Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Farmers’ Compliance with Standard Silvicultural Practices and its Impact on the Performance of Pinus Spp. Woodlots in Rubanda District, South-Western Uganda

This study investigated farmers’ compliance to standard silvicultural practices and its impacts on the performance of Pinus spp in plantations in Rubanda District, South-western Uganda. A total of 122 pine plantations were randomly selected for intensive assessment. The findings revealed an average spacing of 2.90m, which significantly differs from the standard spacing of 3.0m for pine. Generally, stem density of pine plantations at various age categories such as 8 and 10 years was significantly higher than the recommended. The overall average pruning height of 3.26m as practiced by the farmers was significantly lower than 6.81m, the standard requirement of 50% average tree height (p≤ 0.05). In comparison, there were significant differences in average dbh in the three stem density categories. The increase in stem density caused a corresponding decline in dbh of trees in the pine plantations. Farmers with a pine crop of seven years and above with tree stock above the recommended stem density had incurred an average loss of 70.5m3 per hectare leading to an equivalent financial loss of UGX 3,525,000/= (USD 952.7) per hectare. Therefore, to avoid competition and unnecessary financial loss, adjustment of stem density by thinning as the pine plantation grows is strongly recommended.
Reproducibility of Aerobic Granules in Treating Low-Strength and Low-C/N-Ratio Wastewater and Associated Microbial Community Structure

Long-term stability of the aerobic granular sludge system is essentially based on the microbial community structure of the biomass. In this study, the physicochemical and microbial characteristics of sludge and wastewater treatment performance were investigated regarding formation, maturation, and long-term maintenance of granules in two parallel sequencing batch reactors (SBR), R1 and R2, under identical conditions. The aim was to explore the linkage between microbial community structure of the aerobic granules, their long-term stability, as well as the reproducibility of granulation and long-term stability. The two reactors were operated with a COD concentration of 400 mg/L and a chemical oxygen demand to nitrogen (COD/N) ratio of 4:1 under anoxic–oxic conditions. It was found that although SVI30, sludge size, and distributions in R1 and R2 were different, aerobic granules were formed, and they maintained long-term stability in both reactors for 320 days, implying that a certain level of randomness of granulation does not affect the long-term stability and performance for COD and N removal. In addition, a significant reduction in the richness and diversity of microbial production was observed after the sludge was converted from inoculum or flocs to granules, but this did not negatively affect the performance of wastewater treatment. Among the predominant microbial species in aerobic granules, Zoogloea was identified as the most important bacteria present during the whole operation with the highest abundance, while Thauera was the important genus in the formation and maturation of the aerobic granules, but it cannot be maintained long-term due to the low food-to-microorganisms ratio (F/M) in the system. In addition, some species from Ohtaekwangia, Chryseobacterium, Taibaiella, and Tahibacter were found to proliferate strongly during long-term maintenance of aerobic granules. They may play an important role in the long-term stability of aerobic granules. These results demonstrate the reproducibility of granulation, the small influence of granulation on long-term stability, and the robustness of aerobic granulation for the removal of COD and N. Overall, our study contributes significantly to the understanding of microbial community structure for the long-term stability of aerobic granular sludge in the treatment of low-COD and low-COD/N-ratio wastewater in practice.
Citizen’s Trust in e-Government: A Conceptual Model

Citizens’ reluctance to adopt e-Government has become a major hurdle for governments that want the maximum return on their heavy investments in building e-Government infrastructures. It is therefore crucial for such governments to understand the factors affecting citizens’ willingness to adopt eGovernment services. Several studies suggest that citizens have not adopted eGovernment primarily because of risk concerns and trust-related issues. Studies, therefore, suggested that e-Government trust issues should be critically investigated to help citizens favorably share information and make e-Government transactions. This paper initiates discussion of this issue by proposing a conceptual model of trust in e-Government. The proposed model discusses three main antecedents of trust in e-Government: citizen’s propensity to trust, trust in the Government, and trust in the Internet. The consequences of trust in eGovernment are proposed to be reduced perceived risk and enhanced intentions to adopt e-Government.
Implementation of membrane technology in a base metal refinery

