Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopy Characterization of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Degradation by Different Kinds of Accelerated Aging

يقدم البحث رؤية حول التشوه الحاصل في التركيب الكيمياوي للبوليمر المشترك المتحلل اثلين فنيل الخلات EVA وذلك بحسب تغير نسبة قيم ثوابت المعدل المستحصلة من منحنيات الحركية الطيفية للعينات المتحللة. اذ تم تحديد تضبيط رسم منحنيات الحركية الطيفية للفلورة ولمجالين مميزين من الاطوال الموجية لشدات الفلورة. حيث أظهرت الاطوال الموجية القصيرة (320-400 nm) تداخلا في الاطياف, بينما عند الاطوال الموجية الطويلة (400-800 nm) بدت الاطياف منتظمة وحسب أزمنة التعتيق المعجل. أن النسبة لثابت معدل سرعة التفاعل عند الاطوال الموجية الطويلة الى ثابت معدل سرعة التفاعل للاطوال الموجية القصيرة هو المعيار لدرجة التشوه في البنية الكيمياوية. حيث يعتمد المعامل المولاري الخارجي على البنية الكيمياوية. من خلال قياس الامتصاصية, تم تصنيف نماذج EVA الى مجموعتين. اذ ان وجود اضافات Cyasorb هي النقطة الرئيسية في التصنيف. تم دراسة تأثير الأنواع المختلفة للتعتيق المعجل وهي, تسخين جاف عند 115 ℃و تسخين رطب عند رطوبة نسبية مقدارها 85% ودرجة حرارة 85 ℃ وتعتيق التشعيع بالاشعة فوق البنفسجية عند درجة حرارة 65 ℃ وعند ازمنة تعتيق مختلفة لكل مجموعة. وقد تم مناقشة نتائج اطياف الامتصاص والفلورة للعينات. اجمالا, فان اضافة Cyasorb تسبب تشوه اعلى في التركيب الكيمياوي عند تحلل. EVA أن العامل الاكثر تأثيرا هو التعتيق الرطب بينما الاقل يحصل بواسطة التشعيع بالاشعة فوق البنفسجية. بينما تغير التركيب الكيمياوي الاكبر يحدث للعينة الخالية من اضافة Cyasorb , حيث ينتج من التعتيق الرطب أما التغير الاقل فينتج بواسطة التسخين الجاف.
Predicting match outcomes in association football using team ratings and player ratings

The main goal of this article is to compare the performance of team ratings and individual player ratings when trying to forecast match outcomes in association football. The well-known Elo rating system is used to calculate team ratings, whereas a variant of plus-minus ratings is used to rate individual players. For prediction purposes, two covariates are introduced. The first represents the pre-match difference in Elo ratings of the two teams competing, while the second is the average difference in individual ratings for the players in the starting line-ups of the two teams. Two different statistical models are used to generate forecasts. The first type is an ordered logit regression (OLR) model that directly outputs probabilities for each of the three possible match outcomes, namely home win, draw and away win. The second type is based on competing risk modelling and involves the estimation of scoring rates for the two competing teams. These scoring rates are used to derive match outcome probabilities using discrete event simulation. Both types of models can be used to generate pre-game forecasts, whereas the competing risk models can also be used for in-game predictions. Computational experiments indicate that there is no statistical difference in the prediction quality for pre-game forecasts between the OLR models and the competing risk models. It is also found that team ratings and player ratings perform about equally well when predicting match outcomes. However, forecasts made when using both team ratings and player ratings as covariates are significantly better than those based on only one of the ratings.
The Revised Lunar Heat Flow Values

