Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Teachers’ Application of Multiple Intelligences Approach in Teaching Economics

The use of Gardner’s multiple intelligences (MI) theory is touted as one of the ideal ways of teaching students with diverse intelligences. However, there appears to be paucity of research in this area of knowledge. This study, therefore, explored the application of multiple intelligences approach in the teaching of Economics. The study was a quantitative research that adopted the descriptive cross-sectional survey design. In total, 100 senior high school teachers were selected for the study. Data were collected by the use of a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, ranging from “never” to “very frequently. ” Descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (MANOVA) were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that Economics teachers frequently used interpersonal intelligences in teaching Economics. Additionally, it was found out that there was a statistically significant difference in the application of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence approach in the teaching of Economics based on Economics teachers’ teaching experience. However, the findings of the study showed no statistically significant difference in the Economics teachers’ application of MI approach in the teaching of Economics based on their gender. It was, thus, recommended that Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Education, and Non-Governmental Organisations should organise seminars and conferences for teachers to deepen their understanding of the application of the MI approach in the teaching of Economics. In addition, heads of senior high schools should organise professional development programmes and conferences to enable teachers acquire information on the following domains of MI: logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, and naturalistic intelligences.
Dorsal Corporoplasty Techniques in the Management of Chordee Associated with Severe Hypospadias at a Teaching Hospital in Yaoundé, Cameroon: A Retrospective Study

Introduction: The prevalence of hypospadias is 1 in 300 male births, of whom one in four will have some form of chordee. Correction of the chordee is imperative but presents a challenge with complications, including residual chordee, penile nodulations, and shortening. This study aimed at reporting the outcomes and at sharing our experience with the surgical correction of chordee associated with hypospadias at the Yaounde Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital (YGOPH). Patients and Methods: We carried out a retrospective cross-sectional study covering an eight-year period from 1 January 2010 to December 2017 at the Pediatric Surgery Service of the YGOPH. The study included all files of patients with severe hypospadias who underwent chordee correction using dorsal corporoplasty techniques and were reviewed for outcome evaluation. Results: A total of 40 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 22 (55%) had chordee corrected by the Nesbit corporoplasty technique, 13 (32.5%) by the Tunica Albuginia Plication (TAP) corporoplasty technique, and five (12.5%) by the Yachia corporoplasty technique. The median age at surgery was six (five to seven) years. The median follow-up period for the patients was five (three to six) years. Penile nodules were not observed in our series. Penile shortening was identified in four patients (18.2%) after Nesbit corporoplasty. Four patients had a residual chordee that was significant enough, requiring another correction. Conclusion: Irrespective of the technique of dorsal corporoplasty used in the correction of chordee associated with severe hypospadias, penile nodulation and shortening are not of concern, and residual chordee, if present, is usually mild and does not require any correction.
Seed Distribution in Soil and its Effects on Early Plant Growth

Seed distribution in soil has important implications for agronomic performance of crop and design and evaluation of seeding equipment. Measurements were performed in two fields. One field was seeded with pea crop using a side-band opener, and the other field was seeded with canola crop using a single-row opener and a paired-row opener. Positions of seed in soil were measured in three dimensions (along the crop row, lateral, and vertical directions). Early crop growth characteristics (plant height and plant dry weight) were also measured. Results showed that laterally seeds were spread as wide as 60 mm in the soil by the side-band opener, 94 mm by the single-row opener, and 250 mm by the paired-row opener. Horizontally, seeds were highly scattered, and the average absolute seed spacing was 48, 50, and 75 mm for the side-band, single-row, and paired-row openers respectively. Vertically, the side-band opener placed pea seeds at an average depth of 39 mm (SD: 13 mm), and the single-row and paired-row openers placed canola seeds at an average depth of 21 mm (SD: 7 mm) and 18 mm (SD: 8 mm), respectively. Pea plants seeded at depths below 15 mm had smaller plant height and lower dry weight compared to those seeded at greater depths. Canola plants showed smaller height and lower dry weight when seeded shallower than 5 mm and deeper than 35 mm.
Redox and Hormonal Changes in the Transcriptome of Grape (Vitis vinifera) Berries during Natural Noble Rot Development