In this study, the implementation of membrane technology at Anglo Platinum’s base metals refinery to separate acid from metal containing solutions was investigated. The refinery includes a circuit known as the “sulphur removal section”, where the acid in the spent nickel electrolyte is neutralized with caustic soda to remove the excess sulphur from the overall process. Reagent costs associated with acid neutralisation, result in high operating expenditures. An alternative process route is required to improve efficiencies and stay competitive. Nanofiltration was investigated to separate acid from nickel, with the aim of recovering the acid and thereby reducing the need for expensive neutralisation. The objectives of this study were twofold: (1) investigate and simulate the current base metals refinery, and (2) use the understanding and process know-how to investigate the use of nanofiltration by modifying the simulation to include for this technology. The modified process simulation was then used to evaluate the type of membrane required for technical viability. The process investigation of the refinery proceeded with literature studies done on base metals recovery process, chemical reactions and design criteria applicable to the process. A simulation of the base metals refinery was undertaken in Aspen Plus using the information established in the process investigation. The simulation provided insight into the operational issues across the flowsheet, and identified key areas of the process which were sensitive to parameter changes in the sulphur removal section. Areas which were impacted were the electrowinning and copper removal section. The simulation therefore provided a useful tool to predict process variabilities as a result of plant modifications. The investigation into nanofiltration found that it can successfully be used to separate metal ions from acid, subject to the constraints of metal ion concentrations. Pre-treatment of the nickel spent electrolyte was required to remove most of the sodium sulphate in solution, since this can cause fouling and thereby degrade membrane performance. For this reason, a cold crystallization process was introduced for the removal of sodium sulphate. However the sodium removal process caused the sodium sulphate levels in the electrowinning feed to drop below 100 g/l. Therefore minor modifications had to be made to the electrowinning pre-treatment process. The nanofiltration process itself consisted of a series of six nanofiltration stages with dilution of the interstage feed to allow the system to operate below osmotic pressure and wash out all the acid from the system. The modified simulation including the new sulphur removal circuit (nanofiltration process) was completed by integrating the current base metals refinery simulation with the new sulphur
Association between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Poor Self-Perceived Oral Health in Korean Adults

Background and objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and oral health problems have been reported as specific disease units; however, this study was conducted to evaluate the association between RA and comprehensive oral health status. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the association between RA and oral health using self-perceived oral health (SPOH) variables that can determine the oral health status in Korean adults using representative national data. Methods: Data from 40,186 selected participants were collected from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) between 2007 and 2018. The prevalence relative risk (PRR) was estimated using Poisson regression analysis to obtain the risk ratio of the SPOH according to RA. Results: The risk of SPOH depending on the RA status was statistically significant (odds ratio [OR] = 1.108, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.005–1.222). In addition, the risk of SPOH depending on the RA status was higher in the group with diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR = 1.205, 95% CI 0.966–1.503) than in the group without DM (OR = 1.088, 95% CI 0.976–1.214). Conclusions: In this study, a significant association was identified between RA and SPOH. Oral health experts should identify the factors affecting the oral health of patients with RA and provide correct oral health care; however, additional research is needed.
Archaebalaenoptera eusebioi, a new rorqual from the late Miocene of Peru (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Balaenopteridae) and its impact in reconstructing body size evolution, ecomorphology and palaeobiogeography of Balaenopteridae

Archaebalaenoptera eusebioi is a new late Miocene (Tortonian) balaenopterid species from the Aguada de Lomas locality in the Pisco Formation, Peru. It is dated to 8.85–7.93 Ma and is represented by a nearly complete skull with cervical vertebrae. Its inferred body length and mass are respectively c. 7 m and 7–11 tonnes. Archaebalaenoptera eusebioi is characterized by a short and wide rostrum, outward bowed dentary with typical balaenopterid characters in the posterior portion (posteriorly faced articular surface of the mandibular condyle, comparatively long distance between condyle and coronoid process, vestigial postcoronoid crest and fossa) and wide temporal fossa with scarcely protruding temporal crest and posteriorly placed posterior apex of nuchal crest. Its morphology suggests that it fed similarly to the modern balaenopterid whales but with a comparatively wider gape and, possibly, with a limited number of ventral throat grooves. Palaeobiogeographical analysis shows that Archaebalaenoptera originated in the North Atlantic and the invasion of South Pacific and Mediterranean occurred by subsequent dispersal events. Our results suggest that the North Atlantic acted as a centre of origin for many balaenopterid radiations and as a starting basin for recurrent invasions of other oceanic basins.
Genetic and Neurological Deficiencies in the Visual System of mct8 Mutant Zebrafish

