Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acceptance of Digital Learning in Higher Education - What Role do teachers' Competencies Play?

To transfer knowledge and build competencies effectively and thus make learning processes successful, diverse requirements exist for the teacher. Sufficient knowledge of the content and proficient pedagogical knowledge have long traditions and have been most influential. The currently growing diffusion of digital teaching and learning requires considering the technology itself, equally relevant as pedagogical and content knowledge for teaching in digital learning settings. Teachers are, however, differently skilled in levering the potentials of these technologies for supporting teaching and learning processes. Furthermore, there has not yet been sufficient research on the influence of teachers' competencies on students' acceptance of digital learning. Therefore, this paper presents an empirical study investigating the effects of different teachers' knowledge facets on the perceived usefulness of digital technologies. Results show that students' acceptance of teaching in digital space is influenced by their perception of the teachers' pedagogical, technological, and content knowledge.
The 1988 decline of R Coronae Borealis

Une etude spectroscopique et photometrique detaillee est presentee pour la decroissance de brillance en 1988 de l'etoile R Coronae Borealis. Une comparaison est effectuee avec les decroissances anterieures de cette etoile et avec celles d'autres etoiles de type R CrB, en particulier RY Sgr, NSV 6708 et UW Cen
Title: The nuclear pore protein AtTPR is required for RNA homeostasis, flowering time, and auxin signaling

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate the transport of RNA and other cargo between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. In vertebrates, the NPC protein TRANSLOCATED PROMOTER REGION (TPR) is associated with the inner filaments of the nuclear basket and is thought to serve as a scaffold for the assembly of transport machinery. In a screen for mutants that suppress the expression of the floral inhibitor FLOWERING LOCUS C , we identified lesions in the Arabidopsis homolog of TPR (AtTPR) . attpr mutants exhibit early flowering and other pleiotropic phenotypes. A possible explanation for these developmental defects is that attpr mutants exhibit an approximately eight-fold increase in nuclear polyA RNA. Thus AtTPR is required for the efficient export of RNA from the nucleus. Microarray analysis shows that, in wild type, transcript abundance in the nuclear and total RNA pools are highly correlated; whereas, in attpr mutants, a significantly larger fraction of transcripts is enriched in either the nuclear or total pool. Thus AtTPR is required for homeostasis between nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA. We also show that the effects of AtTPR on small RNA abundance and auxin signaling are similar to that of two other NPC-associated proteins, HASTY (HST) and SUPPRESSOR OF AUXIN RESISTANCE 3 (SAR3). This suggests that AtTPR, HST, and SAR3 may play related roles in the function of the nuclear pore.
(2020). Does loneliness, self-esteem and psychological distress correlate with problematic internet use? A Bangladeshi survey study. Asia-Pacific Psychiatry,

Background: Researchers have claimed that problematic internet use (PIU) and internet addiction (IA) is a global mental health problem. However, little research has addressed this issue in Bangladesh and no previous study has examined the relationship between PIU and potential psychological risk factors. Aim: The present study examined the prevalence of PIU and its associated risk factors including socio-demographic variables, internet use behaviors, and other psychological variables including loneliness, self-esteem, and psychological distress. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among Bangladeshi students (N=605). Measures included the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire. Results: Using a cut-off score of ≤ 60 (out of 100) on the IAT, the prevalence of PIU was 16.5% (n=100). Regression analysis showed that sleep disturbance (more or less than 6-7 hours sleeping time), not using internet for academic purposes, and online chatting were risk factors for PIU. Loneliness and psychological distress were positively correlated with PIU, whereas self-esteem was negatively correlated. Conclusions: The present study highlights that PIU among Bangladeshi university students is an issue of concern and that targeted prevention is needed among emerging adults to help overcome the potentially negative effects of problematic internet use.
Regulatory effect of Panax notoginseng saponins on the oxidative stress and histone acetylation induced by porcine circovirus type 2