Noble rot is a favorable form of the interaction between grape (Vitis spp.) berries and the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. The transcriptome pattern of grapevine cells subject to natural noble rot development in the historic Hungarian Tokaj wine region has not been previously published. Furmint, a traditional white Tokaj variety suited to develop great quality noble rot was used in the experiments. Exploring a subset of the Furmint transcriptome redox and hormonal changes distinguishing between noble rot and bunch rot was revealed. Noble rot is defined by an early spike in abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation and a pronounced remodeling of ABA-related gene expression. Transcription of glutathione S-transferase isoforms is uniquely upregulated, whereas gene expression of some sectors of the antioxidative apparatus (e.g., catalases, carotenoid biosynthesis) is downregulated. These mRNA responses are lacking in berries exposed to bunch rot. Our results help to explain molecular details behind the fine and dynamic balance between noble rot and bunch rot development.
An Overview of Spray Modeling With OpenNCC and its Application to Emissions Predictions of a LDI Combustor at High Pressure

The open national combustion code (Open- NCC) is developed with the aim of advancing the current multi-dimensional computational tools used in the design of advanced technology combustors. In this paper we provide an overview of the spray module, LSPRAY-V, developed as a part of this effort. The spray solver is mainly designed to predict the flow, thermal, and transport properties of a rapidly evaporating multi-component liquid spray. The modeling approach is applicable over a wide-range of evaporating conditions (normal, superheat, and supercritical). The modeling approach is based on several well-established atomization, vaporization, and wall/droplet impingement models. It facilitates large-scale combustor computations through the use of massively parallel computers with the ability to perform the computations on either structured & unstructured grids. The spray module has a multi-liquid and multi-injector capability, and can be used in the calculation of both steady and unsteady computations. We conclude the paper by providing the results for a reacting spray generated by a single injector element with 600 axially swept swirler vanes. It is a configuration based on the next-generation lean-direct injection (LDI) combustor concept. The results include comparisons for both combustor exit temperature and EINOX at three different fuel/air ratios.
Weakness of will. The limitations of revealed preference theory

The phenomenon of weakness of will – not doing what we perceive as the best action – is not recognized by neoclassical economics due to the axiomatic assumptions of the revealed preference theory (RPT) that people do what is best for them. However, present bias shows that people have different preferences over time. As they cannot be compared by the utility measurements, economists need to normatively decide between selves (short- versus long-term preferences). A problem is that neoclassical economists perceive RPT as value-free and incorporate present bias within the economic framework. The axiomatic assumption that people do what is best for them leads to theoretical and practical dilemmas. This work examines weakness of will to resolve some shortcomings of RPT. The concept of intention is used to provide multiple self conception with the framework to decide between selves, which had not been done before. The paper concludes that individuals should not always follow their revealed preferences (desires) but the intentions (reason) because the latter indicates what people really want.
A Differential Epidemic Model for Information, Misinformation, and Disinformation in Online Social Networks: COVID-19 Vaccination

These days the online social network has become a huge source of data. People are actively sharing information on these platforms. The data on online social networks can be misinformation, information, and disinformation. Because online social network has become an important part of our life, so the information on online social networks makes a great impact on us. Here a differential epidemic model for information, misinformation, and disinformation on online social networks is proposed. The expression for basic reproduction number has been developed. Again, the stability condition for the system at both infection-free and endemic equilibriums points has been discussed. The Numerical simulation has been performed to validate our theoretical results. Again, with the help of data available on twitter related to COVID-19 vaccination is used to perform the experiment. Finally, discuss about the control strategy to minimize the misinformation and disinformation related to vaccination.
A Low Power Inductorless LNA With Double Gm Enhancement in 130 nm CMOS

