Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of Distance Learning in Higher Education through the Eyes of Course Instructors

Bu calisma universite ogretim elemanlarinin uzaktan ogrenmenin avantaj ve dezavantajlarina yonelik goruslerini arastirmayi amaclamistir. Katilimcilar Turk Dili, Ataturk Ilkeleri ve Inkilap Tarihi ile Yabanci Dil (Ingilizce) derslerini uzaktan egitim yoluyla ogrencilere sunan alti universite ogretim elemanidir. Veriyi toplamak icin dort acik uclu soru sorulmustur: 1) Uzaktan ogrenimin avantajlari nelerdir? 2) Uzaktan ogrenimin dezavantajlari nelerdir? 3) Şimdiye kadar cevirimici ders verirken hangi problemlerle karsilastiniz? 4) Uzaktan ogrenim nasil daha etkili hale getirilebilir? Yuz yuze ve Turkce yapilan gorusmeler yazili dokumana cevrilmis, ve tematik analiz yapilmistir. Sonuclara gore uzaktan ogrenimin avantajlari universite ogrencileri icin avantaj, universite icin avantajlar, ve ogretim elemani icin avantajlar olarak categorize edilmistir. Ogrenciler icin en buyuk avantaj egitime ulasim kolayligidir. En fazla belirtilen dezavantaj ise ogretim elemani ve ogrenci arasindaki etkilesim eksikligi, ogrencilerin duzenli derse katilmayisi, ve teknik problemlerdir. Ayrica,universite ogretim elemanlarinin cogu ogrenme ortamlarinin sosyallestirerek gelistirilmesi yonunde oneride bulunmuslardir.
Uncertainties in simulating central Asia: Sensitivity to physical parameterizations using Weather Research and Forecasting model

The Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) comprises a number of parameterization schemes, and therefore the different combined physical parameterization schemes should be discussed before determining optimal configurations. The regional climate of central Asia is simulated from 2003 to 2008 using the WRFv4.0. 1 with nine physical combinations (microphysics [MP], cumulus [CU], planetary boundary layer [PBL]) on a 25‐km horizontal grid. The goal is to identify a reasonable configuration assemble of physical parameterization schemes for long‐term simulations through the sensitivity experiments of regional climate respond to microphysics, convection, and boundary layer processes. Compared to the observation data, all the groups mostly simulate the daily and seasonal variations of precipitation but with a shift from wet bias to dry bias based on the daily precipitation categories of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). The large‐scale precipitation caused by the microphysics schemes is 3–4 times the amount of precipitation caused by the subscale precipitation generated by the cumulus schemes. The simulated difference of the vertical temperature shows results similar to those of the surface air temperature. The microphysics schemes play the dominant role among the three physical options, and the Thompson scheme addresses better precipitation and surface temperature simulations in contrast to the WDM6 scheme. By combining with the bias, correlation and root‐mean‐square error (RMSE) between the reproduced temperature and precipitation, it can be concluded that the best optimal physical schemes combination is the Thompson–Tiedtke–YSU, which can be used for long‐term simulations.
Antiradical and chelating ability of (+)-catechin, procyanidin B1, and a procyanidin-rich fraction isolated from brown sorghum bran

