Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Kinetic Modeling Framework for the Polycondensation of Sugars Using Monte Carlo and the Method of Moments

The kinetics of the hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions of saccharides have made the subject of numerous studies, due to their importance in several industrial sectors. The present work, presents a novel kinetic modeling framework that is specifically well-suited to reacting systems under strict moisture control that favor the polycondensation reactions towards the formation of high-degree polysaccharides. The proposed model is based on an extended and generalized kinetic scheme, including also the presence of polyols, and is formulated using two different numerical approaches, namely a deterministic one in terms of the method of moments and a stochastic kinetic Monte Carlo approach. Accordingly, the most significant advantages and drawbacks of each technique are clearly demonstrated and the most fitted one (i.e., the Monte Carlo method) is implemented for the modeling of the system under different conditions, for which experimental data were available. Through these comparisons it is shown that the model can successfully follow the evolution of the reactions up to the formation of polysaccharides of very high degrees of polymerization.
Examining Callous‐unemotional Traits and Anxiety in a Sample of Incarcerated Adolescent Females

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of guilt and empathy) are a risk fac-tor associated with antisocial behavior. Youth with CU traits can be differentiated by varying levels of co-occurring anxiety. In this study, we examined CU variants in incarcerated adolescent females (n = 109) and their associations with emotional and behavioral problems and history of maltreatment. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a subsample of the participants ( n = 13). Participants with CU traits and anxiety had similar levels of conduct problems compared to individuals with high CU traits without anxiety, but they reported more childhood maltreatment (especially sexual abuse).
Amniotic membrane applied to burns healing: Pre-clinical study

This preclinical study aimed to evaluate the tissue repair process of burns treated with human amniotic membrane (hAM) patches in rats. Twenty-four rats were subjected to superficial burns of partial thickness, and randomly allocated into two groups: Control and Treated Group, subdivided into two experimental periods of 7th and 14th days. The lesions were evaluated by digitalized images (macroscopy) and by the analysis of histological sections stained in H&E to quantify the number of inflammatory cells and fibroblasts present in the different experimental times (histomorphometry). The histomorphometric analyses were performed blindly. Statistical analysis employed Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Mann Whitney tests, with 95% confidence interval at 5% significance level (p <0.05). Macroscopically, the lesions of Treated group presented a crust formation before Control Group, and there were no signs of infection in both groups. Microscopically, the qualitative analysis showed a faster evolution in the healing process of the Treated groups compared to the Control, with reduction of the inflammatory infiltrate, intense fibroblasts proliferation and better organization of the collagen fibers. The quantitative analysis showed statistically significant results regarding the reduction of inflammatory cells (p<0.0001) at 7th and 14 th day and increased proliferation of fibroblasts at 14th day (p<0.0001) in lesions treated with hAM compared to Control group. The results of this preclinical study demonstrated that the application of hAM patches reduces the inflammatory process and accelerates the onset of the proliferative phase in burn injuries.
Estimating Aboveground Biomass Using Sentinel-2 MSI Data and Ensemble Algorithms for Grassland in the Shengjin Lake Wetland, China

