Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Replacing maize with palm kernel expeller in dairy concentrates fed to Jersey cows grazing kikuyu pasture

High-fibre by-products have the potential to partially replace maize in the concentrate for dairy cows. Palm kernel expeller (PKE) is a low-cost, high-fibre by-product from the palm-oil industry. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of partially replacing maize with PKE in dairy concentrates for Jersey cows grazing kikuyu pasture on milk production and milk composition. The study was conducted from January to April 2014 at the Outeniqua Research Farm situated near George in the Western Cape, South Africa. Seventy two multiparous high producing Jersey cows (n=18 per treatment) were blocked according to milk yield (20.1±1.93 kg/cow/d), days in milk (111±41 d) and lactation number (3.4±1.34) and randomly allocated within blocks to four treatments (PKE0, PKE10, PKE20 and PKE30). The PKE inclusion in the PKE0, PKE10, PKE20 and PKE30 concentrate treatments was 0, 10, 20 and 30%, respectively, replacing part of the maize and soybean oilcake in the concentrate. Concentrates were balanced to be iso-nitrogenous. All cows grazed kikuyu pasture as one group and concentrate was fed at 6 kg as is/cow/d in the dairy parlour during milking (3 kg/milking). Pasture was allocated at 11.1 kg DM/cow/d above a height of 30 mm. Cows had ad libitum access to PKE for 7 d on pasture prior to the start of the study. The study consisted of a 14 d adaptation period followed by 60 d measurement period. Milk yield was recorded daily and milk composition was determined fortnightly. Milk yield and milk fat content differed between treatments (P<0.05) and were 15.6, 15.4, 15.3 and 14.3 kg/cow/d and 4.63, 4.93, 5.06 and 5.29% for the PKE0, PKE10, PKE20 and PKE30 treatments, respectively. The PKE inclusion level in concentrates did not affect (P<0.05) fat corrected milk (FCM), milk protein and milk lactose content of cows. It is concluded that PKE increased milk fat content at the 20 and 30% inclusion level and sustained FCM at the 10, 20 and 30% inclusion level of concentrate fed at 6 kg/cow/d to cows grazing kikuyu pasture during summer.
Analysis of Photo-Irradiated Double-Drift Region Silicon Impact Avalanche Transit Time Devices in the Millimeter-wave and Terahertz Regime

Effect of photo-irradiation on the avalanche response time of Millimeter-wave (mm-wave) and Terahertz (THz) Double-Drift Region (DDR) Silicon Impact Avalanche Transit Time (IMPATT) devices is investigated in this paper. A model to study the photo-irradiation effect on the DC and high-frequency properties of the mm-wave and THz IMPATTs is developed by the authors based on which the simulation is carried out to calculate the avalanche response time of 94, 140, 220 GHz and 0.3 THz DDR Silicon IMPATTs under two different optical illumination configurations (Top Mount (TM) and Flip Chip (FC)). It is interesting to observe that the DC and high-frequency parameters of the device are more sensitive to electron dominated photo current (TM structure) compared to the hole dominated photo current (FC structure). Results show that the avalanche response time of the device decreases due to optical illumination on both TM and FC structures and percentage of decrease in avalanche response time in TM structure is higher as compared to that in FC structure. Larger decrement of avalanche response time due to optical illumination in TM structure causes larger deviation of phase shift between RF voltage and terminal current of the device from 180 0 which is the ideal phase difference between current and voltage for maximum RF power output; this is the main cause of greater reduction in RF power output in TM structure compared to FC structure due to optical illumination.
Lactide-Valerolactone Copolymers for Packaging Applications

Lactide-valerolactone copolymers have potential application in the packaging sector. Different copolymers were synthesized, and the kinetics of the copolymerization reactions and the microstructure of the copolymers were analysed. Lactide showed higher reactivity than valerolactone which leads to composition drift through the reaction. Thermal, mechanical and barrier properties of the selected copolymers were studied. Overall, the incorporation of valerolactone results in copolymers with higher ductility than poly(lactide) with intermediate water and oxygen permeability which makes these materials appropriate candidates for use in the packaging sector.
Lactoferrin Prevents Hepatic Injury and Fibrosis via the Inhibition of NF-κB Signaling in a Rat Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Model