Introduction : Sorghum varieties of brown pericarp are a rich source of natural antioxidants, among which procyanidins stand out. Currently there is little information on the relationship between the degree of polymerization of sorghum procyanidins and their antioxidant activity against certain free radicals, enzymes, and metals involved in the oxidation processes. For this reason, the present work intends to broaden the knowledge of the antioxidant profile of sorghum procyanidins, considering their degree of polymerization, through the determination of the antiradical (DPPH, ABTS, lipid peroxidation) and chelating ability (copper, zinc) of (+)-catechin (C), procyanidin B1 (PB1), and a procyanidin-rich fraction (PRF) isolated from brown sorghum bran. Method: The monomer of (+)-catechin (C) and the dimer of procyanidin B1 (PB1) were acquired from chemical suppliers, while the sorghum procyanidin-rich fraction (PRF) was isolated through a Sephadex LH-20 column, employing solvent mixtures of methanol/water and aqueous acetone. The PRF was analyzed in an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography system (UHPLC), equipped with a UV-Vis diode array detector (DAD), as well as electrospray ionization (ESI) and quadruple time of flight (QTOF) mass spectrometry (MS) detectors. Subsequently, the following analysis were determined for the monomer C, dimer PB1 and PRF: Second-order rate constants ( K s ), considering the initial stage and the overall reaction with DPPH, using a stopped-flow system; the easiness to reduce the peroxidase-generated free radicals (ABTS); inhibition of lipid peroxidation in a linoleic acid emulsion, as well as the ability to chelate Cu(II) and Zn(II). Results: The dimer PB1 and PRF (mixture of oligomers from trimer to decamer), showed higher K s to directly inhibit DPPH than the monomer C, and also were more effective to decrease the rates of formation of ABTS in the presence of peroxidase. However, the degree of polymerization was not a determining factor in the behavior of procyanidins to inhibit the free radicals formed during the peroxidation of linoleic acid in an emulsion system. Sorghum procyanidins showed greater ability to chelate copper than zinc, and their chelating ability was greater as the degree of polymerization increased. Conclusions: The kinetic behavior of sorghum procyanidins revealed that PRF possess great potential to inhibit different free radicals, as well as for chelating copper.
Informant Discrepancies in Judgments About Change During Mental Health Treatments

Understanding how mental health treatments benefit people who receive treatment comes with a challenge: Often different people involved in treatment have different impressions of the treatment’s ultimate effects. How do people reconcile these different reports to understand the true benefit of treatment? In a series of four experiments, we tested people’s beliefs about how to integrate information from multiple informants for the treatment improvement of child clients. We found that laypeople (Experiments 1, 2, and 3) and professional mental health clinicians (Experiment 4) trust informants they believe to be insightful about the specific disorder but pessimistic about overall improvement. Our findings suggest important future research avenues to better understand how intuitions about reconciling informants influence the process of weighting information from clients and other people involved in their care.
“Give and Receive”: The Impact of an Intergenerational Program on Institutionalized Children and Older Adults

ABSTRACT This study describes the effects of an intergenerational program on self-esteem, loneliness, depression and happiness of a sample of six institutionalized children and six institutionalized older adults. A mixed-method with a pre-post approach was used. Such impact occurred in purpose, well-being and positive emotions, intergenerational sharing, and community involvement. The difficulties found were mobility constraints, low emotional expression and alphabetization (in elders), difficulty in establishing affective bonds (in children) and, also, length and periodicity. These results are discussed, and the implications of the psychosocial impact of such programs on all agents implicated in the intergenerational relationships are highlighted.
Effects of potassium in Myracrodruon urundeuva, Libidibia ferrea and Mimosa tenuiflora seedlings under a short-term water déficit

Esta investigacion tuvo como objetivo evaluar los efectos de la fertilizacion de potasio en las plantulas de Myracrodruon urundeuva , Libidibia ferrea y Mimosa tenuiflora sometidas a un corto periodo de deficit hidrico. Se evaluaron tres dosis de K (0, 150 y 300 mg dm -3 KCl) y tres regimenes de agua (sin deficit hidrico, deficit hidrico moderado y deficit hidrico grave). Las plantas se mantuvieron en bolsas de plastico negras que contenian tierra de Caatinga y, 30 dias despues del comienzo de los regimenes hidricos, se evaluo el contenido relativo de agua, la tasa de transpiracion, la conductancia estomatica y la tasa de fotosintesis. El alto contenido de humedad en el suelo fue desfavorable para las plantas, lo que provoco una reduccion en el TRA y el intercambio de gases. Se encontro que el deficit de agua aumento la tasa de transpiracion, la conductancia estomatica y la tasa de fotosintesis de las plantas, sin embargo, la intensidad de estas respuestas fue variable entre las especies. El deficit hidrico favorecio a las plantas de juca, con un aumento en el contenido relativo de agua y un pequeno cambio en el intercambio de gases en relacion con los niveles de deficit hidrico impuestos, lo que demuestra su mayor tolerancia en relacion con los demas, sin embargo, fue la especie mas beneficiada por K. O El suministro de 300 mg dm -3 de KCl influyo positivamente en el estado del agua y el intercambio de gases de las especies estudiadas con el aumento del deficit hidrico. Sugerimos el desarrollo de investigaciones que sometan a las plantas a un periodo de tiempo mas largo, a fin de establecer una major relacion entre el potasio y la mayor tolerancia de estas plantas al deficit hidrico.
Total versus partial uncinectomy in functional endoscopic sinus surgery