This paper presents the design of a low power differential Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) in 130 nm CMOS technology for 2.45 GHz ISM band applications. The circuit benefits from several g m -enhancements. These techniques provide a high gain and reduced Noise Figure (NF) in spite of the low intrinsic g m of the MOS transistors. Moreover, the circuit is fully inductorless. Main design points are described and the performance tradeoffs of the circuit are discussed. A prototype has been implemented and it exhibits a 20 dB gain with a 4 dB NF while dissipating 1.32 mW. The IIP 3 is ―12 dBm for an input compression point of —21 dBm.
Authors' Reply

We thank Batu (2012) for the thoughtful comments on our paper. We would like to first emphasize that there is no assertion anywhere in the comment of Batu (2012) that the analyses in our paper are incorrect. Although we disagree with some statements, the comments of Batu (2012) focus primarily on clarifying the assumptions and perceived practical limitations of the closed form analytical solutions of steady-state plumes undergoing first-order degradation presented in Burnell et al. (2012). In order to address the comments, this reply will more fully discuss the: (1) model assumptions and limitations; (2) applicability of advection-dominated approximation; and (3) practical application of the advection-dominated multispecies analytical models used to estimate parent (TCE) and sequential degradation product (cis 1,2 DCE and VC) rate constants for the approximate steady-state plume data at the Harris CERCLA site in Palm Bay, Florida. In response to comment 1 of Batu (2012), the dimensionless analyses in Burnell et al. (2012) used the approach presented in the study by Guyonnet and Neville (2004). The Peclet number is defined as Pe = vx0/Dx and Damköhler number is defined as Da = kx0/v, where v is the average linear groundwater velocity, x0 is an arbitrary downgradient distance from the source, and k is the first-order degradation rate constant. The dimensionless distance XD = x/x0 was defined so that taking XD = 1 implies that the results are applicable to any downgradient point x = x0. For dimensionless analyses with XD = 1, the downgradient distances x and x0 are equal, and therefore either x or x0 can be used in Pe and Da during analyses of the analytical solutions.
Effectiveness of Augmented Reality (AR) on Students’ Achievement and Motivation in Learning Science

This study aimed to determine the impact of an augmented reality (AR) application, NutricARd, on students ’ achievement and motivation. The mixed-methods research seeks to ascertain the influence of AR-NutricARd learning cards on the motivation and achievement of form 2 science students. There were 50 participants in this study. The NutricARd applications, which had undergone rigorous design and development research, were employed for the treatment group. Each of the control and experimental groups had 25 participants. The control group used existing AR features in textbooks provided by the Malaysia Ministry of Education. The study revealed that there is a significant difference in achievement between the treatment and control groups. Pre-tests and post-tests, as well as a procedure for semi-structured interviews, were employed as research tools in this study. The paired t-test results showed that there was also a significant difference in students ’ motivation. The semi-structured interview showed that AR-NutricARd has the capabilities and intriguing aspects that encourage students to engage with the science subject. The findings of the study also showed that there is a significant relationship between motivation and achievement. Thus, a higher motivation implies increased student achievement.
Evolution of competitive priorities towards performance improvement: a meta-analysis

Competitive priorities are critical operational dimensions that a business process must possess to satisfy its internal and external customers. The process of defining competitive priorities is evolving and changing over time according to a new business paradigm. Therefore, it is the right time to revisit the critical dimensions of competitive priority. The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to identify and revise the critical dimensions of competitive priority; (2) to assess the quality of competitive priority measures across studies based on different criteria; (3) to confirm the relationship between several competitive priorities and organisational performance. The results show the different effects that competitive priorities have on organisational performance. Cost and quality priorities show evidence of strong effect size compared to the others.
Soil Characteristics of North American Sites Colonized by the Non-Native, Invasive Vines Black Swallow-Wort and Pale Swallow-Wort