Wetland vegetation aboveground biomass (AGB) directly indicates wetland ecosystem health and is critical for water purification, carbon cycle, and biodiversity conservation. Accurate AGB estimation is essential for the monitoring and supervision of ecosystems, especially in seasonal floodplain wetlands. This paper explored the capability of spectral and texture features from the Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI) for modeling grassland AGB using random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithms in Shengjin Lake wetland (a Ramsar site). We use five-fold cross-validation to verify the model effectiveness. The results indicated that the RF and XGBoost models had a robust and efficient performance (with root mean square error (RMSE) of 126.571 g·m−2 and R2 of 0.844 for RF, RMSE of 112.425 g·m−2 and R2 of 0.869 for XGBoost), and the XGBoost models, by contrast, performed better. Both traditional and red-edge vegetation indices (VIs) obtained satisfactory results of AGB estimation (RMSE = 127.936 g·m−2, RMSE = 125.879 g·m−2 in XGBoost models, respectively), with the red-edge VIs contributed more to the AGB models. Moreover, we selected eight gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) textures calculated by four processing window sizes using the mean value of four offsets, and further analyzed the results of three analysis sets. Textures derived from traditional and red-edge bands using a 7 × 7 window size performed better in biomass estimation. This finding suggested that textures derived from the traditional bands were as important as the red-edge bands. The introduction of textures moderately improved the accuracy of modeling AGB, whereas the use of textures alo ne was not satisfactory. This research demonstrated that using the Sentinel-2 MSI and the two ensemble algorithms is an effective method for long-term dynamic monitoring and assessment of grass AGB in seasonal floodplain wetlands, which can support sustainable management and carbon accounting of wetland ecosystems.
Possible Risk Factors Related to Malnutrition in 6-59-Month Children with Severe Acute Malnutrition in District Pakpattan, Punjab

ORIGINAL ARTICLE Background: Malnutrition is responsible for one third of the mortality rate among children less than 5 years old. Worldwide, 54% of the child deaths are due to malnutrition and the caseload in Pakistan is equal to 46%. In the current study, we attempted to identify the possible risk factors related to malnutrition among 6-59-month children in Pakpattan, Punjab province. Methods: A total of 500 severe acute malnourished (SAM) 6-59-month children were assessed during a period of 12 months (March 2018 to Feb 2019) to find out the possible risk factors for SAM. Results: Based on the findings, significant possible determinants risk factors related to acute malnutrition include edema, blurred vision, illness history, birth interval, mother body mass index (BMI), complementary feeding, family size, and family member working status. Conclusion: Malnutrition risk factors depend upon children nutrition status and early detection of these risk factors may improve the nutrition status and functional recovery in children.
EFL Female College Students and Instructors’ Preferred Method of Speaking Assessment: A Perspective from Saudi Arabia

Introduction: At the College of Languages and Translation (COLT), the students take four speaking courses in the first four semesters of college. In each course, they take two interm tests and a final exam. Aims: The study aims to find out which speaking assessment method EFL students and instructors at COLT prefer: Face to face, or lab testing, and reasons for their preferences. Procedures: Face-to-face assessment is the most common method at COLT. The students are tested individually. Each student randomly draws one topic from a basket and engages in a conversation or interview with the teacher who asks 3-5 questions about it. The test session for all the students lasts from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. non-stop. The second method is language lab testing used by few instructors where all the students take the test at the same time and they all answer the same set of questions in about 60 minutes. The lab test consists of several questions. The students read the printed questions, take short notes, then record their answers on an MP3 player. Results: Most students prefer lab assessment, whereas most instructors prefer face-to-face assessment. Students reported that lab test questions are comprehensive and help them improve their speaking skills better than face-to-face assessment. Testing conditions are the same. They are less anxious. They lose few marks if they miss a question. On the other hand, instructors reported that face-to-face test questions are easy and only cover part of the material. All students pass. Students are more anxious. Comparisons of students’ test score showed that lab tests are more reliable, valid and have a better discriminating power between students who have mastered and those who have not mastered the speaking skills than face-to-face tests. Recommendations for effective speaking assessment methods are given.
Recovery of Platinum from a Spent Automotive Catalyst through Chloride Leaching and Solvent Extraction