Thyroid hormones (THs; T3 and T4) enter cells using specific transporters and regulate development and metabolism. Mutation in the TH transporter monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8, SLC16A2) is associated with brain hypothyroidism and neurological impairment. We established mct8 mutant (mct8−/−) zebrafish as a model for MCT8 deficiency, which causes endocrinological, neurological, and behavioral alterations. Here, we profiled the transcriptome of mct8−/− larvae. Among hundreds of differentially expressed genes, the expression of a cluster of vision-related genes was distinct. Specifically, the expression of the opsin 1 medium wave sensitive 2 (opn1mw2) decreased in two mct8 mutants: mct8−/− and mct8−25bp−/− larvae, and under pharmacological inhibition of TH production. Optokinetic reflex (OKR) assays showed a reduction in the number of conjugated eye movements, and live imaging of genetically encoded Ca2+ indicator revealed altered neuronal activity in the pretectum area of mct8−25bp−/− larvae. These results imply that MCT8 and THs regulate the development of the visual system and suggest a mechanism to the deficiencies observed in the visual system of MCT8-deficiency patients.
A Novel Power-Efficient Data Aggregation Scheme for Cloud-Based Sensor Networks

Nowadays sensor nodes are being deployed anywhere as per the applications and real-time data analysis. A major concern of this implementation is the limited battery power and huge data generation. The data redundancy can also be a cause of battery decay. This scheme spends the energy based on priority. This method also uses a mobile agent for the data collection from the sensor nodes, when it is combined with optimal cluster head along with marking of subtle aggregators gives a satisfying performance. This approach is divided into three phases as clustering of sensor nodes then computing PEDAS and finally deploy a mobile agent. Our approach of PEDAS measure parameters in an optimized manner which develops an energy-efficient system and only spends the energy at the moment when it is needed the most. The proposed model was simulated and verified using network-simulator 3. Implementation and analysis of the algorithm prove that this research study has improved the lifetime of the entire network and also provide a stable and robust network while comparing it with EEDAC and ATL scheme.
Numerical Simulation of Conical and Linear-Shaped Charges Using an Eulerian Elasto-Plastic Multi-Material Multi-Phase Flow Model with Detonation

This study developed a hydrocode to numerically simulate both conical and linear-shaped charges using an Eulerian multi-material and multi-phase flow model. Elasto-plastic solids and the detonation of a high explosive charge were modeled using a Johnson–Cook material model and the programmed burn model, respectively. Further, the plasticity of the solids was calculated using a radial return mapping algorithm. The model was solved using a high-resolution computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique on Cartesian grids. Material interfaces were tracked using the level-set method, and the boundary conditions were imposed using the ghost fluid method. The developed hydrocode was validated using high-speed impact problems. Consequently, the developed hydrocode was used to successfully simulate the evolution and penetration of metal jets in shaped charges after a detonation.
Patient Preferences for Treatment Outcomes in Oncology with a Focus on the Older Patient—A Systematic Review

Simple Summary In oncology, treatment outcomes can be competing, which means that one treatment could benefit one outcome, like survival, and negatively influence another, like independence. The choice of treatment therefore depends on the patient’s preference for outcomes, which needs to be assessed explicitly. Especially in older patients, patient preferences are important. Our systematic review summarizes all studies that assessed patient preferences for various treatment outcome categories. A total of 28 studies with 4374 patients were included, of which only six studies included mostly older patients. Although quality of life was only included in half of the studies, overall quality of life (79%) was most frequently prioritized as highest or second highest, followed by overall survival (67%), progression- and disease-free survival (56%), absence of severe or persistent treatment side effects (54%), treatment response (50%), and absence of transient short-term side effects (16%). In shared decision-making, these results can be used by healthcare professionals to better tailor the information provision and treatment recommendations to the individual patient. Abstract For physicians, it is important to know which treatment outcomes are prioritized overall by older patients with cancer, since this will help them to tailor the amount of information and treatment recommendations. Older patients might prioritize other outcomes than younger patients. Our objective is to summarize which outcomes matter most to older patients with cancer. A systematic review was conducted, in which we searched Embase and Medline on 22 December 2020. Studies were eligible if they reported some form of prioritization of outcome categories relative to each other in patients with all types of cancer and if they included at least three outcome categories. Subsequently, for each study, the highest or second-highest outcome category was identified and presented in relation to the number of studies that included that outcome category. An adapted Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias. In total, 4374 patients were asked for their priorities in 28 studies that were included. Only six of these studies had a population with a median age above 70. Of all the studies, 79% identified quality of life as the highest or second-highest priority, followed by overall survival (67%), progression- and disease-free survival (56%), absence of severe or persistent treatment side effects (54%), and treatment response (50%). Absence of transient short-term side effects was prioritized in 16%. The studies were heterogeneous considering age, cancer type, and treatment settings. Overall, quality of life, overall survival, progression- and disease-free survival, and severe and persistent side effects of treatment are the outcomes that receive the highest priority on a group level when patients with cancer need to make trade-offs in oncologic treatment decisions.
Serum Metabolic Profiling Identifies Key Differences between Patients with Single-Ventricle Heart Disease and Healthy Controls

