Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of attitudes to social media use in professional learning on students’ online journalism self-efficacy beliefs

With a wide variety of easily-accessible internet tools, social media have revolutionized the way people access, create and share information. Apart from facilitating social networking, these online platforms are also considered critical enablers of professional competence development, with perceptions of their use in promoting learning – in a domain like journalism – gaining currency. Using Rwanda as a case study, this article explores students’ attitudes towards social media use in professional learning and how these predict their self-efficacy for online journalism work. Empirical data was gathered from mass communication students from five Rwandan universities (n=143), who completed a researcher-constructed ‘online journalism self-efficacy’ (OJSE) survey. Descriptive findings indicated that the students are highly efficacious in most online journalism skills. Inferential statistical analysis demonstrate that the students’ beliefs, feelings and actions regarding social media as professional learning tools, significantly correlated with the students’ online journalism self-efficacy. The results disconfirm the null hypothesis that negate the existence of a significant relationship between these variables. In light of the study’s results, educators need to leverage the students’ positive social media attitudes to enhance and innovative student-centred teaching and learning approaches – where learners harness the affordances of the social media tools for their professional growth.
Risk Mitigation and Investability of a U-PHS Project in The Netherlands

We review the status of a 1.4 GW, 8 GWh underground pumped hydro storage (U-PHS) project in the southern Netherlands, which has been under development since the 1980s. Its history shows how the prospect of a large-scale U-PHS for The Netherlands (a country whose proverbial flatness prohibits PHS) has been attractive in every decade, based on proven technology in a subsurface location with validated properties, and solid analysis of its economics. Although the ongoing energy transition clearly requires massive electricity storage, (U-)PHS projects are challenging investment propositions, in The Netherlands, as elsewhere. This case study illustrates a point of general relevance, namely that although the project execution risk, related to uncertainty with respect to subsurface integrity, is very low, the transition risk, associated with the intrinsic uncertainties of an electricity system in transition, is significant. We point out mitigation strategies for both risk categories.
Ratcheting response of spherical vessels under load-controlled condition based on the Chaboche viscoplastic model

In this study, ratcheting behavior of thick spherical vessels subjected to mechanical cyclic loads at elevated temperature, using the Chaboche unified viscoplastic model with combined kinematic and isotropic theory of plasticity, is investigated. Since this model is rate dependent, loading rate plays a crucial role on the ratcheting responses. A precise and general numerical procedure, using the modified successive approximation iterative method of solution to solve the non-linear equations, is developed to obtain the cyclic inelastic creep and plastic strains. Effects of loading and unloading rate, inside pressure, thickness of vessel, creep time and environmental temperature on ratcheting responses, and stress amplitude of the vessel due to the inside pressure cyclic loading at elevated temperature are obtained. The ratcheting response is observed for the load-controlled conditions, as investigated in this paper. It is shown that increasing the loading and unloading rates and the thickness of pressure vessels, result into decrease in the ratcheting rate while increasing the inside pressure, creep time, and temperature distribution increase the ratcheting rate. Also, stress amplitude decreases with increasing the creep time and thickness of vessel. On the other hand, increasing the loading and unloading rate, inside pressure, and temperature distribution result into increasing the stress amplitude. The results obtained using the applied method in this study is verified with the experimental data given in the literature. By simplifying the constitutive model, numerical results are compared with the finite elements results.
Immunomodulator Drug (IMODTM) and Exercise Improve Cardiac Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Balance in Diabetic Rats

: Diabetes is a common metabolic disease that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It seems that the reduction of oxidative stress or increasing antioxidant levels improves diabetic cardiomyopathy. Antioxidant effects of immunomodulatory drug (IMODTM) and also beneficial influences of exercise on diabetic complications have been shown. The present study examined the effects of IMODTM and exercise on cardiac oxidative stress and antioxidants in diabetes. For this purpose, 64 rats were divided into 8 groups: control (C), exercise (E), IMODTM (20 mg/kg) (I), exercise plus IMODTM (E + I), diabetes (D), diabetic rats treated with exercise (D + E), diabetic rats treated with IMODTM (D + I), and diabetic rats treated with exercise plus IMODTM (D + E + I). Treatments with exercise and/or IMODTM were performed for 8 weeks. Type 1 diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg streptozotocin. After the treatment period, all rats were anesthetized, and blood and heart samples were gathered for measurement of malondialdehyde (MDA) as an oxidative stress marker, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as a cardiac injury marker, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as glutathione peroxidase (GPx) as antioxidant enzymes. The present study, for the first time, showed that IMODTM alone or in combination with exercise had positive effects on alleviating hyperglycemia, MDA, and LDH along with elevation of antioxidant enzymes activities in type 1 diabetic rats.
VALUATION OF EUROPEAN PUT OPTION BY USING THE QUADRATURE METHOD UNDER THE VARIANCE GAMMA PROCESS

