Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancing students’ critical thinking skills through engagement with innovative pedagogical practices in Global South

ABSTRACT This study shows how HE teachers (particularly, business management and vocational studies) experience the teaching of critical thinking to foster student development of critical thinking skills (CTS) while working across diverse international contexts. Using a qualitative online survey and interview methodologies, we obtained rich information from 55 participants from 26 countries in the Global South including HE teachers who incorporate CTS into their teaching practices and those who had studied and briefly taught in developed countries’ universities where CT is embedded into the HE learning with an understanding of the subject under study. Focusing on three dominant themes from the thematic analysis, we analyze three key approaches that HE teachers can adopt to enhance students’ development of CTS which include: teaching strategies, active learning, setting problem or inquiry. Also, we discuss the perceived challenges that HE teachers may experience in the course of promoting teaching for CTS.
Neuroprotection from Stem Cell-Derived Human Adipose Extracellular Vesicles Intranasally Administered 24 Hours After Stroke in Rats. 

Ischemic stroke is a major cause of death and disability, demanding innovative and accessible therapeutic strategies. Approaches presenting an optimal period for therapeutic intervention and new treatment administration routes are promising tools for stroke treatment. We evaluated the potential neuroprotective properties of nasally administered human adipose tissue stem cells (hAT-MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) obtained from healthy individuals who underwent liposuction. A single intranasal EV (200 µg/kg) was administered 24 h after a focal permanent ischemic stroke in rats. A higher tropism of EVs was observed in the peri-infarct zone surrounding the infarct core. In the same brain region, there was a significant decrease in the infarct volume, improvement of the blood-brain barrier, and re-stabilization of vascularization. In addition, EVs recovered the impairment of long-term motor and behavioral performance induced by an ischemic stroke. Surprisingly, one single intranasal EVs administration reestablished: i) front paws symmetry, ii) short- and long-term memory, and iii) anxiety-like behavior. In line with the findings, our work highlights hAT-MSC-derived EVs as a promising therapeutic strategy for stroke.
Script concordance testing to understand the hypothesis processes of undergraduate nursing students - Multiple case study

Background: Albeit essential to clinical reasoning (CR), strategies for generating student nursing clinical hypotheses at the time of transition to professional practice are underdeveloped. While script concordance testing (SCT) has been shown to be a valid and reliable assessment tool for CR in nursing education, the thought processes including the hypothesis processes involved in choosing an answer is not examined. Methods: A multiple case study was used to understand the complex phenomenon of students’ hypothesis activation and confrontation with the combined use of SCT questions and the think-aloud method. Structured individual interviews were conducted. Results: A total of 18 students, nine first-year and nine third-year students participated in the study. The results show that the students demonstrate certain CR cognitive processes, including early representation of a clinical situation, semantic transformation of data, and hypothesis comparison. Conclusions: Results suggest promoting knowledge articulation aloud and the frequent use of micro-judgments to compare and differentiate hypotheses involving the uncertainty of clinical practice, which underpin learning in successive layers.
Physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of ciku fruit (Manilkara zapota) pastilles

Ciku fruit (Manilkara zapota), also known as sapodilla is an exotic tropical fruit commonly eaten by Malaysians but not as popular as durians, rambutans, and bananas. Due to the short period of storage of ripened ciku fruits, making or converting it to a new end product such as pastille may promote the utilization and promote this tropical climate fruit and provide a wide range of products. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop ciku pastille and determine the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of ciku pastilles. A total of six formulations of ciku pastille were developed based on the different amounts of ciku purée (10%, 12%, 14%, 16%, 18% and 20% of ciku purée) added. The pastilles were analysed for their texture profile analysis (TPA), water activity (Aw), total soluble solids (TSS), colour analysis, pH, moisture content, ash, fibre and antioxidative activity. Results showed that formulation F (20% ciku purée) illustrated the highest value for moisture (18.59%), ash (2.43%), fibre (2.65%) and scavenging activity (36.58%). The production of this product is highly likely to be commercialised as no synthetic preservatives and artificial colouring were used. The ciku pastille was successfully developed with brownish-orange colour, round-shaped with a diameter of 1.0-1.2 cm, weighing approximately 1.2-1.5 g. Formulation B (12% ciku purée) has 62. 7⁰ Brix with pH 4.3, which had an acidic aftertaste and a water activity of 0.54. For colour analysis, L* value (59.76), a* value (23.71) and b* value (34.33) brought the brownish-orange colour for ciku pastille. Formulation B (12% ciku purée) was highly accepted by the panellists and retained its good texture and colour after being kept in the chiller for 2 months at below 18°C. The analysis, therefore, revealed that the physicochemical properties of the ciku pastille produced were enhanced and found to be rich in antioxidants and accepted by the panellists. Ciku fruit may consequently be a possible natural ingredient for pastille production, thus promoting its use in the food sector.
Stabilization of semi‐Markovian jump systems by a stochastically scheduled controller