Considering economics and environmental sustainability, recycling of critical metals from end-of-life devices should be a priority. In this work the hydrometallurgical treatment of a spent automotive catalytic converter (SACC) using HCl with CaCl2 as a leaching medium, and solvent extraction (SX) with a thiodiglycolamide derivative, is reported. The aim was to develop a leaching scheme allowing high Pt recoveries and minimizing Al dissolution, facilitating the application of SX. The replacement of part of HCl by CaCl2 in the leaching step is viable, without compromising Pt recovery (in the range 75–85%), as found for the mixture 2 M CaCl2 + 8 M HCl when compared to 11.6 M HCl. All leaching media showed good potential to recover Ce, particularly for higher reaction times and temperatures. Regarding SX, results achieved with a model solution were promising, but SX for Pt separation from the real SACC solution did not work as expected. For the adopted experimental conditions, the tested thiodiglycolamide derivative in toluene revealed a very good loading performance for both Pt and Fe, but Fe removal and Pt stripping from the organic phases after contact with the SACC solution were not successfully accomplished. Hence, the reutilization of the organic solvent needs improvement.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF IN-VITRO NITRIC OXIDE SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF BALOFLOXACINVS PRULIFLOXACIN

Objectives: To compare the free radical scavenging activity and antioxidant potentials of balofloxacin versus prulifloxacin. Methods: Nitric oxide (NO) radical scavenging activity was determined using the method of Garret (1964). Sodium nitroprusside in aqueous solution at physiological pH spontaneously generates NO, which interacts with oxygen to produce nitrite ions which can be determined by the use of Griess ilosvay reaction. 2 mm of 10 mm sodium nitroprusside in 0.5 ml phosphate buffer saline (pH 7.4) was mixed with 0.5 ml prulifloxacin and balofloxacin at various concentrations and the mixture incubated at 25°C for 150 minutes. From the incubated mixture 0.5 ml was taken out and added into 1.0 ml sulfanilic acid reagent (30 in 20% glacial acetic acid) and incubated at room temperature for 5 minutes. Finally, 1.0 ml naphthylethylenediamine dihydrochloride (0.1% w/v) was mixed and incubated at room temperature for 30 minutes. The resultant absorbance was recorded at 540 nm usinga spectrometer. The percentage inhibition was calculated using the formula: Percentage inhibition = Abs control − Abs s am p l e × 100 Abscontrol R esults: At concentration of 10, 20, 30, and 40 µg/ml percentage inhibition observed with prulifloxacin and balofloxacin was 40.94, 53.09, 66.25,88.06 and 34.49, 49.09, 60.42, and 73.14, respectively. C onclusion: Thus, this in vitro study suggests that both prulifloxacin and balofloxacin possess antioxidant properties. At the lower doses both the drugs show similar antioxidant profile, while at the higher doses the antioxidant potential of prulifloxacin is significantly high than balofloxacin. However, the preference of selecting one over the other depends on the indication as well as the risk-benefit ratio. Ke ywords: In vitro , Nitric oxide, Prulifloxacin, Balofloxacin.
Evaluation of phenotypic and biochemical responses of Pteris vittata during growth in arsenic contaminated soil and its effect on selected soil enzymes activity

Experiments were conducted with arsenic-hyperaccumulator, Pteris vittata, and non-hyperaccumulator, Pteris ensiformis, subjected to various arsenic toxicity levels (0 to 1500 mg As kg-1) in peat-moss or soil for up to 14 weeks, to evaluate phenotypic responses and total lipid with fatty acid profiles, and P. vittata influence on rhizosphere enzyme activities. P. ensiformis exhibited significant phenotypic toxicity response compared to P. vittata. P. vittata sequestered significantly (p<0.5) higher arsenic (5,160.6 mg As kg-1) than P. ensiformis (313.4 mg As kg-1). Cellular damage and physiological death occurred in P. ensiformis with alteration in fatty acids and lipid compositions but no significant changes in P. vittata. Both showed no detectable C16:3 but a decrease in C18:3, which was more pronounced in P. ensiformis (51.2%); hence, are reported as C18:3 plants for the first time. Acid phosphatase, β-glucosidase, alrysulphatase, and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase activities were inhibited by As and significantly (p<0.5) negatively correlated to As concentration. Enzyme inhibition range from 6% in β-glucosidase to 67% in N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase. These results revealed P. vittata phenotypic tolerance to As stress was mediated through metabolic-readjustment, especially its fatty acid and lipid compositions. Additionally, P. vittata rhizospheric events modulate soil enzyme activities in the As-contaminated soil. Key words: Fern, heavy metal, phenotypic response, fatty acids, acid phosphatase, β-glucosidase, alrysulphatase, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, rhizosphere.
Assessing Opportunities to Increase Yield and Profit in Rainfed Lowland Rice Systems in Indonesia