Dynamic asset pricing model uses the Geometric Brownian Motion process. The Black-Scholes model known as standard model to price European option based on the assumption that underlying asset prices dynamic follows that log returns of asset is normally distributed. In this paper, we introduce a new stochastic process called levy process for pricing options. In this paper, we use the quadrature method to solve a numerical example for pricing options in the Indian context. The illustrations used in this paper for pricing the European style option. We also try to develop the pricing formula for European put option by using put-call parity and check its relevancy on actual market data and observe some underlying phenomenon.
The effect of population densities of Meloidogyne incognita on the yield of cantaloupe and tobacco

The relationship between population densities of Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitw. and yield of host crops has been studied by a number of investigators to predict yield losses and for better control of the nematode. Hanounik et al. (1975) found a tolerance limit of a susceptible cultivar of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) to M. incognita of 0.66 eggs/ml of soil, and Barker et al. (1981) stated that tobacco yield was reduced at 1.5 eggs/ml of soil. In southern Italy, root-knot nematode greatly reduces the yield of tobacco (Lamberti, 1979) and cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) but information on the effect of population densities of M. incognita on the yield of these crops is lacking. Therefore two experiments were done in microplots at Ginosa Marina (Taranto) in 1982 to study the effect of M. incognita on the yields of tobacco cv. Erzegovina and cantaloupe cv. Gusto.
Nitrate Chimeras: A New Class of Disease Modifying Agents for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

The primary goal of my PhD was to provide a mechanistic understanding of observed effects of nitrate chimeras, a novel class of drugs developed by Dr. Gregory Thatcher for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). An example of this class, GT-1061, has received FDA approval for clinical trials. With support from the NIA, we refined and redesigned novel compounds from the drug class, with preliminary data showing promise in both culture and animal models of AD. This project deepened the understanding of the observed effects of methiazole-based nitrate chimeras by investigating mechanisms of action in culture, tissue and animal models of AD and determined the effect of nitrate chimeras on classic AD pathophysiology. This work also supported the entry of two optimized novel compounds into clinical trials and identified novel mechanisms of action of potential utility in the AD drug development field.
Subjective health and well-being of children and adolescents in Germany – Cross-sectional results of the 2017/18 HBSC study

Subjective health is understood as a multidimensional construct that encompasses the physical, mental and social dimensions of a person’s well-being. Promoting the subjective health and well-being of children and adolescents has strong public health relevance because health impairments in childhood and adolescence are often associated with long-term health problems in adulthood. Therefore, it is very important to gain information about potential risk and resource factors involved. This article presents current prevalences for subjective health, life satisfaction and psychosomatic health complaints among children and adolescents in Germany aged 11, 13 and 15 years from the 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study (N=4,347, 53.0% girls). It also examines the sociodemographic and psychosocial factors that influence subjective well-being. Most children and adolescents provided positive ratings of their health and life satisfaction. Nevertheless, about one third of girls and one fifth of boys were affected by multiple psychosomatic health complaints. Impairments in subjective well-being were particularly evident in girls, older adolescents, young people with low levels of family affluence and those under a lot of pressure at school. In contrast, high family support was associated with better subjective well-being. These results illustrate the need for target group-specific prevention and health promotion measures aimed at improving the subjective health and well-being of children and adolescents.
Farmer Awareness and Implementation of Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Different Types of Farms in Poland

Sustainability has been an emerging issue for years in the economy and agriculture. Making agriculture sustainable has become so essential that it has become part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, producers ultimately decide individually the practices they implement. This is why farmers play a central role in ensuring a sustainable agricultural system, which results from farmers’ knowledge and expectations. Although numerous studies address sustainability issues, little is known about farmers’ knowledge and implementation of sustainable practices at different types of farms, especially in central and eastern Europe. This study aimed to determine Polish farmers’ awareness of sustainability with regards to animal and crop production. This paper also shows how farmers value the advantages arising from sustainable production. The study was carried out among 300 farms classified by type (dairy, beef cattle, pork, and crop production). The research instrument used was a questionnaire, with the Likert scale. The results show that dairy farmers and pork farmers declared higher knowledge and better implement sustainable practices than other farmers. The producers’ views on the benefits coming from sustainable agriculture varied. However, the two most significant advantages were recognized—the protection of water against pollution and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Exploring the impact of corporate social responsibility on real earning management and discretionary accruals

