply chain. More factors could be added in future research based on the industry being studied. Originality/value The research analyses 11 barriers under categories of policy, technology, financial and human resources in the Indian electronics industry by evaluating the cause and effect group of barriers. These results can guide policymakers of the electronic sector and industry for mitigating barriers during the implementation of sustainable programs.
Vertical Connectivity Regulates Water Transit Time and Chemical Weathering at the Hillslope Scale

How does hillslope structure (e.g., hillslope shape and permeability variation) regulate its hydro‐geochemical functioning (flow paths, solute export, chemical weathering)? Numerical reactive transport experiments and particle tracking were used to answer this question. Results underscore the first‐order control of permeability variations (with depth) on vertical connectivity (VC), defined as the fraction of water flowing into streams from below the soil zone. Where permeability decreases sharply and VC is low, >95% of water flows through the top 6 m of the subsurface, barely interacting with reactive rock at depth. High VC also elongates mean transit times (MTTs) and weathering rates. VC however is less of an influence under arid climates where long transit times drive weathering to equilibrium. The results lead to three working hypotheses that can be further tested. H1: The permeability variations with depth influence MTTs of stream water more strongly than hillslope shapes; hillslope shapes instead influence the younger fraction of stream water more. H2: High VC arising from high permeability at depths enhances weathering by promoting deeper water penetration and water‐rock interactions; the influence of VC weakens under arid climates and larger hillslopes with longer MTTs. H3: VC regulates chemical contrasts between shallow and deep waters (Cratio) and solute export patterns encapsulated in the power law slope b of concentration‐discharge (CQ) relationships. Higher VC leads to similar shallow versus deep water chemistry (Cratio ∼1) and more chemostatic CQ patterns. Although supporting data already exist, these hypotheses can be further tested with carefully designed, co‐located modeling and measurements of soil, rock, and waters. Broadly, the importance of hillslope subsurface structure (e.g., permeability variation) indicate it is essential in regulating earth surface hydrogeochemical response to changing climate and human activities.
Using Reciprocal Teaching for Improving Students’ Skills in Mathematical Word Problem Solving - A Project of Participatory Action Research

This study aims to present the potential of Participatory Action Research (PAR) to bring together the experiences of teachers and researchers with the intention of improving teaching practices and students’ learning outcomes. Participants in the study were 7 teachers, their 160 fifths grade students, and researchers (authors). Teachers and researchers participated as partners in all collaborative activities during the period of 12 weeks. All teachers assisted by the researcher (first author) who serves as a teacher at the same school, were involved in implementing the reciprocal teaching method (RTM) in math classes. They examined each step of the implementation of this method in order to investigate whether it has an impact on student achievement in solving mathematical word problems. Teachers observed the work of students in their classes, whereas in the joint meetings they discussed occasional ambiguities as well as issues that were most challenging for them and their students. The results showed that there was a significant improvement of the students’ results in the post-test of the mathematical word problems. The analysis of teachers' reflections highlights the benefits of collaboration within the PAR project, both for students and teachers. The study suggests that the PAR model can be used effectively within school settings as a research model, and as a pedagogical practice.
Changes in body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors in relation to the reduction in body mass index in adolescents with obesity.

INTRODUCTION there are controversial data in relation to the reduction in body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) needed to improve adiposity in the pediatric population with obesity. The aim of this work was to determine the minimum variation in BMI-SDS required to improve the values of adiposity markers and cardiometabolic risk factors in growing adolescents with obesity. METHODS a longitudinal study consisting of clinical evaluation (waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, fat mass index, and blood pressure) and blood testing (insulin resistance and lipid profile) was conducted in 350 adolescents with obesity (152 boys and 198 girls) aged 10.2-14.3 years who went through a combined intervention (12 months). RESULTS a decrease in SDS-BMI ≤ 0.5 was not associated with any significant improvement in the clinical features and blood testing recorded. A decrease in BMI-SDS > 0.5, and especially if > 1.0, was linked to a significant improvement in adiposity markers. A decrease in BMI-SDS > 0.5 was associated with a significant improvement in insulin resistance, and a decrease in BMI-SDS > 1.0 was associated with a significant decrease in the percentage of patients who showed high values of systolic blood pressure, HOMA-IR, and lipid profile Conclusions: improvement in body composition, insulin resistance, and lipid profile can be observed with reductions in BMI-SDS ≥ 0.5 in obese adolescents, while extended benefits are obtained by losing at least 1.0 BMI-SDS.
InstaMigrants: Global Ties and Mundane Publics of Russian-Speaking Bloggers with Migration Background