Abstract Vincetoxicum nigrum (Black Swallow-wort) and V. rossicum (Pale Swallowwort) are non-native, perennial vines that are spreading across North America. We collected soil samples from invaded sites in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. We also performed GIS analyses using the site locations, locations from iMapInvasives, and soil data from SSURGO. We found that Black Swallow-wort tended to occupy Inceptisols while Pale Swallow-wort occupied soils with more silt and clay, including Alfisols. Mean soil pH was lower at Black Swallow-wort sites compared to Pale Swallow-wort sites. However, both species colonized soils that varied widely in pH, fertility, texture, and taxonomy. We conclude that abiotic soil characteristics do not strongly constrain swallow-wort distributions in North America.
Humanoid robot control of complex postural tasks based on learning from demostration

This thesis addresses the problem of planning and controlling complex tasks in a humanoid robot from a postural point of view. It is motivated by the growth of robotics in our current society, where simple robots are being integrated. Its objective is to make an advancement in the development of complex behaviors in humanoid robots, in order to allow them to share our environment in the future. The work presents different contributions in the areas of humanoid robot postural control, behavior planning, non-linear control, learning from demonstration and reinforcement learning. First, as an introduction of the thesis, a group of methods and mathematical formulations are presented, describing concepts such as humanoid robot modelling, generation of locomotion trajectories and generation of whole-body trajectories. Next, the process of human learning is studied in order to develop a novel method of postural task transference between a human and a robot. It uses the demonstrated action goal as a metrics of comparison, which is codified using the reward associated to the task execution. As an evolution of the previous study, this process is generalized to a set of sequential behaviors, which are executed by the robot based on human demonstrations. Afterwards, the execution of postural movements using a robust control approach is proposed. This method allows to control the desired trajectory even with mismatches in the robot model. Finally, an architecture that encompasses all methods of postural planning and control is presented. It is complemented by an environment recognition module that identifies the free space in order to perform path planning and generate safe movements for the robot. The experimental justification of this thesis was developed using the humanoid robot HOAP-3. Tasks such as walking, standing up from a chair, dancing or opening a door have been implemented using the techniques proposed in this work.
Ethnic differences in kidney function in childhood: the Born in Bradford Cohort Renal Study

Background: Endstage kidney failure rates are higher in South Asians than in White Europeans. Low birth weight is associated with adult chronic kidney disease and is more common in South Asians. Foetal kidney size was smaller in South Asians in the Born in Bradford (BiB) birth cohort. As part of BiB follow up, we aimed to investigate if there were ethnic differences in kidney function and blood pressure in early childhood and whether this was different by foetal kidney size. Methods: Serum creatinine, cystatin C, urea, and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), protein to creatinine ratio (PCR) and retinol binding protein (RBP) were analysed in blood and urine samples from those who participated in the BiB follow-up at 7–11 years. Ethnicity was categorised by parental self-report as White European and South Asian. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using Schwartz, and cystatin C Zappitelli and Filler equations. Linear regression was used to examine the association between ethnicity and eGFR, PCR and blood pressure. Results: 1591 children provided blood (n=1403) or urine (n=625) samples. Mean eGFR was 92 ml/min/1.73m 2 (standard deviation (SD) 9) using Schwartz (n=1156) and 94 (SD 11) using Zappitelli (n=1257). CKD prevalence was rare (1 with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m 2, 14 (2.4%) had raised ACR (>2.5 mg/mmol in boys/3.5 mg/mmol in girls). Diastolic blood pressure was higher in South Asian children (difference 2.04 mmHg, 95% CI 0.99 to 3.10) but was not significant in adjusted analysis. There was no evidence of association in adjusted models between ethnicity and any eGFR or urinary measure at this age. Conclusions: There was no evidence of significant ethnic differences in kidney function at pre-pubertal age despite differences in kidney volume at birth. Longitudinal follow-up is required to track ethnic patterns in kidney function and blood pressure as children develop through puberty.
Mapping Land Cover Types for Highland Andean Ecosystems in Peru Using Google Earth Engine