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis is a clinical syndrome defined by persistent symptomatic inflammation of the mucosa of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses. Usually, it responds to conservative medical treatment. Cases that resist medical treatment usually need functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Uncinectomy is the first step in functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Objective: to compare between partial and total uncinectomy results in terms of patient symptoms improvement, operative data (operative time and complications), and postoperative complications in management of localized maxillary sinusitis. Patients and Methods: the present study included 40 cases with chronic maxillary sinusitis allocated for functional endoscopic sinus surgery after failure of medical treatment. The 40 cases were divided into groups (20 cases each). Partial uncinectomy was done in group A and total uncinectomy was done in group B. Results: both partial and total uncinectomy were compared in terms of safety and effectiveness. Total uncinectomy had significantly longer operative time and had more complications when compared to partial uncinectomy. In addition, total uncinectomy was more effective in relieving headache, anterior nasal discharge and nasal obstruction, while partial uncinectomy was more effective in relieving postnasal discharge. None of these results reached a statistically significant value. Conclusion: compared to total uncinectomy operative time, healing time and complications were less in partial uncinectomy. Despite that both are effective in resolving the symptoms, partial uncinectomy is preferred in patients with localized maxillary sinusitis.
Do CEOs Matter? Evidence from Hospitalization Events

Using variation in firms’ exposure to their CEOs resulting from hospitalization, we estimate the effect of chief executive officers (CEOs) on firm policies, holding firm‐CEO matches constant. We document three main findings. First, CEOs have a significant effect on profitability and investment. Second, CEO effects are larger for younger CEOs, in growing and family‐controlled firms, and in human‐capital‐intensive industries. Third, CEOs are unique: the hospitalization of other senior executives does not have similar effects on the performance. Overall, our findings demonstrate that CEOs are a key driver of firm performance, which suggests that CEO contingency plans are valuable.
Multitemporal Analysis of Soil Sealing and Land Use Changes Linked to Urban Expansion of Salamanca (Spain) Using Landsat Images and Soil Carbon Management as a Mitigating Tool for Climate Change

The lack of urban sustainability is a widespread deficiency in urban agglomerations. To achieve adequate land use, we present a methodology that allows for: 1) the identification of the impacts caused by urban expansion since 1956 to the present in Salamanca (Spain); and 2) the promotion of a more sustainable future in urban development. A multi-temporal assessment of land use was made by remote sensing, while sustainability criteria were analyzed using the multicriteria analysis (MCA) with Geographical Information Systems (GIS). In addition, we established recommendations for soil carbon management in semi-arid ecosystem soils that contribute to climate change mitigation. The results show an increase of the urbanized area from 3.8% to 22.3% in the studied period, identifying up to 15% of buildings in zones with some type of restriction. In 71% of the cases, urbanization caused the sealing of productive agricultural soils (2519 Ha), almost 20% of which were of the highest quality. In last few decades, an excessive increase of built-up areas in comparison to population dynamics was identified, which causes unnecessary soil sealing that affects the food production and the capacity to mitigate climate change by managing the carbon cycle in the soil.
Effet améliorateur d’un apport extérieur de calcium et de potassium sous différentes formes sur la tolérance à la salinité de l’amarante (Amaranthus cruentus L.)