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can cause liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with cases increasing worldwide. To reduce the incidence of liver cirrhosis and HCC, NASH is targeted for the development of treatments, along with viral hepatitis and alcoholic hepatitis. Lactoferrin (LF) has antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, whether LF affects NASH and fibrosis remains unelucidated. We aimed to clarify the chemopreventive effect of LF on NASH progression. We used a NASH model with metabolic syndrome established using connexin 32 (Cx32) dominant negative transgenic (Cx32ΔTg) rats. Cx32ΔTg rats (7 weeks old) were fed a high-fat diet and intraperitoneally injected with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). Rats were divided into three groups for LF treatment at 0, 100, or 500 mg/kg/day for 17 weeks. Lactoferrin significantly protected steatosis and lobular inflammation in Cx32ΔTg rat livers and attenuated bridging fibrosis or liver cirrhosis induced by DMN. By quantitative RT–PCR, LF significantly down-regulated inflammatory (Tnf-α, Il-6, Il-18, and Il-1β) and fibrosis-related (Tgf-β1, Timp2, and Col1a1) cytokine mRNAs. Phosphorylated nuclear factor (NF)-κB protein decreased in response to LF, while phosphorylated JNK protein was unaffected. These results indicate that LF might act as a chemopreventive agent to prevent hepatic injury, inflammation, and fibrosis in NASH via NF-κB inactivation.
The Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes, Differentiation of Self, and Emotional Distress: Jews and Arabs in Israel

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered a global epidemic, and is constantly on the rise. In Israel, the percentage of diabetics in the Arab population is twice that found in the Jewish population (12% and 6.2%, respectively). Findings suggest that low differentiation of self (DoS: emotional reactivity+ fusion with others, I-position, emotional cutoff) may raise vulnerability to certain physiological pathologies by increasing susceptibility to psychological distress. The major goal of this study was to test differences in DoS and emotional distress (anxiety and depressive symptoms) between diabetic and healthy participants. The second aim was to examine cultural differences within these metrics. Another purpose was to examine the relationship between DoS and emotional distress among healthy and diabetic participants. The sample included 261 participants, of whom 154 were healthy and 107 were diabetic. Diabetics reported more severe depressive symptoms, higher levels of anxiety and emotional cutoff and lower levels of I-position than healthy individuals. The groups did not differ in their levels of emotional reactivity + fusion with others. Arabs demonstrated higher levels of emotional cutoff, anxiety and depressive symptoms and lower levels of I-position than Jews. However, Arabs and Jews did not differ in their levels of emotional reactivity + fusion with others. Emotional reactivity + fusion with others contributed the most to diabetes among Arabs, while depressive symptoms contributed the most among Jews. Finally, among Jewish participants, age was positively correlated with emotional cutoff and depressive symptoms. Emotional cutoff was positively correlated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Emotional reactivity + fusion with others was positively correlated with anxiety. Among Arab participants, age was positively correlated with emotional cutoff, anxiety and depressive symptoms. I-position was negatively correlated with all study variables. Emotional cutoff was positively correlated, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Emotional reactivity + fusion with others was positively correlated with anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Enhancing Commitment to Teaching Entrepreneurship through Mindfulness and Readiness for Change in Higher Education Institutions

Background/purpose – Research on teaching entrepreneurship which concentrates on the lecturers’ perspective has been underexplored. This study aims to report on an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study that was conducted with a quantitative survey of the influence of mindfulness on Malaysian polytechnic lecturers’ commitment to teaching entrepreneurship through readiness for change as a mediator. It also aims to report on the qualitative reasons behind the quantitative results. Materials/methods – Survey data were collected from 171 lecturers teaching entrepreneurship or subjects embedded with the elements of entrepreneurial skills. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling to analyze the quantitative data, followed by nine semi-structured interviews which were then thematically analysed. Results – Findings revealed that mindfulness did not directly influence the commitment to teaching entrepreneurship. Nevertheless, readiness for change mediated the relationship between mindfulness and commitment to teaching entrepreneurship. Conclusion – The qualitative interview data provided insight that lecturers’ working attitude is an important factor to enhancing the quality of teaching entrepreneurship. Implications and recommendations for future studies are also presented.
A constrained EPSAC approach to inventory control for a benchmark supply chain system

The design of an appropriate inventory control policy for a supply chain (SC) plays an essential role in tempering inventory instability and bullwhip effect. Several constraints are commonly encountered in actual operations so managers are required to take these physical restrictions into account when designing the inventory control policy. Model predictive control (MPC) appears as a promising solution to this issue, due to its capability of finding optimal control actions for a constrained SC system. Therefore, the inventory control problem for a benchmark SC is solved using the extended prediction self-adaptive control approach to MPC. To extend methodologies in our previous work, the control framework relies on generic process model and incorporates the physical constraints arising from practical operations to form the general constrained optimisation problems. The managers can choose from decentralised and centralised control structures according to specific informational and organisational factors of their SCs. The proposed control schemes in this study may be appropriate for industrial practice because the designed policy can bring a reduction of over 30% in operating cost and a significant increase of customer satisfaction level compared with that of the conventional policy.
Black and Latino Adolescents’ Self-Regulation: Placing College Preparedness in Context