Long-term subsurface temperature histories at the Apollo 15 and 17 heat-flow sites are analyzed to yield more reliable bulk thermal properties of the surrounding regolith material. Results indicate that the thermal conductivity of a large volume of the regolith material exterior to the probe-borestem contact zone lies within the range 0.9 to 1.3 x 10/sup -4/W cm/sup 10/K/sup -1/ at all four heat-flow stations. These results are 30 to 50% less than values previously reported which were based on short term measurements sensitive only to material within 2 to 3 cm of small probe heaters. The revised conductivity results lead to comparable revisions in the Apollo 15 and 17 heat-flow values. At the Hadley Rille and Taurus-Littrow sites, the revised heat-flow values are 2.1 and 1.6 . mu.W/cm/sup 2/, respectively. Detailed analyses of topographic effects indicate that the Hadley Rille measurement is representative of the regional value, while at Taurus-Littrow, a small downward correction indicates that a value of 1.4 . mu.W/cm/sup 2/ is the best estimate for the regional flux. Methods of estimating the regional variation in heat flow over the whole moon and consequent implications for the bulk lunar chemistry are discussed. One feasible approach, utilizing measured variations of surfacemore » thorium abundance and inferred crustal thicknesses yields an average global heat flux of 1.8 . mu.W/cm/sup 2/ and a bulk uranium abundance of ppB. The need is emphasized for extended areal coverage of possible geochemical and heat-flow variations to minimize the uncertainties of global estimates. « less
Effect of Salt-Tolerant Bacterial Inoculations on Rice Seedlings Differing in Salt-Tolerance under Saline Soil Conditions

Salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could be an alternative to alleviate salinity problems in rice plants grown in the coastal areas. This study was conducted to isolate and characterize salt-tolerant PGPR and observe their effects on the physiological and biochemical properties of rice plants grown under non-saline and saline glasshouse conditions. Three strains were selected based on their salt-tolerance and plant growth-promoting properties under in vitro saline conditions. These strains were identified as Bacillus tequilensis (UPMRB9), Bacillus aryabhattai (UPMRE6), and Providencia stuartii (UPMRG1) using a 16S rRNA technique. The selected strains were inoculated to three different rice varieties, namely BRRI dhan67 (salt-tolerant), Putra-1 (moderate salt-tolerant), and MR297 (salt-susceptible) under glasshouse conditions. Results showed that the MR297 rice variety inoculated with UPMRB9 produced the highest total chlorophyll content, with an increment of 28%, and lowest electrolyte leakage of 92%. The Putra-1 rice variety also showed a 156% total dry matter increase with the inoculation of this bacterial strain. The highest increase of relative water content and reduction of Na/K ratio were found upon inoculation of UPMRE6 and UPMRB9, respectively. The biggest significant effects of these bacterial inoculations were on relative water content, electrolyte leakage, and the Na/K ratio of the BRRI dhan67 rice variety under saline conditions, suggesting a synergistic effect on the mechanisms of plant salt-tolerance. This study has shown that the application of locally-isolated salt-tolerant PGPR strains could be an effective long-term and sustainable solution for rice cultivation in the coastal areas, which are affected by global climate change.
The asymptotic distribution of CUSUM estimator based on α-mixing sequences

Abstract In this paper, we consider the CUSUM estimator based on α-mixing sequences. By giving the consistency estimators for mean and covariance functions, the limit distribution of CUSUM estimator is presented as a standard Brownian bridge, which can be used in the change point detection. As applications, some simulations and real data examples are illustrated to test our CUSUM estimator.
Facilitation of a tropical seagrass by a chemosymbiotic bivalve increases with environmental stress

