Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of anthropomorphism in ugly food promotion: Do gender and age matter?

ABSTRACT Due to the cosmetic standards of food service operators, most consumers have had limited exposure to visually unappealing foods. Thus, unused ugly foods end up becoming food waste. To encourage consumers to buy ugly foods with the hope of relieving the severity of food waste, this study attempts to further verify the effectiveness of anthropomorphism in advertising. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the effectiveness of anthropomorphism varies based on the individual consumer characteristics of gender and age. Specifically, the objectives of this study are 1) to investigate whether gender interacts with anthropomorphism and 2) to identify the moderating effect of age. A total of 421 participants were hired through Amazon Mturk, and a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects full-factorial experimental design was used. The results suggest that anthropomorphism could be advantageous in improving consumers’ purchase intentions, as well as confirm anthropomorphism’s interactional effect with gender. Furthermore, this interactional effect varies across different age groups (younger vs. older). This study extends the relevant literature and provides the food service industry with insightful marketing suggestions to promote ugly foods.
Tunable Exciton Dissociation and Luminescence Quantum Yield at a Wide Band Gap Nanocrystal/Quasi-Ordered Regioregular Polythiophene interface

A comprehensive understanding of the effect of polymer chain aggregation-induced molecular ordering and the resulting formation of lower excited energy structures in a conjugated polymer on exciton dissociation and recombination at the interface with a wide-bandgap semiconductor is provided through correlation between structural arrangement of the polymer chains and the consequent electrical and optoelectronic properties. A vertical diode-type photovoltaic test probe is combined with a field effect current modulating device and various spectroscopic techniques to isolate the interfacial properties from the bulk properties. Enhanced energy migration in the quasi-ordered (poly(3-hexylthiophene)) (P3HT) film, processed through vibration-induced aggregation of polymer chains in solution state, is attributed to the presence of the aggregation-induced interchain species in which excitons are allowed to migrate through low barrier energy sites, enabling efficient iso-energetic charge transfer followed by the dow.
Levels of genetic differentiation and gene flow between four populations of the Scaly-naped Pigeon, Patagioenas squamosa: implications for conservation

ABSTRACT Island-endemic columbid species are particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation, extreme climatic events, and interactions with exotic species. The situation might be even more critical in the case of exploited species, where legal hunting and poaching can severely affect population dynamics. Here we document for the first time the genetic structure of the Scaly-naped Pigeon, Patagioenas squamosa, a Caribbean-endemic columbid species of cynegetic interest, over a large part of its range. Using both mitochondrial DNA and nuclear markers (microsatellites), we investigated gene flow, genetic diversity, and genetic structure among four islands populations originating from Puerto-Rico, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Barbados. We found evidence for a significant genetic differentiation only between the Barbados and the three other populations, consistent with the fact that the Barbados population originated from a few captive individuals escaped from a rooftop aviary in Bridgetown about 100 years ago. Given the absence of genetic differentiation between Puerto Rico and the French Antilles, our results suggest that, apart from Barbados, the species may mainly consist of a single large, homogeneous population. We discuss the relevance of our findings in relation to management and conservation issues.
Self-employment: Influence of Tax Incentives and Income Underreporting

The aim of the article is to answer the question whether the tax benefits that can be obtained by the self-employed in Poland influence the decision to start their own business. In the study, the EUROMOD microsimulation model is used to determine tax benefits from self-employment. The estimated tax benefits are then used in a probit regression to explain the probability of self-employment. The survey is carried out for both original EU-SILC data and adjusted data, assuming that the income reported by the self-employed is underreported. The results of the survey based on the original data indicate that taxpayers make irrational decisions about taking up self-employment. This is because as the benefits of self-employment increase, the probability of self-employment decreases. After adjusting the data on self-employed income with the underreported income, the results of the analysis lead to the opposite conclusion.
RAFT Copolymerization of Vinyl Acetate and N-Vinylcaprolactam: Kinetics, Control, Copolymer Composition, and Thermoresponsive Self-Assembly

Well-defined thermoresponsive amphiphilic statistical copolymers based on N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL) and vinyl acetate (VAc) were successfully synthesized by RAFT/MADIX polymerization mediated by O-ethyl-S-(1-ethoxycarbonyl)ethyldithiocarbonate chain transfer agent at 65 °C. We achieved the synthesis of a series of copolymers with controlled molar masses and low dispersities over a wide range of monomer feed ratios (0 < fVAc,0 < 1). Both conventional linearization methods and a nonlinear least-squares methods (NLLS) were applied to estimate reliable values of reactivity ratios for VAc and VCL radical polymerization in regards to the disparate values previously reported in the literature. The highest measurement precision was observed for the NLLS method based on the integrated form of the copolymerization equation developed by Skeist. The calculated values of the reactivity ratios (rVAc = 0.33 ± 0.10 and rVCL = 0.29 ± 0.15) perfectly fitted the drift in monomer feed ratio versus conversion. The VCL and VAc .
What Deters Online Grocery Shopping? Investigating the Effect of Arithmetic Complexity and Product Type on User Satisfaction