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and earning management have become important to firm’s operation. Previous researches use of discretionary accruals (DA) as a proxy variable for earnings management can easily result in errors in empirical analysis. Thus, this study uses the CSR index proposed by Chen et al. 2013. Journal of American Business Review, 2, 181–188, discretional accrual and real earning management to examine the association with CSR, earning management, and firm value. The empirical results find that the firm engages CSR not only to increase more information transparency of CSR and creating interaction with stakeholders but also to reduce earning management phenomenon. When firm has lower CSR performance, it has prone to earning management. In addition, CSR performance can enhance firm value, but the firm engage CSR to cover up and shift attention away from earnings manipulation by managers, it would decrease firm value.
Practice makes perfect? The effect of CEO and director experience on acquisition performance

This study examines whether prior CEO acquisition experience at other firms is associated with subsequent merger performance. First, using both the original and extended sample period, we replicate and conﬁrm the results of Field and Mkrtchyan (2017) and ﬁnd that independent directors’ prior merger experience improves succeeding acquisition performance. Second, we extend their study by considering the effect of prior CEO acquisition experience. Similar to the effect for independent directors, w e ﬁnd that prior CEO acquisition experience improves performance in later takeovers. Consistent with CEO learning, we document a greater effect on subsequent takeover performance when prior acquisition experience is negative.
Design for Sustained Wellbeing through Positive Activities - A Multi-Stage Framework

In this paper, we introduce a framework that conceptualizes a multi-stage process through which technology can promote sustained wellbeing. Intentional wellbeing-enhancing activities form the centerpiece linking direct product interaction to, ultimately, wellbeing. The framework was developed following a bottom-up–top-down approach by integrating theoretical knowledge from positive psychology, behavioral science and human–computer interaction (HCI)/design with empirical insights. We outline (a) the framework, (b) its five main stages including their multidisciplinary theoretical foundations, (c) relations between these stages and (d) specific elements that further describe each stage. The paper illustrates how the framework was developed and elaborates three major areas of application: (design) research, design strategies and measurement approaches. With this work, we aim to provide actionable guidance for researchers and IT practitioners to understand and design technologies that foster sustained wellbeing.
Shaping of melting and dissolving solids under natural convection

Abstract How quickly does an ice cube melt or a lump of sugar dissolve? We address the open problem of the shapes of solids left to melt or dissolve in an ambient fluid driven by stable natural convection. The theory forms a convective form of a Stefan problem in which the evolution is controlled by a two-way coupling between the shape of the body and stable convection along its surface. We develop a new model describing the evolution of such bodies in two-dimensional or axisymmetric geometries and analyse it using a combination of numerical and analytical methods. Different initial conditions are found to lead to different fundamental shapes and descent rates. For the cases of initially linear surfaces (wedges or cones), the model admits similarity solutions in which the tip descends from its initial position as $t^{4/5}$, where t is time. It is determined that the evolving shape always forms a parabola sufficiently near the tip. For steeply inclined bodies, we establish a general two-tiered asymptotic structure comprising a broad $4/3$-power intermediate near-tip region connected to a deeper parabolic region at the finest scale. The model results apply universally for any given relationship between density, viscosity, diffusivity and concentration, including two-component convection. New laboratory experiments involving the dissolution of cones of sugar candy in water are found to collapse systematically onto our theoretically predicted shapes and descent rates with no adjustable parameters.
The drivers of multiple dimensions of stream macroinvertebrate beta diversity across a large montane landscape

Environmental filtering and spatial processes have been associated with variation in ecological communities and biodiversity; however, their relative importance on multiple dimensions of beta diversity has not been fully explored in montane streams. Here, we examined the relative contribution of local, catchment and climate environmental variables and spatial factors to variation in three dimensions of macroinvertebrate beta diversity in the upper Han River Basin. Taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic beta diversities and their respective turnover and nestedness components were calculated for macroinvertebrate assemblages sampled in a total of 130 stream sites across a large mountainous landscape. We investigated the correlations between beta diversity facets using MSR‐Mantel procedure and then examined the relative influence of each set of ecological factors through redundancy analysis and variance partitioning. Our results revealed relatively low spatial congruence among beta diversity dimensions, indicating these diversity dimensions are independent measures which offer complementary information of community assembly. Beta diversity dimensions and components were best explained by spatial and local environmental factors, whereas the large‐scale catchment and climate factors appeared less influential. Moreover, spatial and environmental factors generally exerted different controls on beta diversity depending on the dimensions under consideration. Taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversities were more strongly determined by spatial factors via dispersal limitation, while functional beta diversity was mainly associated to local environments through habitat filtering. Our results challenge the perspective that using one diversity facet as a surrogate for others is enough, and highlight the need to integrate multiple diversity dimensions in metacommunity and biodiversity research.
Wear resistance of maraging steel developed by direct metal laser sintering