In this study, we aimed to improve rice farmers’ productivity and profitability in rainfed lowlands through appropriate crop and nutrient management by closing the rice yield gap during the dry season in the rainfed lowlands of Indonesia. The Integrated Crop Management package, involving recommended practices (RP) from the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD), were compared to the farmers’ current practices at ten farmer-participatory demonstration plots across ten provinces of Indonesia in 2019. The farmers’ practices (FP) usually involved using old varieties in their remaining land and following their existing fertilizer management methods. The results indicate that improved varieties and nutrient best management practices in rice production, along with water reservoir infrastructure and information access, contribute to increasing the productivity and profitability of rice farming. The mean rice yield increased significantly with RP compared with FP by 1.9 t ha−1 (ranges between 1.476 to 2.344 t ha−1), and net returns increased, after deducting the cost of fertilizers and machinery used for irrigation supplements, by USD 656 ha−1 (ranges between USD 266.1 to 867.9 ha−1) per crop cycle. This represents an exploitable yield gap of 37%. Disaggregated by the wet climate of western Indonesia and eastern Indonesia’s dry climate, the RP increased rice productivity by 1.8 and 2.0 t ha−1, with an additional net return gain per cycle of USD 600 and 712 ha−1, respectively. These results suggest that there is considerable potential to increase the rice production output from lowland rainfed rice systems by increasing cropping intensity and productivity. Here, we lay out the potential for site-specific variety and nutrient management with appropriate crop and supplemental irrigation as an ICM package, reducing the yield gap and increasing farmers’ yield and income during the dry season in Indonesia’s rainfed-prone areas.
Properties of Frost-Retted Hemp Fibers for the Reinforcement of Composites

ABSTRACT Frost-retted hemp fibers were investigated to assess their suitability for composite applications. Chemical analysis of frost-retted hemp fibers highlighted a high amount of solubles (pectins) at the fibers surface and a low lignin content in the fibers that was attributed to an unfavorable synthesis of lignin in the cell wall due to the particularly cold temperature during hemp growth in the Nordic countries. The fibers tensile properties were considered at two different scales and the performances of hemp/PLA composites were assessed. Recommendations were provided for the use of frost-retted hemp fibers in the reinforcement of thermoplastic composites.
Sample Size Requirements for Simple and Complex Mediation Models

Mediation models have been widely used in many disciplines to better understand the underlying processes between independent and dependent variables. Despite their popularity and importance, the appropriate sample sizes for estimating those models are not well known. Although several approaches (such as Monte Carlo methods) exist, applied researchers tend to use insufficient sample sizes to estimate their models of interest, which might result in unstable and inaccurate estimation of the model parameters including mediation effects. In the present study, sample size requirements were investigated for four frequently used mediation models: one simple mediation model and three complex mediation models. For each model, path and structural equation modeling approaches were examined, and partial and complete mediation conditions were considered. Both the percentile bootstrap method and the multivariate delta method were compared for testing mediation effects. A series of Monte Carlo simulations was conducted under various simulation conditions, including those concerning the level of effect sizes, the number of indicators, the magnitude of factor loadings, and the proportion of missing data. The results not only present practical and general guidelines for substantive researchers to determine minimum required sample sizes but also improve understanding of which factors are related to sample size requirements in mediation models.
Market reforms and incentives in Vietnamese agriculture