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) exists widely in swine populations worldwide, and healthy PCV2 virus carriers have enhanced the severity of the infection, which is becoming more difficult to control. This study investigated the regulatory effect of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) on the oxidative stress and histone acetylation modification induced by PCV2 in vitro and in mice. In vitro, PNS significantly increased the scavenging capacities of superoxide anion radicals (O2•-) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and reduced the content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced by PCV2 in porcine alveolar macrophages (3D4/2). In addition, PNS decreased the protein expression level of histone H4 acetylation (Ac-H4) by increasing the activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) in PCV2-infected 3D4/2 cells. In vivo, PNS enhanced the scavenging capacities of •OH and O2•− and reduced the content of H2O2 in the spleens of PCV2-infected mice. PNS also reduced the protein expression level of histone H3 acetylation (Ac-H3) by reducing the activity of histone acetylase (HAT) and increasing the activity of HDAC in the spleens of PCV2-infected mice. PCV2 infection activated oxidative stress and histone acetylation in vitro and in mice, but PNS ameliorated this oxidative stress. The research can provide experimental basis for exploring the antioxidant effect and the regulation of histone acetylation of PNS on PCV2-infected 3D4/2 cells and mice in vitro and in vivo, and provide new ideas for the treatment of PCV2 infection.
I MPACT OF T ASK -B ASED VS . P RESENTATION -P RACTICE P RODUCTION I NSTRUCTIONAL M ETHODS ON S TUDENTS ’ P RODUCTIVITY S KILLS

The article compares the impacts of two instructional methods— Presentation-Practice-Production and task-based language teaching—to understand if there are any differences between the two in terms of improving students’ productivity skills. Seventy-eight students at Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam participated in the study. Students in the control group were trained using the Presentation-Practice-Production method, while those in the experimental group were trained using the task-based instruction method. Data was collected pre-test and post-test in response to the three research questions. The findings indicated that the task-based instruction model had a great impact on students’ grammatical performance in both writing and speaking, but was not superior to the Presentation-Practice-Production model. New research results confirmed the effectiveness of both methods when teachers put significant effort into their instructional activities.
Maximizing Green Infrastructure in a Philadelphia Neighborhood

While the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) is counting on Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GI) as a key component of its long-term plan for reducing combined sewer overflows, many community stakeholders are also hoping that investment in greening can help meet other ancillary goals, collectively referred to as sustainable redevelopment. This study investigates the challenges associated with implementation of GI in Point Breeze, a residential neighborhood of South Philadelphia. The project team performed a detailed study of physical, social, legal, and economic conditions in the pilot neighborhood over the course of several years, culminating in the development of an agent-based model simulation of GI implementation. The model evaluates a) whether PWD’s GI goals can be met in a timely manner, b) what kinds of assumptions regarding participation would be needed under different theoretical GI policies, and c) the extent to which GI could promote sustainable redevelopment. The model outcomes underscore the importance of private land in helping PWD achieve its GI goals in Point Breeze. Achieving a meaningful density of GI in the neighborhoods most in need of sustainable redevelopment may require new and creative strategies for GI implementation tailored for the types of land present in those particular communities.
Frequency reconfigurable antenna for cognitive radios with sequential UWB mode of perception and multiband mode of operation

Abstract In this work, an UWB/narrow band reconfigurable elliptical-shaped monopole antenna for cognitive radio applications with sequential perception and operation modes is presented. The proposed approach consists in integrating a reconfigurable filter, in an UWB antenna ground plan, by the mean of four horizontal slots and integrated switches that allow inserting/removing/varying zeros and poles in the frequency response. By acting on the slot lengths in order to alter their resonance frequencies, the different switch configurations allow the antenna to switch between an UWB mode that could be used for the perception (sensing) and different narrowband modes, mono-band and dual-band, that could be used for the operation at 2.4 or/and 3.5 GHz. To validate the concept, an experimental prototype has been fabricated and a good agreement between the simulated and the measured S-parameters has been obtained. While the presented work uses the presence/absence of a perfect conductive strip (PEC) to model real switch operation, it is believed that the obtained results conjugated with previous work using real switches on a very similar structure allows validating approach.
Semiparametric Estimation of a Sample Selection Model: A Simulation Study