Russian-speaking diaspora has spread across the world during the last century and plays a significant role in cultural and political life of the host countries. But its virtual presence remains heavily understudied; it is only Russian-speaking news websites that have received some scholarly attention. This study aims at estimating the globality of mass self-communication of Russian emigrants on Instagram in the context of virtual diaspora studies as a new form of imagined communities. Instagram communication of emigrants illustrates how the nature of mass self-communication influences the nature of ties between diaspora members. We confirm the global scale of ties that are developed by the Russian-speaking “InstaMigrants” by network analysis. We also show that such seemingly apolitical publics possess a potential for politicization of everyday life and migration experience in unconventional ways.
The in vitro effect of 5-FU and Tamoxifen Chemotherapeutics on penthose phosphate pathway enzymes

The pentose phosphate pathway is the metabolic pathway where NADPH, the reducing force in metabolism, and ribose 5-phosphate, the building block of DNA and RNA, are produced. In this study, the in vitro effects of 5-fluorouracil and Tamoxifen chemotherapeutic agents on glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), which are key enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway, were investigated. In the first stage of the study, G6PD and 6PGD enzymes were purified from rat erythrocytes using 2ʹ, 5ʹ-ADP Sepharose-4B affinity chromatography. The control of enzyme activities was determined spectrophotometrically at 340 nm wavelength according to the Beutler method. Then, the in vitro effects of 5-FU and Tamoxifen agents, which are widely used in chemotherapy, on enzyme activities were investigated. The results of the study showed that 5-FU increased the activity of both G6PD and 6PGD enzymes in the concentration range of 0.19-1.9 mM and Tamoxifen in the concentration range of 26-260 µM.
Influence of droplet spectra on the efficiency of contact fungicides and mixtures of contact and systemic fungicides

PROKOP M. , VEVERKA K. (2006): Influence of droplet spectra on the efficiency of contact fungicides and mixtures of contact and systemic fungicides. Plant Protect. Sci., 42: 26–33. The effects of droplet spectra, spray volume, and the addition of an adjuvant to the spray solution against Phytophthora infestans were evaluated using contact fungicides, mixtures of contact and systemic fungicides, and a contact fungicide + an adjuvant. Six droplet spectra, ranging from VMD = 183 μm to VMD = 939 μm, were used. The spray volumes were 300, 450 and 600 l/ha for the contact fungicides, and 300 l/ha was used for the mix of contact with systemic fungicides. No significant differences in efficiency were observed between different droplet spectra when used for the mix of contact with systemic fungicide treatments. However, the efficiency of treatments with a contact fungicide significantly increased with smaller droplet spectra. The larger droplet spectra required larger spray volumes for greater efficiency. The addition of the adjuvant (pinolene, 96%) to the spray solution of the contact fungicide caused the efficiency to be similar for all droplet spectra. The effect of droplet spectra is more pronounced in contact compounds. The translocation of the systemic compounds and the ability of the surfactant to improve the coverage with contact compounds may be the main mechanisms that counteract the effects of larger droplet spectra and lower leaf coverage.
INFLUENCE OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE

The research objective to evaluate the effect of intellectual capital on organizational performance in Batam City. Intellectual capital components consist of structural capital, social capital, customer capital, human capital, spiritual capital, and technology capital. This study involved 54 directors of the rural bank. The results of this empirical study indicate that there is a significant relationship between structural capital, customer capital, human capital, and technology capital on organizational performance in Batam City. Meanwhile, social capital and spiritual capital show no significant relationship to organizational performance in Batam City. The results of this study provide additional knowledge about the relationship between intellectual capital and organizational performance.
Alternative tuition fees schemes: a simulation exercise

ABSTRACT In this paper we use a theoretical model of effort optimization on the part of university students to simulate the effects of different tuition fees schemes. For each of such schemes, we present and discuss the trade-offs that appear among the three outcomes that every exercise of policy evaluation in this context should take into consideration, namely, efficiency – that is, student effort-, student welfare and university revenues. To this end, we depart from the tuition fees policy change that took place in the Spanish public university system in year 2012 and compare it with alternative tuition fees designs. Among other results we find that a design with very low entry fees and high penalty cost for failing the exams is the most suitable one in terms of efficiency and university revenues.
Selective recovery of lithium from spent lithium iron phosphate batteries: a sustainable process