Facilitation of foundation species is critical to the structure, function and persistence of ecosystems. Understanding the dependence of the strength of this facilitation on environmental conditions is important for informed ecosystem management and for predicting the impacts of global change. In coastal seagrass habitats, chemosymbiotic lucinid bivalves can facilitate seagrasses by decreasing potentially toxic levels of sulphide in sediment porewater. However, variation in the strength of lucinid–seagrass facilitation with environmental context has not been experimentally investigated. We tested the hypothesis that the presence of the tiger lucine Codakia orbicularis becomes more important to the growth and survival of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum under decreased light availability and increased sulphide stress. In a mesocosm experiment, we reduced average ambient‐light to T. testudinum by 64% and/or increased sediment porewater sulphide concentrations by ~200% and compared growth and tissue chemistry of T. testudinum with and without C. orbicularis. We found that T. testudinum was better able to maintain growth under shading and sulphide stress when C. orbicularis was present. C. orbicularis strongly decreased sediment porewater sulphide, an effect that minimized sulphur build‐up in seagrass tissue and was likely achieved through bioirrigation as well as chemoautotrophy. The relative effects of C. orbicularis on T. testudinum growth were strongest in the presence of environmental stressors. Synthesis. The strength of lucinid–seagrass facilitation increases under environmental conditions that hinder the ability of seagrass to detoxify sulphide. Our results provide evidence of a potential mechanism by which the spatiotemporal association between lucinids and seagrasses is maintained and support the incorporation of interspecific facilitation into conservation and restoration strategies for foundation species in the face of increasing anthropogenic impact and global change.
Ibn Tofail’sUniversity students’ satisfaction evaluation towards distance learning and its impacts on the students’ mental health during the Covid 19 Confinement.

Aims, objectives and methods: The study we have conducted aims to evaluate Moroccan students’ satisfaction level with regard to the use of distance learning platforms during the Covid 19 confinement period. We also attempt to examine the impact of distance learning on the students’ mental health.Our research has demonstrated that imposing distance learning as a learning process to students produces a substantial stress level within 49% of the investigated student population.Indeed, the students’ full immersion in distance learning process has obviously arose technical and pedagogical brakes within (87%) of the questioned student population, and also psychological brakes within (27%) of the respondent population. Furthermore, the particularity of this confinement’s period has brought to light three students’ categories regarding the use of distance learning in their training and learning process and behavior. Recommendations:Our study’s results can be considered very relevant because they show a clear correlation between the adoption of distance learning, as a new teaching approach, and, the perceived stress level (49%) involved during this process. Therefore, the clear necessity of material, pedagogical and psychological supports to be implemented during this transition stage.
Who Uses Right-Wing Alternative Online Media? An Exploration of Audience Characteristics

Accompanying the success of the radical right and right-wing populist movements, right-wing alternative online media have recently gained prominence and, to some extent, influence on public discourse and elections. The existing scholarship so far focuses primarily on the role of content and social media distribution and pays little attention to the audiences of right-wing alternative media, especially at a cross-national level and in the European context. The present paper addresses this gap by exploring the characteristics of the audiences of right-wing alternative online media. Based on a secondary data analysis of the 2019 Reuters Digital News Survey, this article presents a cross-national analysis of right-wing alternative media use in Northern and Central Europe. The results indicate a comparatively high prevalence of right-wing alternative online media in Sweden, whereas in Germany, Austria, and Finland, these news websites seem to be far less popular. With regard to audience characteristics, the strongest predictors of right-wing alternative online media use are political interest and a critical stance towards immigration, accompanied by a skeptical assessment of news quality, in general, and distrust, especially in public service broadcasting media. Additionally, the use of social media as a primary news source increases the likelihood of right-wing alternative news consumption. This corroborates the high relevance of social media platforms as distributors and multipliers of right-wing alternative news content. The findings suggest that right-wing alternative online media should not be underestimated as a peripheral phenomenon, but rather have to be considered influential factors for center-right to radical right-leaning politics and audiences in public discourse, with a high mobilizing and polarizing potential.
Nitrogen and phosphorus release from paper mill biosolids as affected by material source and soil type under controlled incubation