This article considers the stabilization problem of continuous‐time semi‐Markovian jump systems. A kind of stochastically scheduled controller is proposed to realize the aim. It could also suffer a case that no controller is added to subsystems during some time slices. Based on a Lyapunov approach, sufficient conditions for such a controller are presented with LMI forms. Both sojourn times of jump signal and distribution properties of stochastic scheduling are involved and have positive roles in getting better performances. Two special cases about mode‐dependent and mode‐independent controllers are directly obtained. A practical example is given to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed methods.
Phosphorus Transport along the Cropland–Riparian–Stream Continuum in Cold Climate Agroecosystems: A Review

Phosphorus (P) loss from cropland to ground and surface waters is a global concern. In cold climates (CCs), freeze–thaw cycles, snowmelt runoff events, and seasonally wet soils increase P loss potential while limiting P removal effectiveness of riparian buffer zones (RBZs) and other practices. While RBZs can help reduce particulate P transfer to streams, attenuation of dissolved P forms is more challenging. Moreover, P transport studies often focus on either cropland or RBZs exclusively rather than spanning the natural cropland–RBZ–stream gradient, defined here as the cropland–RBZ–stream continuum. Watershed P transport models and agronomic P site indices are commonly used to identify critical source areas; however, RBZ effects on P transport are usually not included. In addition, the coarse resolution of watershed P models may not capture finer-scale soil factors affecting P mobilization. It is clear that site microtopography and hydrology are closely linked and important drivers of P release and transport in overland flow. Combining light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based digital elevation models with P site indices and process-based models show promise for mapping and modeling P transport risk in cropland-RBZ areas; however, a better mechanistic understanding of processes controlling mobile P species across regions is needed. Broader predictive approaches integrating soil hydro-biogeochemical processes with real-time hydroclimatic data and risk assessment tools also hold promise for improving P transport risk assessment in CCs.
Landscape assessment of a 100-year-old sacred forest within a shrine using geotagged visitor employed photography

ABSTRACT The forest of Meiji-Jingu shrine was afforested 100 years ago with the aim of creating a sublime forest one century later. In this study, we conducted a visual landscape assessment to explore whether the forest had reached sublime forest status. Specifically, the spatial condition of the forest associated with sublimity and landscape types that made visitors feel sublime were assessed using a combination of data collected from geotagged visitor employed photography and questionnaires. We performed a hotspot analysis with Getis-Ord Gi* statistics and the average nearest neighbor method to identify the landscape types and their characteristics that provided a sense of sublimity, and a content analysis and semantic differential method were employed to determine how current visitors perceived the forest of Meiji-Jingu. The main findings were as follows: (1) current visitors evaluated the forest as sublime; (2) tree height and a large trunk were the most important features contributing to sublimity; (3) the vicinity of the worship hall, the torii at Harajuku gate, and the bridge were identified as hotspots; and (4) while the forest was identified as a sublime landscape type, the worship hall and torii were rated as the most sublime by visitors. This framework for landscape assessments should be useful for the future creation and conservation of high quality forested landscapes.
Knowledge and Self-Efficacy Towards Eating Behaviors by People Living with Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus sufferers have metabolic issues caused by insulin disorders which indicate hyperglycemia. Behavior related to food and eating, including the amount of calories, dietary choices, setting a meal plan, and control dietary challenges are particularly important for diabetes mellitus sufferers owing to the impact of these measures on the speed with which blood glucose levels increase. With better understanding, diabetic patients can analyze their food intake and adopt appropriate eating behaviors. Self-efficacy can affect the patient’s commitment to their health. Knowledge and self-efficacy support healthy eating behavior patterns. This study aims to identify the relationship between knowledge and self-efficacy with regards to eating behaviors among people living with diabetes mellitus. Bandura’s promotion model was provided as a conceptual framework. A simple random sampling technique was used to recruit 201 participants with diabetes mellitus type 2. Data collection was via a Demographic Questionnaire, an Eating Behavior Questionnaire, a Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ), and a Diabetes Mellitus Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (DMSQ). Data was analysed using univariate and bivariate analysis. The results indicate that participants’ eating behavior, knowledge, and self-efficacy were at a low level. This study also indicated a significant relationship between knowledge (p < 0,000) and self-efficacy (p < 0,00) and eating behaviors. The results provide important information to suggests that community nurses should increase the knowledge about diabetes mellitus management and use self-efficacy to design effective intervention to promote healthy eating behavior to keep blood sugar in control.
A Machine Learning Workflow for Tumour Detection in Breasts Using 3D Microwave Imaging

