Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
University-wide, top-down curriculum reform at a Finnish university: perceptions of the academic staff

ABSTRACT This study examines academic staff’s perceptions of a university-wide, top-down curriculum reform in terms of the management of the reform, the support provided by the university’s administration, and the utilisation of the university’s guidelines. Differences between faculties are also scrutinised. The study was conducted at a multidisciplinary public research university in Finland using the survey method. The data (n = 394) consisted of academic staff’s responses to multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Correlation coefficients, exploratory factor analyses, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were utilised to analyse the quantitative data. Responses to the open-ended questions were analysed using thematic analysis. The academic staff expressed discontent with the management and support provided by the university even though they had proceeded according to the university’s guidelines. Significant differences concerning the perceived management and support and reported utilisation of the university’s guidelines were found between the personnel of different faculties. The results indicate that a top-down curriculum reform creates conflict between the academics’ own ideas regarding curriculum planning and those of the senior management and university administration.
Doping LiMnPO4 with Cobalt and Nickel: A First Principle Study

A density functional theory (DFT) study has been carried out on transition metal phosphates with olivine structure and formula LiMPO4 (M = Fe, Mn, Co, Ni) to assess their potential as cathode materials in rechargeable Li-ion batteries based on their chemical and structural stability and high theoretical capacity. The investigation focuses on LiMnPO4, which could offer an improved cell potential (4.1 V) with respect to the reference LiFePO4 compound, but it is characterized by poor lithium intercalation/de-intercalation kinetics. Substitution of cations like Co and Ni in the olivine structure of LiMnPO4 was recently reported in an attempt to improve the electrochemical performances. Here the electronic structure and lithium intercalation potential of Ni- and Co-doped LiMnPO4 were calculated in the framework of the Hubbard U density functional theory (DFT+U) method for highly correlated materials. Moreover, the diffusion process of lithium in the host structures was simulated, and the activation barriers in the doped and pristine structures were compared. Our calculation predicted that doping increases Li insertion potential while activation barriers for Li diffusion remain similar to the pristine material. Moreover, Ni and Co doping induces the formation of impurity states near the Fermi level and significantly reduces the band gap of LiMnPO4.
Ab Initio Spectroscopic Investigation of Pharmacologically Relevant Chiral Molecules: The Cases of Avibactam, Cephems, and Idelalisib as Benchmarks for Antibiotics and Anticancer Drugs

The ability to accurately measure or predict several physicochemical properties of molecules which play a role as active substances in drugs can be of strategic importance for pharmacological applications, in addition to its possible interest in fundamental research. Chirality is a relevant feature in the characterization of drug molecules: enantiomers can show different pharmacological activity and adverse effects. The ability to separate stereoisomers and to assign their absolute configuration can thus be crucial. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra are a useful tool to distinguish between enantiomers. In this work we apply an in-house developed code, based on an efficient DFT approach for circular dichroism, to fully characterize the molecular optical properties in the case of few selected fundamental molecules for current medical and pharmaceutical research, namely avibactam, as representative of non β-lactam inhibitors, two cephems (cefepime and cefoxitin), as examples of β-lactam antibiotics, and idelalisib, as a recent relevant anticancer active substance to treat major leukemias. For the above molecules, in addition to their optical absorption spectra, we calculate their CD spectra within state-of-the-art computational techniques. We then investigate both the conformational and chemical sensitivity of absorption and CD spectra for the chosen molecules. The outcomes of the present research could be of fundamental importance to gain additional information on molecules involved in therapeutic protocols for severe diseases or in drug design.
Light-Induced Degradation of CH3NH3PbI3 Hybrid Perovskite Thin Film

The stability of CH3NH3PbI3 was investigated by observing the degradation in a coevaporated film irradiated by a blue laser in ultrahigh vacuum. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to investigate the effects of irradiation on the surface. The core levels of CH3NH3PbI3 were observed to shift toward a higher binding energy (BE) during the irradiation, suggesting that the surface became more n-type. A new metallic Pb component in the XPS spectrum appeared after 120 min of irradiation, indicating that the film had started to decompose. The decomposition saturated after about 480 min of irradiation when the ratio of metallic Pb to total Pb was about 33%. Furthermore, the film was no longer continuous after irradiation, as the elements gold and oxygen from the substrate were detected by XPS. SEM images also show a roughened surface after irradiation. The results strongly indicate that CH3NH3PbI3 is sensitive to the laser irradiation and that the light indu.
Unearned advantages? Redefining privilege in light of childhood