Abstract: Combined paper mill biosolids (PB) are a well-known fertilizing source of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Many jurisdictions have established default values for estimating their agronomic N and P contribution, but nutrient release can vary with their chemical properties, and this has been little studied. The objective of this incubation study was to compare four PB of different sources along with a de-inking paper sludge (DPS) for their N and P release in three contrasting soils under controlled conditions (25 °C, 60% water-filled pore space). Treatments consisted of PB or DPS at 50 Mg fresh mass ha−1, PB at 30 Mg fresh mass ha−1 plus inorganic N to supply 100 kg available N ha−1, inorganic NP fertilizer, and an unfertilized control. Measurements of NO3 + NH4-N were made after 3 d and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 wk of incubation. Mehlich-3 P was measured after 2 and 16 wk of incubation. Nitrogen mineralization generally declined a few days after PB addition and then gradually and constantly increased. The P mineralization of PB also increased with time. By the end of incubation, net N and P release averaged 30% (7%–49%) and 75% (16%–116%) of the NP fertilizer, respectively. The intensity of release, however, varied with material characteristics and soil type. Mineral N addition to the 30 Mg PB ha−1 promoted N release to a level comparable to NP fertilizer. Soil N immobilization occurred with the DPS application. Current default N value used for PB in Quebec and Ontario is appropriate but not P.
Tutors’ chronological age and characteristics as predictors of creative nurturing behavior in the 21st-century classroom

Introduction The study examined tutors’ characteristics and chronological age as they influenced their creativity nurturing behaviors. Methods The descriptive cross-sectional design was used to survey 340 tutors (male = 220, female = 120) from 16 colleges of education. The data for the study were gathered using adapted versions of teachers’ characteristics and creativity nurturing behaviors scales. The data were analyzed inferentially. Results The study revealed that tutors’ characteristics influenced their creativity nurturing behaviors and teachers with 30 years and above of teaching could influence their creativity nurturing behaviors. Differences were established in tutors’ creativity nurturing behaviors based on their experience but such were not found in tutors’ characteristics. Discussion It was concluded that tutors’ characteristics and age are two key drivers of their creative abilities in the 21st century classroom. Therefore, management of teacher training institutions must cultivate an appreciable and appropriate tutor characteristics and dispositions so that they can use them to nurture trainee-teachers.
Benchmarking Real-Time Streamflow Forecast Skill in the Himalayan Region

Improving decision-making in various areas of water policy and management (e.g., flood and drought preparedness, reservoir operation and hydropower generation) requires skillful streamflow forecasts. Despite the recent advances in hydrometeorological prediction, real-time streamflow forecasting over the Himalayas remains a critical issue and challenge, especially with complex basin physiography, shifting weather patterns and sparse and biased in-situ hydrometeorological monitoring data. In this study, we demonstrate the utility of low-complexity data-driven persistence-based approaches for skillful streamflow forecasting in the Himalayan country Nepal. The selected approaches are: (1) simple persistence, (2) streamflow climatology and (3) anomaly persistence. We generated the streamflow forecasts for 65 stream gauge stations across Nepal for short-to-medium range forecast lead times (1 to 12 days). The selected gauge stations were monitored by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) Nepal, and they represent a wide range of basin size, from ~17 to ~54,100 km2. We find that the performance of persistence-based forecasting approaches depends highly upon the lead time, flow threshold, basin size and flow regime. Overall, the persistence-based forecast results demonstrate higher forecast skill in snow-fed rivers over intermittent ones, moderate flows over extreme ones and larger basins over smaller ones. The streamflow forecast skill obtained in this study can serve as a benchmark (reference) for the evaluation of many operational forecasting systems over the Himalayas.
Development and characterization of novel castor oil-based polyurethane composites containing wood sawdust and rubber tire powder

New eco-friendly composites consisting of castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) resin, wood sawdust, and rubber tire powder were produced, and the morphological, physical, and flexural properties were investigated. The composites were composed of varying the concentration of the PU matrix (30, 40, and 50 m%) and the wood-to-rubber ratio of the disperse phase (100/0, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40, and 50/50 m%/m% wood/rubber, respectively). The morphology of the composites was studied by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the flexural properties, water absorption (WA), and thickness swelling (TS) were also investigated. The analysis of variance was used to study the effect of each factor (PU content and wood/rubber ratio) on the characteristics of the composites. PU/wood/rubber composites were successfully molded and their characteristics are promising for commercial use. According to the results, the composites presenting higher wood content (high wood/rubber ratio) showed higher modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity values, although the addition and the increase of rubber content decreased these properties. Moreover, increasing PU or reducing the wood/rubber ratio significantly reduced the WA and TS, improving dimensional stability.
Human coronaviruses in persons with acute respiratory infections in Ghana