A two-stage workflow for detecting and monitoring tumors in the human breast with an inverse scattering-based technique is presented. Stage 1 involves a phaseless bulk-parameter inference neural network that recovers the geometry and permittivity of the breast fibroglandular region. The bulk parameters are used for calibration and as prior information for Stage 2, a full phase contrast source inversion of the measurement data, to detect regions of high relative complex-valued permittivity in the breast based on an assumed known overall tissue geometry. We demonstrate the ability of the workflow to recover the geometry and bulk permittivity of the different sized fibroglandular regions, and to detect and localize tumors of various sizes and locations within the breast model. Preliminary results show promise for a synthetically trained Stage 1 network to be applied to experimental data and provide quality prior information in practical imaging situations.
A Novel Genetic Algorithm Based Dynamic Economic Dispatch With Short-Term Load Forecasting

This article proposes an optimal energy scheduling method for power transmission networks using novel genetic algorithm (nGA) for solving the dynamic economic dispatch (DED) problem combined with machine learning based short-term load forecasting (STLF). The STLF is implemented based on a multilayer artificial neural network (MANN) to estimate the day-ahead variations in the demand. The efficacy of the proposed energy scheduling model together with the STLF is verified using a modified IEEE 30-bus system using real data of the power plants located in the Ereymentau region of Kazakhstan. The simulation results suggest that the proposed model offers a cost effective, reliable, and efficient dynamic energy scheduling in power transmission systems.
Evaluation of Environmental Naturalness: A Case Study in the Tietê-Jacaré Hydrographic Basin, São Paulo, Brazil

The connection between humanity and nature has an organizational impact on land use/land, often changing landscapes’ patterns. In this context, our study aims to analyze the changes in the landscape structure of the Tietê-Jacaré watershed, São Paulo state, Brazil, in 2007 and 2017, through the urbanity index. The landscape analysis described the temporal landscape patterns resulting from the influence of anthropogenic processes. This approach assumes that the environmental impacts are associated with the vulnerability of land use components. The urbanity index was utilized to analyze the landscape sustainability conditions in response to anthropogenic influence. We observed a reduction in vegetation areas (2.72%), representing 32,149 ha, followed by an expansion of crops (2.05%, 24,507.53 ha) and, as a result, a reduction of the landscape environmental quality with a growth of the areas with anthropic intervention. The development of anthropic activities, land use, and land cover changes could compromise the region’s ecosystems negatively, e.g., through effects on soils that provide sustenance vegetation and afford energy for terrestrial life. The urbanity index expressed the conservation and natural state of the landscape studied. It is presented as an essential tool for diagnosing the environment and for the conservation of the ecosystem, allowing precise analysis of landscape elements and enabling accurate analysis of each fragment of the landscape.
The Future of Clinical Islet Transplantation in the United States

Clinical islet transplantation was first realized over four decades ago at the University of Minnesota. Autologous islet transplantation is now widely recognized as a treatment to prevent diabetes in patients after pancreas excision and is offered at major transplant centers throughout the United States and the world. Type 1 diabetes represents a much larger demographic in which islet transplantation may benefit patients. Allogeneic islet transplantation can now offer similar outcomes to pancreas transplantation in a subset of patients with labile type 1 diabetes with less risk than whole organ transplantation. It is recognized as a standard of care in nations around the world but not in the United States, despite the important developmental role US scientists and physicians have played. Early reports of islet transplantation focused on insulin independence that proved to diminish over time. However, regardless of insulin status, islet transplantation provides benefits ranging from improved quality of life to reduction in diabetic complications. A National Institutes of Health sponsored multi-center Phase 3 Clinical Trial (CIT-07) demonstrated safety and efficacy, although the Food and Drug Administration chose to consider islets as a biologic that requires licensure, which makes offering the procedure in the clinic very challenging. Until regulations can be brought into communion with international standards, allogeneic islet transplantation in the United States is unlikely to match international levels of success and once promising programs are left to wither on the vine. Food and Drug Administration approval would open the door for third party medical reimbursement and allow many patients the opportunity to enjoy better health and quality of life. Establishment of clinical islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes would lead to optimizations in procedures making it more efficacious and cost effective while offering support for ongoing islet xenotransplantation studies that could bring islet transplantation to even more patients.
Missiological research: Making impact or missing the mark?