In recent years, the recovery of metals from spent lithium ion batteries (LIBs) has become increasingly important due to their great environmental impact and the wastage of valuable metallic resources. Among different types of spent LIBs, processing and recycling the spent LiFePO4 batteries are challenging because of their relatively low extraction efficiency and recycling selectivity of valuable metal(s) and great potential for secondary waste generation. In this research, an effective and sustainable approach for selective leaching of lithium from spent LiFePO4 batteries was demonstrated. By properly adjusting or controlling the oxidative state and proton activity of the leaching solution, lithium was found to be selectively leached with a high recovery efficiency. The aluminium remained in the metallic form and iron as FePO4 in the solid residue which can be easily separated by sieving. The effects of a range of parameters (i.e. acid concentration, initial volume fraction of the oxidant, liquid-to-solid ratio, reaction temperature and time) during lithium leaching were comprehensively investigated. The selective reaction mechanisms were clarified and the controlling step for the leaching kinetics was identified. Based on the laboratory scale results, a pilot batch process was developed and simulated. The process is found to be techno-economically feasible and environmentally friendly for recycling of spent LiFePO4 batteries using selective leaching. High purity Li2CO3 (99.95 wt%) could be obtained with a high recovery rate. This research demonstrates the possibility of improving the metal recycling effectiveness from spent LiFePO4 batteries by incorporating the principles of green chemistry and probably contributes to the sustainability of the lithium ion battery industry.
Spatial Mapping of Atmospheric Precipitation Isotopes in Syria

Stable isotope ratios (δ2H and δ18O), tritium (3H). and deuterium excess (d-excess) values of atmospheric precipitation (P) at 16 stations were determined for mapping the spatial variation of oxygen and hydrogen P isotopes in Syria. The major geographical parameters (longitude east, LE; latitude north, LN; altitude, H; and inland distance from the coast, DFC) were used to find out the best fitting models for the spatial mapping of atmospheric P isotopes in Syria. The highest correlation coefficients (r>0.73) were found for the relationships δ18O-H and δ2H-H. The impacts of LE and LN factors were rather moderate (0.30.7) was found for the relationship d-excess-LN. The increase of d-excess value from 23‰ to 24‰ in southern Syria is due to the Mediterranean Sea (MS) moisture, likely as a high percentage (>65%) of prevailed winds usually comes over the MS. The concentrations of 3H in P samples(4-14TU) during the period 1989–1993 were higher than those (3-10TU) for the period 2004–2006, indicating thus a return back toward the levels of typical 3H production in nature. The high correlation coefficients (r>0.59) that were found for the relationships 3H-DFC and 3H-LE, suggest a continuous exchange between the low tritium moisture from the MS and the higher tritium moisture from the inland areas. Produced gridded isotopic values are quite satisfactory for covering certain areas in Syria and the neighboring Arab countries.
Transition to Zero Energy and Low Carbon Emission in Residential Buildings Located in Tropical and Temperate Climates

Different methods to achieve zero-energy and low carbon on the scale of a building are shown by most of the research works. Despite this, the recommendations generally offered by researchers do not always correspond to the realities found during the construction of new buildings in a determined region. Therefore, a standard may not be valid in all climate regions of the world. Being aware of this fact, a study was carried out to analyse the design of new buildings respecting the “zero-energy and low carbon emission” concept in tropical climatic regions when they are compared with a base case of temperate regions. To reach this objective, the comparison between real and simulated data from the different buildings studied was developed. The results showed that the renovation of existing residential buildings allows for reducing up to 35% of energy demand and a great quantity of CO2 emissions in both climate types. Despite this, the investment rate linked to the construction of zero-energy buildings in tropical zones is 12 times lower than in temperate zones and the payback was double. In particular, this effect can be related to the efficiency of photovoltaic panels, which is estimated to be, at least, 34% higher in tropical zones than temperate zones. Finally, this study highlights the interest and methodology to implement zero-energy buildings in tropical regions.
Performance Evaluation and Comparison of Satellite-Derived Rainfall Datasets over the Ziway Lake Basin, Ethiopia