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) remain a leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and economic loss globally. Until recently, human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have been mainly associated with mild respiratory tract infections. The 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), since 2012, illustrate the potential of coronaviruses to cause severe disease. Objective: This study investigated the presence of human coronaviruses in acute respiratory illness in Ghana. Methods: As part of routine influenza surveillance, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal (NP/OP) swabs obtained from 200 patients (100 hospital inpatients and 100 outpatients) with Influenza-like-illness from sentinel health facilities in Ghana from January 2013 to March 2014, were screened for the presence of HCoVs at the National Influenza Center using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays. Results: Human CoVs were detected in 7(3.5%) out of 200 cases investigated: HCo V HKU1 in 3 patient, HCo V 229E in 2 patients, HCo V OC43 in 1patient, and HCo V NL63 in 1 patient. No co-infection with HCoV types was detected. Out of 7 patients with HCoV infections, 6 were aged 5 yr. or greater.Also, HCoVs were detected more frequently in outpatients (5/100) than in hospitalized patients (2/100) with acute respiratory tract infections, though statistically insignificant (p>0.005). None of the respiratory specimens tested were positive for MERS-CoV, indicating the absence of MERS-CoV infection in Ghana between January 2013 and March 2014. Conclusion: This work provides an important reference point for coronavirus infections in humans in Ghana noting the current concern on the 2019 novel coronavirus.
Evaluation of quantitative dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE)‐MRI parameters using a reference region model in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients

In this study, we investigated the changes of quantitative dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE)‐MRI parameters using a reference region (RR) model for the breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). We retrospectively analyzed 80 cases with pathologically confirmed IDC using quantitative DCE‐MRI with a RR model. The pharmacokinetic quantitative parameters and prognostic factors of IDC were measured, and the relationship between them was examined. The volume transfer constant (RRKtrans) and rate constant (Kep) were significantly higher in patients with level 3 histological grading compared to patients with level 1 & 2 histological grading (p < 0.05), and patients with negative estrogen receptor (ER‐negative) and/or negative progesterone receptor (PR‐negative) compared to patients with ER‐positive (p < 0.05) and/or PR‐positive (p < 0.05), and Triple‐Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) type compared to luminal type breast cancer, respectively. Our results demonstrated that high RRKtrans and Kep values were associated with TNBC type. In addition, RRKtrans and Kep parameters can differentiate luminal type and TNBC type breast cancer.
Agricultural Sector Linkage with Other Sectors of the Economy: Evidence from Nigeria

Economic resource planners have continued to harness proven empirical link amongst various sectors of the economy for effective policy formulation and implementation of successful growth and development strategies. The Agricultural sector is one of the sectors that have consistently contributed to other sectors of the economy in terms of provision of raw materials, food and employment to the growing population; however, the need to understand the forward and backward linkages between the agricultural sector output and other sectors’ output has prompted this study. This paper investigates the causal link between the Agricultural sector output and Industry, Construction, Trade and Services sectors output using quarterly times series data extracted from the annual statistical bulletin of the Central Bank of Nigeria from the first quarter 2010 to the fourth quarter 2018. The study departs from the traditional static Leontief Input-Output approach by employing dynamic modern techniques like the Granger Causality, Vector Autoregression, Impulse Response and Variance Decomposition analyses. The results indicate the existence of bi-directional causal chain effect linkages between agricultural sector output, services, Original Research Article Kelikume and Nwani; SAJSSE, 7(1): 1-23, 2020; Article no.SAJSSE. 58480 2 construction and trade outputs while a unidirectional causal linkage is found running from industrial sector output to agriculture. All the sectors drive agricultural sector output and agriculture stimulates other sectors except the industrial sector. In specific terms, it takes approximately two to four quarters for most sectors to respond to the impact of shocks emanating from the other sectors the economy. For the agricultural sector to play its pivot role as the driver of other sectors the study suggests that should be remodeled in such a way that its outputs meet industrial sector requirement.