Standard approaches to the estimation of sample selection models are known to be inconsistent under non-normality. In particular, this paper considers the two-step Heckman (1976, 1979) estimator of the interecept of the outcome equation. This estimator is compared with a consistent asymptotically normal semiparametric estimator suggested by Andrews and Schafgans (1996). Using a root mean squared error criterion, the semiparametric estimator performs better for a range of bandwidth parameter choice for a variety of distributions of the errors and regressors. For error distributions that are close to the normal, however, the two-step parametric estimator performs better.
Cover cracking model in reinforced concrete structures subject to rebar corrosion

A new cover cracking model is proposed for rebar corrosion. Rebar corrosion involves rust, which contributes to an expansive radial pressure at the concrete-steel interface and hoop tensile stresses in the surrounding concrete. Once the stress state exceeds a certain limit, anisotropic damage occurs. First, we establish an anisotropic damage model for concrete, which fully reflects the unilateral effect. Then an analytical model is proposed to calculate the displacement and the stress in a corroded reinforced concrete (RC) structural member based on that anisotropic damage. In this study, a concrete-rust-steel composite model is considered as a circular cylindrical concrete cover and a coaxial, uniformly-corroded, steel rebar, where the steel rebar and the mechanical properties of rust can be fully taken into account. At the same time, the influences of the steel-concrete interface pores and the cracks in concrete on the rust expansion pressure value are modeled. Finally, some experiments are made for comparison with the analytical results and good agreement indicated the proposed model could be used to predict both the variation of strain fields in structures during the corrosion process and the cover cracking time. 概要研究目的预测保护层开裂的时间以及分析锈胀参数研究方法基于混凝土的各向异性损伤, 建立考虑钢筋-腐蚀产物-混凝土三者不同力学性能的钢筋锈胀导致保护层开裂的数学模型。 模型考虑了腐蚀产物对钢筋混凝土界面区的孔隙和混凝土开裂裂缝的填充效应, 采用了非线性分析算法, 预测了开裂过程中每一时刻混凝土构件的应变与位移场以及混凝土保护层开裂时间, 最后将模型预测值与试验值进行对比。 重要结论1. 当混凝土出现裂缝之后, 随着腐蚀产物对裂缝的填充, 混凝土的环向拉应变的增长速率减缓; 2. 选定钢筋的型号、 直径以及混凝土的强度之后, 可通过增大保护层的厚度来减小钢筋锈胀开裂的风险。
Seasonal responses of C and N related soil conditions in a fire affected Mediterranean Chilean forest following organic amendments and plant establishment

Understanding how soil chemical/physical and biological parameters behave after the increasingly common fires in Mediterranean Chilean ecosystems is critical to boost their recovery. Incorporating organic amendments in soil to support its post-fire recovery is promising; however, there are important gaps regarding the seasonal responses of soil parameters following such additions. This study aimed to identify the effects of different organic amendments (compost, poultry, and swine manure) and methods of plant establishment (sowing or plantation), through the seasons observed in a sclerophyll Mediterranean Chilean forest over one year. Season over organic amendments and plant establishment method had a very strong effect on most of the twelve soil parameters evaluated. Across seasons, soil pH, electrical conductivity, water content, and aggregate stability were less variable than C and N pools, colony forming units (CFUs) of heterotrophic and free-living N 2 fixing microorganisms, and urease and ammonia monooxygenase activities. Manure-based amendments increased NO 3 and heterotrophic CFUs during fall and summer, respectively. The use of compost resulted in greater soil organic matter and carbon, mostly in summer. Different responses of soil abiotic and biotic properties after fire and organic amendments can likely influence differently processes related to ecosystem recovery, particularly those related to C and N cycles.
Review on the Outpatient Treatment for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, what is the best for Hong Kong?