This paper explores the influence of product type and arithmetic task complexity on users’ perceived mental effort and satisfaction in the context of online grocery shopping. A two-factor within-subject experiment was conducted with 32 participants. Results show that experience products and complex arithmetic tasks are associated with higher perceived mental effort compared to search products and simple arithmetic tasks. Perceived mental effort and satisfaction are negatively related. The more cognitive effort users need to invest in their online shopping tasks, the less satisfied they are likely to be with their online experience. Our results suggest that cognitive absorption mediates the relationship between cognitive effort and satisfaction. The study contributes to our understanding of online grocery shopping by explaining the effect of arithmetic complexity and product type on user satisfaction. It also offers shopping website designers a way to improve consumers’ online grocery shopping experience by implementing simple technology features in their websites to help users reduce their mental effort.
Asphaltene as Light Harvesting Material in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell: Resurrection of Ancient Leaves

Asphaltenes are remnants of ancient photosynthetic plants and are today considered waste hydrocarbons that must be removed from petroleum for use as fuel and often find their use as road tar. This study reports the first time their use in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) in which light is converted to electricity with conversion efficiencies approaching 1.8%. Extracted fractions of asphaltenes from Mexican Altamira crude oil were used as light absorbers in TiO2 based DSSCs. The photovoltaic performances of the cells were analyzed by determining the I-V cell parameters such as OCV (open-circuit voltage), SCC (short-circuit current), FF (fill factor), and SR (series resistance). The overall energy conversion efficiency was also measured to correlate the effect of the different asphaltene portions that created significant improvement of the solar cell parameters. The sensitization of TiO2 electrode with the best asphaltene fraction resulted in a maximum energy conversion efficiency of 1.8% for the solar cell with a maximum photocurrent density of 16.9 mA/cm2. At this level the solar cell created has strong economic potential. A future strategy to further improve performance by minimizing series resistance and improving the photo current and open circuit voltage is also reported. The cells have shown excellent life as suggested by photo-catalytic polymerization of asphaltene materials when exposed to sunlight and air as stated in patent number 8,389,853.
Prediction of Navigational Decisions in the Real-World: A Visual P300 Event-Related Potentials Brain-Computer Interface

ABSTRACT Despite the widespread availability of portable neuroimaging systems, current applications of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) have largely remained confined to laboratory and clinical settings. In order to develop BCI that will assist individuals across a wide range of everyday life behaviors, it is critical to test paradigms that have been successful in highly controlled setups within the frame of real-world environments. In the present study, a visual P300 paradigm was used to elicit neural responses reflective of decision making within the frame of real-world navigation. Participants (n = 8) were equipped with a tablet and a mobile EEG system while navigating through university corridors. Upon reaching an intersection, participants were presented with left and right arrows flashing on the tablet (and additional non-directional stimuli in the distractor condition). Neural responses elicited by the presentation of such stimuli (Event-Related Potentials) were recorded along with the participant’s navigational decisions. The participants completed two separate sessions to collect data for both the training and testing of an offline BCI system aimed at predicting their navigational decisions based on the extraction of event-related potentials features. Single-trial classification accuracy reached 59.6% (up to 72.3% when classifying group averages of six trials). Individual classification results were contrasted with single-trial analysis. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the design of real-world BCI applications, and several recommendations to improve experimental protocols are proposed.
A STUDY OF PYROLYSIS OF MACADAMIA NUT SHELL: PARAMETRIC SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE IPR MODEL

The macadamia tree is known for producing fruit high in fats, enclosed in very hard woody shells. Macadamia nut shell, considered as a by-product from macadamia nut processing, may be a suitable option for pyrolysis. These residues are constituted of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extractives. The Independent Parallel Reaction (IPR) Model has been applied in this work to study the pyrolysis of macadamia nut shell from thermogravimetric experiments. The kinetic parameters and mass fraction of each component were estimated using the Differential Evolution Algorithm. The influence of the model parameters was also analyzed by means of sensitivity studies. The results showed that the decomposition of the macadamia nut shell is more sensitive to the parameters related to the decomposition of lignin. The results of sensitivity analysis also showed that the activation energy affects the total biomass conversion more strongly than the other parameters and the contribution of extractives in the IPR model is as important as the hemicellulose.
Integrating Habitat Suitability and the Near-Nature Restoration Priorities into Revegetation Plans Based on Potential Vegetation Distribution