This work presents wear study on maraging steel developed by additive manufacturing using Direct Metal Laser Sintering, utilizing a laser beam of high-power density for melting and fusing the metallic powders. Short aging treatment was given to the specimen prior to the wear tests. The density and the hardness of the 3D printed maraging steel were found to be better than the homogenized-aged 18Ni1900 maraging steel. The wear resistance is an important aspect that influences the functionality of the components. The wear tests in dry condition were performed on maraging steel on pin/disc standard wear testing machine. The design of experiments was planned and executed based on response surface methodology. This technique is employed to investigate three influencing and controlling constraints namely speed, load, and distance of sliding. It has been observed that sliding speed and normal load significantly affects the wear of the specimen. The statistical optimization confirms that the normal load, sliding distance, and speed are significant for reducing the wear rate. The confirmation test was conducted with a 95% confidence interval using optimal parameters for validation of wear test results. A mathematical model was developed to estimate the wear rate. The experimental results were matched with the projected values. The wear test parameters for minimum and maximum wear rate have been determined.
Economic Sustainability of Small-Scale Aquaponic Systems for Food Self-Production

Aquaponics involves the simultaneous production of plants and fish and it is increasingly being used with a self-consumption purpose. However, there are uncertainties and little information about the economic sustainability of small-scale self-managed aquaponic systems. The objective of this study was to obtain economic information about these systems, including the level of commoditization of food production as a measure of their autonomy. For this purpose, two small-scale aquaponic systems (SAS) based on FAO models were self-constructed using cheap and easy-to-obtain materials and monitored for a year. A total of 62 kg of tilapia and 352 kg of 22 different vegetables and fruits were produced, with an average net agricultural added value of 151.3 €. Results showed positive accounting profit but negative economic profit when labor costs were included. The degree of commoditization was around 44%, which allows a certain autonomy, thanks to the use of family labor force.
Species-specific responses to drought, salinity and their interactions in Populus euphratica and P. pruinosa seedlings

Drought and salinity are severe abiotic stress factors, which limit plant growth and productivity, particularly in desert regions. In this study, we employed two desert poplars, Populus euphratica Oliver and Populus pruinosa Schrenk seedlings, to compare their tolerance to drought, salinity and combined stress. We investigated species-specific responses of P. euphratica and P. pruinosa in growth, photosynthetic capacity and pigment contents, nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations, Cl− allocation, osmotic regulation and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under drought, salinity and the combined stress. Populus pruinosa exhibited greater growth inhibitory effects, photosynthesis decline, stomatal closure and ROS accumulation, and lower antioxidant enzyme activities and osmotic regulation compared with P. euphratica under drought, salinity and especially under their combined stress. On the other hand, salt-stressed P. euphratica plants restricted salt transportation from roots to leaves, and allocated more Cl− to coarse roots and less to leaves, whereas salt-stressed P. pruinosa allocated more Cl− to leaves. It was shown that there is species-specific variation in these two desert poplars, and P. pruinosa suffers greater negative effects compared with P. euphratica under drought, salinity and especially under the combined stress. Therefore, in ecological restoration and afforestation efforts, species-specific responses and tolerances of these two poplar species to drought and salinity should be considered under climate change with increasing drought and soil salinity developing.
Detecting and Counting Overlapping Speakers in Distant Speech Scenarios

We consider the problem of detecting the activity and counting overlapping speakers in distant-microphone recordings. We treat supervised Voice Activity Detection (VAD), Overlapped Speech Detection (OSD), joint VAD+OSD, and speaker counting as instances of a general Overlapped Speech Detection and Counting (OSDC) task, and we design a Temporal Convolu-tional Network (TCN) based method to address it. We show that TCNs significantly outperform state-of-the-art methods on two real-world distant speech datasets. In particular our best architecture obtains, for OSD, 29.1% and 25.5% absolute improvement in Average Precision over previous techniques on, respectively, the AMI and CHiME-6 datasets. Furthermore, we find that generalization for joint VAD+OSD improves by using a speaker counting objective rather than a VAD+OSD objective. We also study the effectiveness of forced alignment based labeling and data augmentation, and show that both can improve OSD performance.