Pelvic inflammatory disease is an important risk factor for infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published treatment guidelines for pelvic inflammatory disease in 2002, the effectiveness of treatment has been affected by the emergence of quinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The prevalence of quinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae is highly variable with time and place. In Hong Kong, quinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae is over 90%, thus ceftriaxone, doxycycline and metronidazole should be the treatment of choice. For patients sensitive to cephalosporins, azithromycin and metronidazole can be considered as alternative treatments.
Input vulnerability‐aware approximate triple modular redundancy: higher fault coverage, improved search space, and reduced area overhead

Area overhead reduction in conventional triple modular redundancy (TMR) by using approximate modules has been proposed in the literature. However, the vulnerability of approximate TMR (ATMR) in the case of a critical input, where faults can lead to errors at the output, is yet to be studied. Here, identifying critical input space through automatic test pattern generation and making it unavailable for the technique of approximating modules of TMR (ATMR) were focused, which involves a prime implicant reduction expansion. The results indicate that the proposed method provides 75–98% fault coverage, which amounts up to 43.8% improvement over that achieved previously. The input vulnerability-aware approach enables a drastic reduction in search space, ranging from 41.5 to 95.5%, for the selection of candidate ATMR modules and no compromise on the area overhead reduction is noticed.
Journal of Medicinally Active Plants Journal of Medicinally Active Plants In Vitro Assays of Anti-diabetic and Anti-hypertensive Potential of In Vitro Assays of Anti-diabetic and Anti-hypertensive Potential of Some Traditional Edible Plants of Qatar Some Traditional Edible Plants of Qatar

Aizoon canariense , Cynomorium coccineum , Glossonema edule , and Malva parviflora , edible desert plants from Qatar, were selected to deter-mine levels of phenolic bioactives and potential health benefits for managing early stages of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Aqueous extracts of C. cocineum , contained soluble phenolics and had relatively high levels of antioxidant activity associated with α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and angio-tensin-converting enzyme (ACE). G. edule and M. parviflora had moderate levels of anti-oxidant potential, soluble phenolics, and ACE inhibitory activity. The medicinal properties associated with C. coccineum suggest the plant may have potential as a diet-based solution for combating, preventing, and managing the early stage of type 2 diabetes when coupled with an overall healthy life style and pharmacological management strategies.
Sustainable Design: Integrate the Creative Thinking and Innovation into Graphical Communications

Engineering programs need to prepare the next generation of engineering professionals for tackling sustainability challenges that impact the social, environmental, and economic progress of the nation. This paper describes how the sustainable design concept was integrated into a freshman-level engineering gateway course that emphasizes creative thinking and innovation through an open-ended team project. The goal of the study is to improve students’ study skills to prepare them to be the next generation of engineering professionals. The expected outcomes are increased and improved innovative thinking, communication, and teamwork skills. A questionnaire-based methodology was used to assess the success of the study and data was collect for three years. The assessment results indicate that students liked the sustainable design project and their innovative thinking, communication, and teamwork skills were improved in the sustainable design project over the time period analyzed. A summary of lessons learned during the study is included and a future plan is discussed.
Developing an understanding of the literature pertaining to the moral development of people with intellectual disabilities. Developmental Review, Developing an understanding of the literature pertaining to the moral development of people with intellectual disabilities

Recent reviews of moral development theory (Gibbs, Basinger, Grime, & Snarey, 2007) demonstrate that revisionist theoretical perspectives have cross cultural validity, but moral development in relation to people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) has not been considered within this literature. A structured review of the published literature relating to children, adolescents and adults with IDs, and moral development was carried out. Twenty studies meeting the inclusion criteria were found. The review indicated that people with IDs may not progress through the developmental stages of moral reasoning as quickly as typically developing peers, or reach the more advanced stages. This difference from non-disabled peers tends to disappear if groups are matched on some measure of cognitive ability. However, the studies are fraught with methodological problems and there is a need for further research, given the theoretical developments within the area of moral development, including the evidence of a relationship between moral development and anti-social behaviour amongst typically developing children and adolescents.
Comparison of CO2 Flow Behavior through Intact Siltstone Sample under Tri-Axial Steady-State and Transient Flow Conditions