Objectives: Salinity is an abiotic factor that reduces agricultural production al around the world. This study aims to evaluate the ameliorative effect of an exogenous application of potassium and calcium in different forms on the growth of amaranth plants grown under salt stress and the implication of sodium and potassium ions accumulation in this improvement. Methodology and results: Young plants were subjected to ten treatments including the control without NaCl; 120 mM NaCl and a combination between 120 mM NaCl and exogenous application of 40 or 60 mM CaSO4; CaCl2; KNO3 or K2SO4. Plants growth as well as sodium and potassium ions contents were determined in leaves and roots after two weeks. Results indicate that exogenous application of these compounds alleviates the detrimental effects of NaCl on amaranth plant growth through sodium exclusion from leaves and better potassium accumulation. Conclusion and applications of results: KNO3 is the most effective compounds in alleviating of NaCl detrimental effect on amaranth plant growth, followed by CaSO4. This growth improvement was due to better Na+ exclusion from leaves associated with better K+ accumulation resulting in a best K+/Na+ ratio. Both compounds may be recommended to amaranth producers in coastal areas of Benin affected by salinity.
The Microstructure of the Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire

Background: The wellbeing process model formed the basis of questionnaires that can demonstrate which factors predict negative and positive wellbeing outcomes. The Student Wellbeing Process Questionnaire (Student WPQ) uses stressor, negative coping, psychological capital and social support scales to predict positive and negative wellbeing outcomes. Aims: The usual method of scoring the WPQ has been to sum relevant questions in each scale. The aim of the present analyses was to investigate the microstructure of the WPQ and examine the profile of individual predictor and outcome items. Methodology: The research was approved by the ethics committee, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, and carried out with the informed consent of the volunteers (1481 psychology undergraduates; 89.4% female; 49.7% year 1; mean age 19.5 years). An online survey was carried out, and a MANOVA was conducted to examine associations between the wellbeing process predictor variables and the wellbeing outcomes. Results: A multivariate analysis of variance showed that the majority of individual predictors had significant overall effects. Some of the predictors (optimism; self-esteem, developmental challenges; time pressure; avoidance coping) had significant effects on all outcomes, which explains the global effects of the positive personality and stressor composite variables. Negative coping variables had significant effects on all negative outcomes. Other variables had selective effects on specific outcome measures. Conclusion: The independent variables from the student wellbeing questionnaire are good predictors of both positive and negative wellbeing outcomes. This is observed when either individual items or composite scores are used in the analysis.
Carcass Provisioning for Scavenger Conservation in a Temperate Forest Ecosystem

Jonas Stiegler , Christian von Hoermann , Jörg Müller , M. Eric Benbow , and Marco Heurich PHOTO GALLERY © 2020 The Authors. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., on behalf of the Ecological Society of America. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Decadal and Episodic Changes in Morphology and Migration of the Confluence Bar of Two Alluvial Rivers in Louisiana, USA

Past research on fluvial dynamics at the confluence of two alluvial rivers has mainly focused on downstream flow structure and bed scoring, often using laboratory experiments and numerical modeling. Little is investigated about yearly and episodic dynamics of confluence mouth bars that can affect downstream morphology using field measurements. In this study, we analyzed the migration of a confluence mouth bar of two free meandering alluvial rivers, the Amite and Comite Rivers in coastal Louisiana, USA from 2002 to 2017. Remote sensing images were utilized to investigate the decade‐long morphologic changes. To assess episodic dynamics, we employed terrestrial laser scanning measurements to acquire high‐accuracy digital elevation models at the confluence before and after three floods in 2017. Our study found that the Amite‐Comite confluence mouth bar migrated downstream 55 m in the past 15 years, and its angle reduced by 55° from 100° to 45°. The fast migration was a result of sediment deposition and channel deformation around the confluence mainly during the years when the tributary‐to‐main channel discharge was lower (<0.25). The study further reveals that a single moderate flood could strongly affect the mouth bar, as shown by an increase of the projected surface area by 114% and an increase of volume of the confluence mouth bar by 68%.
Evaluation of Popcorn Hybrids for Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Responsiveness