Selecting optimal revegetation patterns and filtering priority areas can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of revegetation planning, particularly in areas with severe vegetation damage. However, few people include optimal revegetation patterns and priority restoration areas into revegetation plans. The Near-Nature restoration pays attention to “based on nature” ideas, guiding the degraded ecosystems to reorganize and achieving sustainable restoration through self-regulation. In this study, we conducted a field survey of the native vegetation communities in the Yanhe River catchment, and the data obtained were used to construct the potential distribution suitability of the habitat and screen the priority areas through the combination of MaxEnt and prioritizr models. We drew a heat map of species richness by simulating the potential distribution of 60 native species. The results showed that the potentially suitable habitats for forest cover were distributed in the southern part of the Yanhe River catchment; the potentially suitable habitats for herbaceous plant species were located in the center and the northwest parts of the study area; the potentially suitable habitats for shrub plant species in this area were larger than that of the forest, and herbaceous plants species were distributed in many zones of the study area. This study demonstrated that shrubs and herbaceous plant species in parts of the Loess Plateau should be considered as the pioneer plants of revegetation in future revegetation plans. Moreover, we also mapped the priority area of the Near-Nature restoration based on the richness of the potential native species. The procedure followed in this study could provide guidance for revegetation planning and manual management in the regions where vegetation damage occurs.
Effect of Fermentation with Two Molds on Characteristics of Chicken Meat

In the present study, we investigated the characteristics of chicken meat fermented with Penicillium nalgiovense and Penicillium chrysogenum. Hardness and springiness gradually decreased, while gumminess gradually increased during fermentation. Fermentation with P. chrysogenum led to higher hardness and lower gumminess than fermentation with P. nalgiovense. Fermentation with two molds resulted in similar microstructure, such as granule formation and fractured myofibril. The highest percentage of secondary structure was ɑ-helix, and tyrosine residues were buried after fermentation. P. nalgiovense-fermented samples contained more bound water, lower relative content of alkanes, and higher relative content of aldehydes than P. chrysogenum-fermented samples.
Zinc Status in Beta-Thalassemia Major

BACKGROUND: Zinc is one of the most important minerals incorporated in the enzymes of the human body. Zinc may be deficient in patients with the β-thalassemia major with possible adverse outcomes. AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess the serum zinc status in β-thalassemia major patients in Duhok city. PATIENTS, MATERIAL, AND METHODS: In this case–control study, 70 children with β-thalassemia major (2–12 years) of both genders were enrolled and were matched with 70 apparently healthy children for age and sex. A venous blood sample was obtained from each child for the measurement of serum zinc and serum ferritin levels at Jin Center in Duhok City between January 1 and June 30, 2017. RESULTS: The mean serum zinc in the thalassemia patients (74.79 [±25.14] μg/dl) was significantly lower compared to the control group (93.61 [±15.12] μg/dl), (p = 0.0001). The serum zinc was not significantly different in thalassemia patients in terms of age, disease onset, gender, height, weight, body mass index, amount of blood transfusion, and type of chelation. There was a statistically significant correlation between serum zinc levels with a serum ferritin level of patients. CONCLUSION: The study showed that thalassemia patients have significantly lower serum levels of zinc with no relation to medical factors.
Southern introgression increases adaptive immune gene variability in northern range margin populations of Fire‐bellied toad

Abstract Northern range margin populations of the European fire‐bellied toad (Bombina bombina) have rapidly declined during recent decades. Extensive agricultural land use has fragmented the landscape, leading to habitat disruption and loss, as well as eutrophication of ponds. In Northern Germany (Schleswig‐Holstein) and Southern Sweden (Skåne), this population decline resulted in decreased gene flow from surrounding populations, low genetic diversity, and a putative reduction in adaptive potential, leaving populations vulnerable to future environmental and climatic changes. Previous studies using mitochondrial control region and nuclear transcriptome‐wide SNP data detected introgressive hybridization in multiple northern B. bombina populations after unreported release of toads from Austria. Here, we determine the impact of this introgression by comparing the body conditions (proxy for fitness) of introgressed and nonintrogressed populations and the genetic consequences in two candidate genes for putative local adaptation (the MHC II gene as part of the adaptive immune system and the stress response gene HSP70 kDa). We detected regional differences in body condition and observed significantly elevated levels of within individual MHC allele counts in introgressed Swedish populations, associated with a tendency toward higher body weight, relative to regional nonintrogressed populations. These differences were not observed among introgressed and nonintrogressed German populations. Genetic diversity in both MHC and HSP was generally lower in northern than Austrian populations. Our study sheds light on the potential benefits of translocations of more distantly related conspecifics as a means to increase adaptive genetic variability and fitness of genetically depauperate range margin populations without distortion of local adaptation.
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO ENHANCE ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE BY COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS MEDIATING IN SMEs IN IRAQ