: With its low viscosity properties, CO 2 has much greater penetration capacity into micro-fractures, and therefore has more potential to create expanded and effective fractures in shales during the hydraulic fracturing process. However, the feasibility of this technique is dependent on the accurate prediction of formation ﬂow characteristics, given the high leak-off of CO 2 at deep depths. The aim of this study is therefore to understand the ﬂow behavior of CO 2 in deep shale plays. A series of tri-axial permeability tests was conducted under both steady-state and transient conditions. The test results show much lower permeability values for liquid CO 2 than gaseous CO 2 , and the permeability under transient conditions is much lower than that under steady-state conditions, due to the combined effects of the reduced slip-ﬂow effect under low pressures and the temperature variation inﬂuence under steady-state conditions. Under steady-state conditions, unstable ﬂow behavior occurred at higher injection pressure ( ≥ 9 MPa) possibly due to the ﬁne mineral particle migration and the deposition of small drikold particles, which indicates the serious error in permeability calculation under steady-state conditions. Importantly, a greater than 1 effective stress coefﬁcient ( χ ) for permeability in tested siltstone was observed, conﬁrming the greater sensitivity of CO 2 to pore pressure than conﬁning pressure.
Inner-shell photoionization of OIII

A 25-state R-matrix calculation is performed to obtain photoionization cross-sections for transitions from the 1s 2 2s 2 2p 2 3 P ground state of the O III ion. Results are obtained for a range of photon energies, includingthose at which K-shell photoionization processes take place. We compare our results with those from previous calculations. Excellent agreement is obtained. We also consider resonances owing to transitions of a 1s electron excited into the 2p orbital and compare with a recent calculation.
Genome sequence of Streptococcusmutans bacteriophage M102

Bacteriophage M102 is a lytic phage speciﬁc for serotype c strains of Streptococcus mutans , a causative agent of dental caries. In this study, the complete genome sequence of M102 was determined. The genome is 31 147 bp in size and contains 41 ORFs. Most of the ORFs encoding putative phage structural proteins show similarity to those from bacteriophages from Streptococcus thermophilus . Bioinfor-matic analysis indicated that the M102 genome contains an unusual lysis cassette, which encodes a holin and two lytic enzymes.
(2021). One Health drivers of antibacterial resistance: Quantifying the relative impacts of human, animal and environmental use and transmission. One Health, 12, [100220].

with a disproportionate burden on lower-and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is not understood how ‘One Health ’ , where human health is co-dependent on animal health and the environment, might impact the burden of ABR in LMICs. Thailand ’ s 2017 “ National Strategic Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance ” (NSP-AMR) aims to reduce AMR morbidity by 50% through 20% reductions in human and 30% in animal antibacterial use (ABU). There is a need to understand the implications of such a plan within a One Health perspective. Methods: A model of ABU, gut colonisation with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing bacteria and transmission was calibrated using estimates of the prevalence of ESBL-producing bacteria in Thailand. This model was used to project the reduction in human ABR over 20 years (2020 – 2040) for each One Health driver, including individual transmission rates between humans, animals and the environment, and to estimate the long-term impact of the NSP-AMR intervention. Results: The model predicts that human ABU was the most important factor in reducing the colonisation of humans with resistant bacteria (maximum 65.7 – 99.7% reduction). The NSP-AMR is projected to reduce human colonisation by 6.0 – 18.8%, with more ambitious targets (30% reductions in human ABU) increasing this to 8.5 – 24.9%. Conclusions: Our model provides a simple framework to explain the mechanisms underpinning ABR, suggesting that future interventions targeting the simultaneous reduction of transmission and ABU would help to control ABR more effectively in Thailand.