This paper analyzes the dramatic increases in rice output and productivity in Vietnam due largely to market reform, inducing farmers to work harder and use land more efficiently. The reform process is captured through changes in effort variables and total factor productivity (TFP) for Vietnam as a whole as well as the north and south regions of the country taken separately. The results show that the more extensive is market reform the larger the increase in TFP and the share of TFP growth due to incentive effects, suggesting that more competitive markets and secure property rights matter greatly. The authors wish to thank Ron Duncan, George Fane, Suiwah Leung and Peter Warr for valuable comments on an earlier draft.
Layer structure formation of mesogenic liquid crystalline epoxy resin during curing reactions: A reactive coarse-grained molecular dynamics study

Liquid crystalline epoxy resins have been reported to show superior mechanical and thermal properties. This high functionality is attributed to their mesoor macroscopic layered domain structure and their molecular scale ordering; hence, elucidation of the mechanism of layer formation during curing reactions is necessary for material development. In this study, the layer formation process has been investigated by the reactive coarsegrained molecular dynamics method. A mesogenic liquid crystalline epoxy and a typical non-mesogenic epoxy (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A), mixed with a curing agent 4,4′-DDS (diaminodiphenyl sulfone), were considered. The results clearly showed that the mesogenic epoxy molecules formed a layer structure, whereas the non-mesogenic epoxy molecules remained as the amorphous structure even after the curing reactions. This difference was assumed to be caused by the straight structure of the mesogenic epoxy molecules and the strong attractive interactions between mesogenic parts. The interlayer spacing calculated by the simulation was in close agreement with the X-ray measurement. The details of the curing reaction process, e.g. the conversion and the molecular size in the mesogenic epoxy system, were also investigated. A large layer structure covered the simulation system after the stage in which the first reaction of the amine group was dominant, but the molecules were not large: the molecules were mainly attracted by the non-bond interactions. With the progress of the second reaction of the amine group, by which the tertiary amine was formed from the secondary amine, the molecular size became large and a rigid layer structure was formed over the whole simulation system. These results clearly indicated the role of the curing reactions: the first reaction produced small molecules from monomers and made them align in a layer form, and the second reaction connected them by cross-linking bonds and that produced rigid and large domains.
Effects of Faking on the Predictive Validity of a Quasi-Ipsative Forced-Choice Personality Inventory: Implications for Sustainable Personnel Selection

Faking behavior is one of the main problems of personality measures. For this reason, determining the potential effects of faking on personality assessment procedures is relevant. The aim of this study has been to examine the impact of faking, induced in a laboratory setting, on the predictive validity of a quasi-ipsative forced-choice (FC) inventory based on the five-factor model. It also examined whether the magnitude of the predictive validity varied depending on the type of criteria analyzed (self-reported performance ratings and grade point average). The participants were 939 students from the University of Santiago de Compostela. As expected, the results showed that: (1) conscientiousness is the best predictor of performance even under faking response conditions; (2) conscientiousness predicts performance better when it is assessed using rating scales; and (3) reliability and validity were attenuated under faking conditions. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings for the research and practice of personnel selection.
The Relations Between Motivation, Strategy Use, Frequency, and Proficiency in Foreign Language Reading: An Investigation With University English Language Learners in China

This study explores the structure of motivation in foreign language (FL) reading among 186 university English language learners (ELLs) in China, and investigated the relations between motivation, strategy use, frequency, and proficiency in FL reading. The data were collected from three questionnaires and the reading section of a mock College English Test (Band 4). The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), correlation, hierarchical cluster analysis, and t tests. The EFA generated three scales, one for intrinsic motivation (i.e., the Efficacy and Engagement scale) and two for extrinsic motivation (i.e., the Utility Value scale and the Academic Value scale). The correlation analyses showed that only the Efficacy and Engagement scale was significantly correlated with reading proficiency. The cluster analysis identified two groups of students, who differed in the three motivation scales as their motivational profiles. Based on the motivational profiles, differences on strategy use, frequency, and proficiency in English were also observed.