Effective improvement in quality has become a potentially precious way to boost competitiveness and organizational performance. This paper aims to assess for competitive advantage and organizational performance the effects of Total quality management (TQM) activities. A quantitative approach is used to obtain data from a survey (questionnaire) consisting of 38 items with a five-point Likert scale. The unit of analysis is small and medium food companies in Iraq. The respondents in this paper are the managers of departments. Smart PLS 3.2. 9 was used to analyze the results. The findings of the path analysis of partial least squares (PLS) support variables in their hypothesised direct relationships with organizational performance. The analysis results suggest that competitive advantage partially mediates the relationship between (TQM) practices and organizational performance. The paper provides many suggestions that are helpful both for researchers and policymakers to undertake more research in this area as well as to enhance the (CA) and (OP) of organisations in the future.
Ultrasound-assisted extraction of Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.) leaves: Effect of maturity stage on phytochemicals and carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes inhibitory activity

Although phytochemical contents of Gac fruit have been extensively analyzed, information about the bioactive compounds and valorization of Gac leaves is limited. In this study, Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.) leaves at different maturity stages (young: YL, mature: ML and old: OL leaves) were extracted during a 20 min of 150-W sonication process. Color, phytochemicals, antioxidant activity, and inhibitory effects against carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes were assessed by colorimetric, high-performance liquid chromatography, and spectrophotometric methods, respectively. Results indicated a decrease in L* (lightness) and an increase in a* (greenness–redness) during maturation of leaves. The YL extract had the highest contents of phytochemicals with 4897.01 (mg gallic acid equivalent [GAE] per 100 gram dried weight [DW]), total phenolics, 592.81 (mg querce-tin [QE]/100 g DW), total flavonoids, 34.77% ? -amylase inhibitory activity, and 40.21% ? -glucosidase inhibitory activity. Myricetin (43%), vitexin (22%), and esculetin (11%) were the major bioactive compounds detected in YL extract. Also, the superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like capacity of the extract decreased from 11,599.96 to 3,999.63 U/g DW during the transformation of YL to OL. Extract of Gac leaves was found to be a potential ingredient for food preservation and supplementation that could reduce postprandial hyperglycemia.
Growth, yield and quality of teosinte (Euchleana maxicana L.) fodder as influenced by nitrogen and phosphorus application

Abstract Nitrogen and phosphorus are the most critical determinants of fodder yield and quality. Here, we chose Teosinte fodder (Euchleana maxicana L.) as a test crop for evaluating the effects of supplied nutrients. Farmers applied injudiciously nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P2O5) doses to fodder crops; hence, it is essential to find out the optimum doses of N and P2O5 for yield and quality enhancement under irrigated condition in karnal. In this experiment, it was needed to investigate the effect of different levels of N (0, 40, 80, 120, 160 kg/ha) and P2O5 (0, 30, 60 kg/ha) combinations on the growth attributes and quality of fodder crops. Among the nutrient levels, 160 kg N and 60 kg P2O5 combination maximize yield attributing characters and also improve the quality parameters viz. crude protein, ash, ether extract, nitrogen free extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and hemicellulose. Therefore, it is concluded that present study demonstrates that optimum levels both N and P2O5 application significantly increased growth attributing characters, yield as well as enhanced the quality traits of the fodder crops.
Enhancing diffusion of consumer innovations on knowledge sharing platforms

ABSTRACT In the past decade, studies showed that many consumers innovate for themselves. Sometimes their innovations are useful to others and potentially enhance social welfare. Unfortunately, diffusion fails as consumers lack incentives to inform others. Online knowledge sharing platforms (OKSPs), which can be stimulated with government support, may alleviate this problem. Platform communication may trigger passive consumers into active knowledge contributors. It is however uncertain if and how platform communication affects consumers who never shared designs before. We conducted a randomised controlled experiment with 715 members of an OKSP in 3D printing. Our intervention included a series of general and personal messages, tailored to various motives to share knowledge: altruism, status, ideology, learning and community. Platform members who never uploaded designs before are positively influenced by our intervention. Specifically, messages tailored to altruism, ideology and learning made platform members upload more designs. Hence, platform communication can improve the availability of innovative designs to potential adopters, and is a useful step to alleviate diffusion failure of consumer innovations.