The global boom in agricultural production has been associated with the exponential increase of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application. This heavy use of nitrogen in agriculture has caused negative impacts on the environment. Therefore, new alternatives are needed to maintain or increase maize yield but reduce the environmental impact. For this purpose, one possibility is to plant N-use efficient (NUE) cultivars. In this context, the objective of this study was to identify popcorn hybrid cultivars that are highly NUE and N-responsive, bred from crosses between inbred lines with contrasting levels of N-use efficiency. For this purpose, 90 hybrids were evaluated in a 10 × 10 triple lattice design at two sites and two levels of N availability (low and ideal availability). The results indicated that for the environment with low nitrogen availability, the lack of nitrogen reduced the chlorophyll content, extended the interval between male and female flowering, and affected the performance of the tested hybrids. However, we observed the existence of hybrids with greater efficiency than the responsiveness to nitrogen and with high productivity. These can even be used on farms where the level of production inputs is low, thus contributing to ensure food security.
A Study Comparing Primary and Secondary Sleep Bruxism and their Effect on the Trigeminal Cardiac Reflex

Sleep bruxism is classified as a repetitive jaw-muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding and/or bracing or thrusting of the mandible during sleep. It has been proposed that sleep disordered breathing is causative regarding sleep bruxism, in a protective roll, assisting in stabilization of the airway during these abnormal breathing events. This paper will attempt to present evidence of two distinct forms of sleep bruxism: primary and secondary. It has been shown that sleep bruxism stimulates the trigeminal cardiac reflex affecting heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and cranial pressure. This paper compares the similarities and differences between primary sleep bruxism (occurring independently), secondary sleep bruxism occurring with sleep disordered breathing and secondary sleep bruxism resulting from administration of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor type medications. It also examines how they all affect the trigeminal cardiac reflex similarly and meet the most recent classification of trigeminal cardiac stimulation.
Efficacy of Split-Dosing versus Conventional Bowel Preparation in Colonoscopy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Colonoscopy is an indispensable investigative and therapeutic tool in colorectal conditions. The accuracy of colonoscopic diagnosis is dependent on the effectiveness of the bowel preparation and the visibility of the colonic mucosa. Objective: This study compares the efficacy of split-dosing bowel preparation compared to the conventional the single-day timing of bowel preparation, by measuring the quality of colonoscopy performed using a validated bowel cleanliness score. Methods: An endoscopist-blinded clinical trial was conducted over a period of three months through convenient sampling at the Surgery Out-Patient Clinic at a secondary referral hospital in Malaysia. Data were recorded prospectively on the timing of bowel preparation, colonoscopic view of bowel cleanliness, age, and gender. Results: There was a total of 110 subjects for both conventional and test groups. Demographic studies showed 63 (57.3%) patients were under 60 years old, 61(55.5%) were male, and 48 (44%) were Malays. For the patients undergoing colonoscopy, the majority of the 86 (78.2%) had good bowel preparation and 96 (87.3%) of them with high efficacy of bowel preparation. The timing of bowel preparation is significantly associated with the efficacy of the bowel preparation and the quality of the colonoscopy (p<0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that split-dosing bowel preparation is significantly better than conventional timing bowel preparation in improving both the efficacy of bowel preparation as well as the quality of colonoscopy.
Optimization of Xylanase Activity in the Presence of Salts of Different Metals for the Pulping of Indigenous Non-Woody Raw Materials (Gossypium Arborium)

This study was conducted to optimize the process of degradation of agricultural wastes using xylanase by pulping. The cotton stalk was treated with enzyme and sugar with different concentration was obtained. The substrate concentration, incubation time, cofactors and activators on xylanase were investigated in the pulping and bleaching process. The study presents results that at pH 6.0 with time span (3, 6 and 9 hours) of incubation produced 56 mg/ml, 75 mg/ml and 112.5 mg/ml sugar respectively. While at pH 7.0 with time duration (3, 6 and 9 hours) of incubation 64 mg/ml, 75 mg/ml and 150 mg/ml of sugar was produced and at pH 8.0 with time duration (3, 6 and 9 hours) of incubation produced 64 mg/ml, 220 mg/ml and 225 mg/ml sugar. There was no significant change in production of sugar at pH 9.0, where during the time period (3, 6 and 9 hours) of incubation 30 mg/ml, 37 mg/ml and 45 mg/ml of sugar was produced respectively. While metal salts are good activators, for the time period of 3, 6 and 9 hours of incubation 56 mg/ml, 64 mg/ml and 90 mg/ml of sugar was produced. This work provides an efficient method for organic waste disposal using an environment-friendly approach with a wide industrial application for welfare of society.