Students from minoritized backgrounds, who disproportionately face higher poverty rates, are more likely to encounter risk factors, which tend to undermine individuals’ broader well-being by compromising self-regulatory processes. Yet, sociocultural theory highlights the presence of minoritized families’ cultural wealth. Consistent with a focus on assets, it is notable that college enrollment rates have increased among Black and Latino students in the U.S. Using a mixed methods approach, the current study integrated asset and risk frameworks, in order to advance knowledge on the context of minoritized teens’ college preparedness, defined here as making decisions and taking action steps toward college. Participants included low-income, predominantly Black and Latino families with adolescents (n = 344). First, drawing from the voices of families, we examined responses to open-ended questions about aspirations, supports, and challenges. Salient themes included social-emotional and social-cultural factors. Indicators of cumulative contextual risk and cumulative individual risk were based on the qualitative data. Second, we tested whether the linkage from cumulative risk indices to teens’ college preparedness occurred via various dimensions of self-regulation (i.e., lower impulsivity, more cognitive control, and better organization skills), net of background characteristics. Adolescents’ organization skills were a significant mediator. Possible next steps for research are discussed.
DEVELOPING “RECOGNITION OF NEED FOR DATA” IN SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

This paper describes the evolution of “recognition of need for data” and “strategical thinking”, two types of thinking identified by Wild and Pfannkuch in their Framework for Statistical Thinking in Empirical Enquiry, as well as its relevance for math teacher professional development. The research was carried out with ten in-service secondary-school math teachers during an educational experience (at Bogotá, Colombia), who, in the beginning, showed high performance in procedural knowledge of data analysis. The experience was founded on project based learning that participants proposed and conducted via a survey concerning implications of a Bill, relevant for their job context. These teachers made mistakes and showed difficulties during the two first stages of the investigative cycle, problem formulation, and research planning, due possibly to their inexperience in designing an empirical inquiry. Teacher educator’s guidance, to turn mistakes into learning opportunities and teachers’ active participation, promoted the development of statistical thinking, especially linked to the types aforementioned. Abstract: Spanish Este artículo describe el desarrollo de “reconocimiento de la necesidad de los datos” y “pensamiento estratégico”, dos de modos de razonamiento identificados por Wild y Pfannkuch (1999) en su marco para pensamiento estadístico en investigación empírica, así como su importancia en la formación de profesores de matemáticas. La investigación se lleva a cabo con diez profesores de matemáticas en ejercicio, durante una experiencia de formación (Bogotá, Colombia), quienes al inicio del curso mostraron un buen nivel de conocimiento procedimental en análisis de datos. En el marco del Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos, los profesores propusieron y desarrollaron una encuesta relacionada con las implicaciones de la implementación de un proyecto de ley, relevante para ellos. Los profesores cometieron errores y mostraron dificultades durante las dos primeras partes del ciclo investigativo, formulación del problema y planeación de la investigación, debido a su falta de experiencia en la formulación de un estudio empírico. La orientación del formador, para convertir las debilidades en oportunidades de aprendizaje, y la participación activa de los profesores favorecieron el desarrollo de razonamiento estadístico, especialmente asociado a los dos tipos de razonamientos ya mencionados.
The Role of Stress–Strain State of Gas Turbine Engine Metal Parts in Predicting Their Safe Life

The influence of various factors on the workability of critical metallic parts of a gas turbine engine (GTE) is analysed and systematized. As shown, compressor blades fail as a result of foreign-objects’ damage, gas corrosion, and erosion. Compressor blade roots in most cases fail due to fretting wear caused by vibrations, while the fir-tree rim of turbine discs fails due to low-cycle fatigue (LCF) damage and creep. An increase in the radial gaps between the rotor and stator of the turbine reduces the thrust force and causes changes in the gas-dynamic loading of the engine components. Additional oxidation of metal parts is observed under the action of hot gases from the combustion chamber. The principles of material selection for manufacturing turbine blades and disks, concepts of alloying heat-resistant alloys, and modern methods of surface engineering due to applying protective oxidation-resistant coatings, in particular, chemical vapour deposition (CDV), physical vapour deposition (PVD), air plasma spraying (APS), etc., are also described. To predict the lifetime of turbine disks, it is proposed to use the modified Walker model and Miner’s rule. To specify the time before the failure of the metal blades of the turbine, it is proposed to use the finite element method. To monitor the working-surfaces’ deformations of the gas turbine engine, it is recommended to use optical-digital methods.
Introducing Tables to Second-Grade Elementary Students in an Algebraic Thinking Context

In this study, we adopted a functional perspective on algebra. Our focus was on tables and how they were first used by second-grade elementary school students (7- and 8-year-olds) when working with functions. This qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study consisted of five classroom sessions and two semi-structured interviews, one group and one individual, two weeks apart, focused on tasks involving different functions and uses of tables, with and without labels for headings. In this study, we ask the following research questions: How do children organise values in tables with or without (a priori) labels for headings? What are the regularities (structures) identified by students? Our data revealed that students were able to organise the values of variables by listing them in columns and labelling the headings (i.e., identifying the variables involved). The ways in which children organised the data in tables enabled us to identify the structures they identified as regularities between the variables involved in the functions. More structures were correctly identified in the second interview compared to the first.
Dynamic Behaviour of a Short Span Filler-Beam Railway Bridge under High Speed Traffic