There are growing numbers of infants and children living with single-ventricle congenital heart disease (SV). However, cardiac dysfunction and, ultimately, heart failure (HF) are common in the SV population and the ability to predict the progression to HF in SV patients has been limited, primarily due to an incomplete understanding of the disease pathogenesis. Here, we tested the hypothesis that non-invasive circulating metabolomic profiles can serve as novel biomarkers in the SV population. We performed systematic metabolomic and pathway analyses on a subset of pediatric SV non-failing (SVNF) and failing (SVHF) serum samples, compared with samples from biventricular non-failing (BVNF) controls. We determined that serum metabolite panels were sufficient to discriminate SVHF subjects from BVNF subjects, as well as SVHF subjects from SVNF subjects. Many of the identified significantly dysregulated metabolites were amino acids, energetic intermediates and nucleotides. Specifically, we identified pyruvate, palmitoylcarnitine, 2-oxoglutarate and GTP as promising circulating biomarkers that could be used for SV risk stratification, monitoring response to therapy and even as novel targets of therapeutic intervention in a population with few other options.
A New Methodology for Reference Evapotranspiration Prediction and Uncertainty Analysis under Climate Change Conditions Based on Machine Learning, Multi Criteria Decision Making and Monte Carlo Methods

In the present study, a new methodology for reference evapotranspiration (ETo) prediction and uncertainty analysis under climate change and COVID-19 post-pandemic recovery scenarios for the period 2021–2050 at nine stations in the two basins of Lake Urmia and Sefidrood is presented. For this purpose, firstly ETo data were estimated using meteorological data and the FAO Penman–Monteith (FAO-56 PM) method. Then, ETo modeling by six machine learning techniques including multiple linear regression (MLR), multiple non-linear regression (MNLR), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), model tree M5 (M5), random forest (RF) and least-squares boost (LSBoost) was carried out. The technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method was used under seven scenarios to rank models with evaluation and time criteria in the next step. After proving the acceptable performance of the LSBoost model, the downscaling of temperature (T) and precipitation (P) by the delta change factor (CF) method under three models ACCESS-ESM1-5, CanESM5 and MRI-ESM2-0 (scenarios SSP245-cov-fossil (SCF), SSP245-cov-modgreen (SCM) and SSP245-cov-strgreen (SCS)) was performed. The results showed that the monthly changes in the average T increases at all stations for all scenarios. Also, the average monthly change ratio of P increases in most stations and scenarios. In the next step, ETo forecasting under climate change for periods (2021–2050) was performed using the best model. Prediction results showed that ETo increases in all scenarios and stations in a pessimistic and optimistic state. In addition, the Monte Carlo method (MCM) showed that the lowest uncertainty is related to the Mianeh station in the MRI-ESM2-0 model and SCS scenario.
A Study on the Factors Impacting Managers’ Green IT Perceptions

Recently, concerns with environmental issues enabled businesses to transform their practices to become more environmentally sensitive. It is widely accepted that carbon emissions have an increasing impact on the climate and environmental problems. It is further known that information technology (IT) makes a significant contribution to carbon emissions, albeit not being directly perceptible to the general public. That? s why, a new term called green IT emerged recently to create a positive and environmentally sensitive movement in IT field. Green IT is defined as the practices and technologies for designing, manufacturing, using, and disposing of computers, servers, and associated devices such as monitors, printers, storage devices, and networking and communication systems to minimize impact on the environment. Businesses have recently become aware of the issues related to green IT, as practicing green IT has a positive impact not only on the environment and global warming, but also on the profits through decreasing energy consumption costs. For this reason, it is necessary to study green IT practices and perceptions of businesses and managements as well as the factors influencing it. This study examines the impact of environmentally sensitive management and human resources on green IT practices. The current study used the data collected via a structured survey conducted in Kahramanmara? province of Turkey, by incorporating 121 businesses operating in textile, food, steel kitchen utensils, and other sectors. The data analysis with respect to the structural model and the psychometric properties of the research model was done by partial least squares (PLS) method by using SmartPLS software. The results of the data analysis reveal that the measurement model meets all the required criteria (reliability, discriminant validity, convergent validity). According to the results of the structural model, the perceptions of managers concerning the environmentally sensitive management and human resources are positively related to green IT practices. The findings of the current study reveal that businesses that consider environment in their strategic decisions and businesses that have human resources that are aware of the environment in their activities are more likely to have positive attitudes towards practicing green IT.