This article explores ways of conceptualizing research impact and its assessment in the context of missiological research. Can it be assumed that there is a link between missiological research knowledge and research impact on mission practice and practitioners? First, the author defines and discusses some key concepts – research impact, impact assessment, academic impact and societal impact – as well as conceptual frameworks of and approaches to research impact assessment. The author then begins to conceptualize a framework for linking research to practice in missiological research which can be further developed into a framework for research impact assessment.
Identification of phosphorus efficient sugarcane genotypes based on cane and sugar yield efficiency index

Field experiments on sugarcane plant and ratoon crops were conducted during 1998-2001 on sierozem, medium textured alkaline soil under semiarid condition, at Regional Research Station, Karnal (Haryana). For both plant andratoon crops, the treatments consisted of application of P @ 0,11,22 and 33 kg P/ha and twenty six genotypes of sugarcane. The application of P increased the cane and sugar yield of both plant and ratoon crops. The overall average cane yield of twenty six genotypes for first plant crop recorded were 55.21, 71.12, 83.52 and 87.27 ton/ha and for first ratoon crop recorded were 46.52, 54.86, 60.67 and 66.45 ton/ha when Pwas applied @ 0, 11, 22 and 33 kg P/ha, respectively. The overall average cane yield oftwentysix genotypesforthe second plant crop were 53.19, 59.78, 64.97 and 68.32ton/ha and forthe second ratoon crop were 49.19, 55.76, 60.71 and 65.54 ton/ha when P was applied @ 0,11,22 and 33 kg P/ha, respectively. The effect of different levels of P or cane yield was variable for different genotypes. The magnitude of increase in yield with application P was more in inefficient genotypes as compare to efficient genotypes. On the basis of average cane yield efficiency index (CYEI) for four cropping season (Plant-Ratoon, Plant-Ratoon), CoH 119, CoH 102 were highly P efficient genotypes (C YEI>1.5), Co7717, SI649, CoH70, CoS 767, CoH97, Colk 8102, CoH111, CoH 99 CoH 109, CoH 96, Sl 220, were P efficient genotypes (CYEI 1.0-1.5), CoH 110, CoH 112, CoH35, CoS 91230, CoH56, Co89003, COH 103, CoH92, CoH100, Co1148, CoH98 were P inefficientgenotypes, (CYEI 0.5-1.0) and CoS 8436, CoJ 64 were highly P inefficient genotypes (CYEI <0.5). The selected efficient genotypes can be easily adopted by the farmers and sugar mills for higher cane and sugar production. The P efficient genotypes can also be utilized in subsequent breeding programme.
Review credibility as a safeguard against fakery: the case of Amazon

ABSTRACT Online reviews remain a reliable source for customers when making purchase decisions. Yet, the pervasiveness of fake reviews jeopardises this reliability and questions the quality of this content. In this paper, we provide empirical evidence from a major online retailer that mitigation against fakery can be successful. To that end, we proposed, tested, and validated an approach, based on existing safeguards, to quantify the credibility of reviews and thus reliably reduce product uncertainty. We also showed that reviews with sufficient credibility signals were effective at influencing product sales, and this influence was prevalent for both niche and new products on the market. As such, this study offers a novel approach to mitigate the impact of fakery in reviews posted to online infomediaries. Our work focuses primarily on Amazon as a major retailer but also provides further support by drawing on Yelp, another major review platform.
Comprehensive characterization of Indian bottom ash: Assessment of its potential utilization

ABSTRACT With increased environmental awareness, utilization of bottom ash has become an attractive alternative to disposal. The objective of the present work was to study the environmental impact of bottom ash and to explore the possibility of its potential utilization. Comprehensive characterization of four bottom ash samples collected from different thermal power plants was investigated. Particle size distribution, bulk density, settling characteristics, specific gravity, porosity, permeability, and water-holding capacity etc. were determined for all bottom ash samples. A series of leaching tests was also performed to determine the tracing metal characterization of bottom ash. It is observed that Mn, Mg, Cr, Zn, Ni, and Cu were the most abundant elements while Pb, Mo, Fe, and Co were the least abundant elements. According to the mineral characterization, it is observed that silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) are primarily present in all samples. Quartz, mullite, and hematite were identified as the mineral phases. The properties of bottom ash give useful information about the utilization of its end use.
Ocean‐Driven and Topography‐Controlled Nonlinear Glacier Retreat During the Holocene: Southwestern Ross Sea, Antarctica

Recent ice sheet mass loss in Antarctica has been attributed to an influx of warm ocean waters, which drove grounding‐line retreat and ice thinning. Episodic retreat and rapid thinning also occurred in the southwestern Ross Sea during the Holocene, which today accommodates cold ocean waters. We applied finite element ice‐flow modeling to investigate the roles of ocean temperature and bed topography in the deglaciation of this region. First, our experiments demonstrate that bed topography controlled the spatial pattern of grounding‐line retreat. Topographic pinning points limited the rate of ice loss until retreat progressed beyond a bathymetric threshold. Second, ocean thermal forcing determined the timing of this ice loss. Enhanced ocean‐driven melt is required during the Early‐to‐Mid Holocene to replicate geological records of deglaciation, possibly indicating that warm ocean waters were once present in this region. On multi‐centennial timescales, ocean temperature drove, while bed topography controlled, nonlinear rates of ice mass loss.