Consistent time series rainfall datasets are important in performing climate trend analyses and agro-hydrological modeling. However, temporally consistent ground-based and long-term observed rainfall data are usually lacking for such analyses, especially in mountainous and developing countries. In the absence of such data, satellite-derived rainfall products, such as the Climate Hazard Infrared Precipitations with Stations (CHIRPS) and Global Precipitation Measurement Integrated Multi-SatellitE Retrieval (GPM-IMERG) can be used. However, as their performance varies from region to region, it is of interest to evaluate the accuracy of satellite-derived rainfall products at the basin scale using ground-based observations. In this study, we evaluated and demonstrated the performance of the three-run GPM-IMERG (early, late, and final) and CHIRPS rainfall datasets against the ground-based observations over the Ziway Lake Basin in Ethiopia. We performed the analysis at monthly and seasonal time scales from 2000 to 2014, using multiple statistical evaluation criteria and graphical methods. While both GPM-IMERG and CHIRPS showed good agreement with ground-observed rainfall data at monthly and seasonal time scales, the CHIRPS products slightly outperformed the GPM-IMERG products. The study thus concluded that CHIRPS or GPM-IMERG rainfall data can be used as a surrogate in the absence of ground-based observed rainfall data for monthly or seasonal agro-hydrological studies.
Dietary Habits of Female University Students in Eastern Slovakia in the Context of Sports Activity

(1) Background: The aim of the research was to expand the current knowledge about the diets of female university students in relation to the frequency of their sports activity (SA). We were specifically interested in the eating frequency, the distribution of the amount of food during the day, including breakfast in the diet, and the timing of dinner before bedtime. (2) Methods: The sample in this cross-sectional research consisted of 1055 female freshmen university students from the two universities in eastern Slovakia. Data were obtained through a set of selected questions from a questionnaire battery. (3) Results: We found a significant rank–order correlation between the frequency of meals during the day and the level of SA, as well as between the consumption of breakfast and SA. Furthermore, we found a significant indirect dependence on the distribution of meals during the day and SA. The results indicate a better dietary pattern of the more active female students in terms of the frequency of meals. (4) Conclusions: “The healthy behaviour”, which includes proper diet and regular SA, was monitored in the cross-sectional research we conducted, the results of which consistently point to opportunities for further improvement. There is a need for universities to develop professionally targeted programmes that will enable novice students to modify their health behaviours during their studies.
A Coreflood‐on‐a‐Chip Study of Viscoelasticity's Effect on Reducing Residual Saturation in Porous Media

Polymer aqueous solutions are widely used in nonaqueous phase liquid recovery and aquifer remediation processes due to their high viscosity. Additional reduction of residual saturation by polymer's viscoelasticity has recently been discovered which elevates the ultimate displacement efficiency. However, there is no consensus on how, and under what conditions, viscoelasticity reduces residual saturation. This is in part because most studies utilize relatively low salinity and high viscosity, which also contribute to higher recoveries. We separate the effects of viscosity, elasticity and salinity, by performing microfluidic experiments in long (30 cm) heterogeneous glass micromodels (coreflood‐on‐a‐chip). In the experiments, a highly viscous Newtonian aqueous phase flood is first performed so that the system reaches residual saturation, followed by polymer flood with varying elasticity and salinity. This is followed by another highly viscous Newtonian aqueous phase flood. We observe significant redistribution and reconnection of residual ganglia due to viscoelasticity induced instabilities during high‐viscoelasticity polymer floods, which results in residual ganglia remobilization that ultimately reduces residual saturation. In contrast, no fluid redistribution and saturation reduction are observed in low‐viscoelasticity polymer floods. During low salinity polymer floods (regardless of the relative elasticity), spontaneous emulsification occurs inside ganglia and results in ganglia swelling, which enhances ganglia reconnection when elastic instability happens, therefore amplifies the residual saturation reduction.
Geotechnical Evaluation of Diesel Contaminated Clayey Soil

Soil contamination by different hydrocarbons has rapidly expanded worldwide, surpassing the self-purification capacity of soils and increasing the number of contaminated sites. Although much effort has been devoted to study the effects of diesel contamination on the geotechnical properties of soil, there is still limited available information about it. Moreover, there is no available information about the maximum diesel retention that soil can have and its effect on the geotechnical behavior of the soil. Thus, in this paper, we determined the maximum diesel retention by an unsaturated clayey soil and evaluated the impact of diesel contamination on its geotechnical properties. The results showed that the soil could only retain 12.6% of the added diesel and the excess was expulsed. At such a diesel concentration, the saturation rate of the soil was lower than 80%. Diesel contamination increased the plasticity and the internal friction angle of the soil, while its cohesion was considerably decreased. It should be noted that the matric suction of contaminated soil was lower than the one obtained for natural soil. However, its osmotic suction was considerably higher. This indicates that osmotic suction must be considered to evaluate the shear strength of contaminated soils.