Highland Andean ecosystems sustain high levels of floral and faunal biodiversity in areas with diverse topography and provide varied ecosystem services, including the supply of water to cities and downstream agricultural valleys. Google (™) has developed a product specifically designed for mapping purposes (Earth Engine), which enables users to harness the computing power of a cloud-based solution in near-real time for land cover change mapping and monitoring. We explore the feasibility of using this platform for mapping land cover types in topographically complex terrain with highly mixed vegetation types (Nor Yauyos Cochas Landscape Reserve located in the central Andes of Peru) using classification machine learning (ML) algorithms in combination with different sets of remote sensing data. The algorithms were trained using 3601 sampling pixels of (a) normalized spectral bands between the visible and near infrared spectrum of the Landsat 8 OLI sensor for the 2018 period, (b) spectral indices of vegetation, soil, water, snow, burned areas and bare ground and (c) topographic-derived indices (elevation, slope and aspect). Six ML algorithms were tested, including CART, random forest, gradient tree boosting, minimum distance, naïve Bayes and support vector machine. The results reveal that ML algorithms produce accurate classifications when spectral bands are used in conjunction with topographic indices, resulting in better discrimination among classes with similar spectral signatures such as pajonal (tussock grass-dominated cover) and short grasses or rocky groups, and moraines, agricultural and forested areas. The model with the highest explanatory power was obtained from the combination of spectral bands and topographic indices using the random forest algorithm (Kappa = 0.81). Our study presents a first approach of its kind in topographically complex Cordilleran terrain and we show that GEE is particularly useful in large-scale land cover mapping and monitoring in mountainous ecosystems subject to rapid changes and conversions, with replicability and scalability to other areas with similar characteristics.
Plasma Neurofilament Light Is Not Associated with Ongoing Neuroaxonal Injury or Cognitive Decline in Perinatally HIV Infected Adolescents: A Brief Report

Despite combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), adolescents with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus (PHIV) exhibit cerebral injury and cognitive impairment. Plasma neurofilament light (pNfL) is a biomarker identified as a promising marker associated with neuroaxonal injury and cognitive impairment. To investigate whether cerebral injury in cART-treated PHIV adolescents is persistent, we longitudinally measured pNfL. We included 21 PHIV adolescents and 23 controls, matched for age, sex, ethnic origin and socio-economic status. We measured pNfL in both groups and CSF NfL in PHIV adolescents using a highly sensitive Single Molecule Array (Simoa) immunoassay. We compared pNfL between groups over time with a mean follow-up time of 4.6 years and assessed its association with MRI outcomes, cognitive function and HIV-related characteristics using linear mixed models. The median age was 17.5 years (15.5–20.7) and 16.4 years (15.8–19.6) at the second assessment for PHIV adolescents and controls, respectively. We found comparable pNfL (PHIV vs. controls) at the first (2.9 pg/mL (IQR 2.0–3.8) and 3.0 pg/mL (IQR 2.3–3.5), p = 0.499) and second assessment (3.3 pg/mL (IQR 2.5–4.1) and 3.0 pg/mL (IQR 2.5–3.7), p = 0.658) and observed no longitudinal change (coefficient; −0.19, 95% −0.5 to 0.1, p = 0.244). No significant associations were found between pNfL and HIV- or cART-related variables, MRI outcomes or cognitive function. We observed low CSF NfL concentrations at the baseline in PHIV adolescents (100.8 pg/mL, SD = 47.5). Our results suggest that there is no ongoing neuroaxonal injury in cART-treated PHIV adolescents and that the neuroaxonal injury is acquired in the past, emphasizing the importance of early cART to mitigate HIV-related neuroaxonal damage.