This paper focuses on the dynamic analysis of a short span filler-beam railway bridge subject to high speed traffic. For this purpose three-dimensional finite element models of the bridge and TGV-Double train are developed. The numerical model of the bridge is calibrated based on experimental modal parameters, namely natural frequencies and modal configurations. The dynamic analyses of the trainbridge system enables the evaluation of the influence of the interaction effects between independent decks, caused by the continuous ballast layer, in the dynamic response of the bridge. In addition, the influence of track irregularities and the control points in different train vehicles and inside a vehicle, is analysed. The assessment of the train-bridge system dynamic response is performed in terms of structural safety, track stability as well as passenger comfort according to EN1991-2 (2003).
INFORMATION CASCADES IN ENGINEERING DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES

U : Conventional wisdom is that early involvement of stakeholders leads to better results in engineering decision-making processes. A commonly documented advantage of early stakeholder involvement is increased acceptance and ownership of the project by everyone involved, resulting in fewer disputes throughout the planning and decision-making process. However, information cascade theory suggests that early involvement and development of close working relationships among stakeholders may decrease a group's ability to objectively and effectively evaluate engineering alternatives, as group members substitute the consensus of the group for their personal judgments. Additionally, innovation in design may be inversely correlated with the extent of group collaboration prior to selection of a preferred alternative. Experience in river engineering projects of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on the Rio Grande in New Mexico supports the idea that early stakeholder involvement, while effective in reducing disputes, has a suppressive effect on design innovation. Collaborative processes are intended to reach decisions with the benefit of the participants' diverse viewpoints and expertise. Interactions of the decision- making group should be structured to maximize disclosure of relevant information and encourage each participant to perform an independent, objective evaluation before consensus is reached, thereby ensuring that the intent of a collaborative process—that the group receives the full benefit of each member's knowledge—is achieved.
Therapeutic Application of rTMS in Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders

The terms atypical parkinsonian disorders (APDs) and Parkinson plus syndromes are mainly used to describe the four major entities of sporadic neuronal multisystem degeneration: progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and dementia with Lewy bodies (LBD). APDs are characterized by a variety of symptoms and a lack of disease modifying therapies; their treatment thus remains mainly symptomatic. Brain stimulation via repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a safe and noninvasive intervention using a magnetic coil, and it is considered an alternative therapy in various neuropsychiatric pathologies. In this paper, we review the available studies that investigate the efficacy of rTMS in the treatment of these APDs and Parkinson plus syndromes. Τhe majority of the studies have shown beneficial effects on motor and nonmotor symptoms, but research is still at a preliminary phase, with large, double-blind studies lacking in the literature.
Resistance and Not Plant Fruit Traits Determine Root-Associated Bacterial Community Composition along a Domestication Gradient in Tomato

Soil bacterial communities are involved in multiple ecosystem services, key in determining plant productivity. Crop domestication and intensive agricultural practices often disrupt species interactions with unknown consequences for rhizosphere microbiomes. This study evaluates whether variation in plant traits along a domestication gradient determines the composition of root-associated bacterial communities; and whether these changes are related to targeted plant traits (e.g., fruit traits) or are side effects of less-often-targeted traits (e.g., resistance) during crop breeding. For this purpose, 18 tomato varieties (wild and modern species) differing in fruit and resistance traits were grown in a field experiment, and their root-associated bacterial communities were characterised. Root-associated bacterial community composition was influenced by plant resistance traits and genotype relatedness. When only considering domesticated tomatoes, the effect of resistance on bacterial OTU composition increases, while the effect due to phylogenetic relatedness decreases. Furthermore, bacterial diversity positively correlated with plant resistance traits. These results suggest that resistance traits not selected during domestication are related to the capacity of tomato varieties to associate with different bacterial groups. Taken together, these results evidence the relationship between plant traits and bacterial communities, pointing out the potential of breeding to affect plant microbiomes.
Synchronous drive performance of brushless doubly-fed motors

Recent studies of the steady-state performance of the brushless doubly fed machine for adjustable speed drive applications are presented. The equivalent circuit and basic performance equations are presented, followed by a proven technique for the solution of the least restrained form of the equations. Model predictions and experimental results are given. It is shown that the machine acts like both a synchronous motor, with power factor adjustable by control winding excitation, and a slip-ring induction machine with slip power recovery and a low power converter rating. The model is suitable for development of control schemes and performance index optimization. <<ETX>>