ABSTRACT This article puts privilege theory in conversation with childhood studies in order to create a richer understanding of privilege. Privilege describes the unearned, largely invisible advantages that historically dominant groups enjoy at the expense of marginalized groups. The field of childhood studies was created in part as a critique of adults’ positions of privilege relative to children. I argue that while the concept of privilege is a useful lens for understanding inequality, including in childhood studies, it has also been developed in a way that fails to capture certain aspects of adult hegemony. Specifically, the current understanding of privilege as ‘unearned’ is problematic because children as well as other marginalized groups often work without earning. This article proposes to think of privilege as automatic rather than unearned, and suggests future directions for privilege theory and childhood studies to better inform one another.
Effects of high-pressure treatment on the structure and function of myofibrils

The effects of high pressure (40–70 MPa) on the structure and function of myofibrils were investigated by high pressure microscopy. When this pressure was applied to myofibrils immersed in relaxing solution, the sarcomere length remained almost unchanged, and the A band became shorter and wider. The higher the applied pressure, the faster the change. However, shortening and widening of the A band were not observed when pressure was applied to myofibrils immersed in a solution obtained by omitting ATP from the relaxing solution. However, even under these conditions, structural loss, such as loss of the Z-line structure, occurred. In order to evaluate the consequences of this pressure-treated myofibril, the oscillatory movement of sarcomere (sarcomeric oscillation) was evoked and observed. It was possible to induce sarcomeric oscillation even in pressure-treated myofibrils whose structure was destroyed. The pressurization reduced the total power of the sarcomeric oscillation, but did not change the average frequency. The average frequency did not change even when a pressure of about 40 MPa was applied during sarcomeric oscillation. The average frequency returned to the original when the pressure was returned to the original value after applying stronger pressure to prevent the sarcomere oscillation from being observed. This result suggests that the decrease in the number of myosin molecules forming the crossbridge does not affect the average frequency of sarcomeric oscillation. This fact will help build a mechanical hypothesis for sarcomeric oscillation. The pressurization treatment is a unique method for controlling the structure of myofibrils as described above.
Bare‐Earth DEM Generation in Urban Areas for Flood Inundation Simulation Using Global Digital Elevation Models

Accurate terrain representation is critical to estimating flood risk in urban areas. However, all current global elevation data sets can be regarded as digital surface models in urban areas as they contain building artifacts that cause artificial blocking of flow pathways. By taking surveyed terrain and LIDAR data as “truth,” the vertical error in three popular global DEMs (SRTM 1″, MERIT DEM, and TDM90) was analyzed in six European cities and an Asian city, with RMSE found to be 2.32–5.98 m. To increase the utility of global DEM data for flood modeling, a Random Forest model was developed to correct building artifacts in the MERIT DEM using factors from widely available public datasets, including satellite night‐time lights, global population density, and OpenStreetMap buildings. The proposed correction reduced the vertical errors of MERIT by 15%–67%, despite not using data samples from the target city in training the model. When training data from the target city was included error reduction improved by between 57 and 76 percentage points. The resulting Urban Corrected MERIT DEM improved simulated inundation depth by 18% over original MERIT in a hydrodynamic model of flooding in the UK city of Carlisle, although it did not outperform TDM90 at this site. We conclude that the proposed method has the potential to generate a bare‐earth global DEM in urban areas with improved terrain representation, although in data scarce regions this requires more complete OpenStreetMap building information. In the future, the method should be applied to TDM90.
Islamic Financial Depth, Financial Intermediation, and Sustainable Economic Growth: ARDL Approach

The pre-eminence of Islamic finance from the perspective of economic growth has been a long-standing debate. In recent decades, there has been a paradigm shift from interest-based banking to Islamic financial system. This study intends to examine the dynamic interaction of Islamic financial depth (IFD), Islamic financial intermediation (IFI), and asset quality with economic growth in a dual banking system. The paper employs autoregressive distributive lag regression (ARDL), error correction model (ECM) and Granger causality to examine the long and short run linkage by using the quarterly data of Pakistan from 2005 to 2019. The authors run two models to analyze the relative importance of financial depths (Islamic and conventional), financial intermediation (Islamic and conventional), and asset quality of both financial systems. A long-run relationship flowing from finance to growth in both Islamic and conventional finance models has been observed in our study. Furthermore, the findings recommend that strong financial intermediation plays an imperative role in driving economic growth by both financial sectors. The presence of a higher degree of Islamic financial assets in the economy contributes towards economic growth in the short-run. The results show that asset quality possibly plays an important intervening role in the overall finance-growth nexus.
Determination of Uric Acid in Artificial Saliva with Compact AMP3291 Reader and Au Nanoparticles Modified Electrode

Uric acid (UA) is a residual product of purines in the body and has been proposed as a valuable biomarker for Diabetes Mellitus, renal disorder, hypertension and preeclampsia. This work presents a sensing platform for nonenzymatic UA detection using a screen-printed electrode modified with gold nanoparticles (SPE-AuNps) operated with the compact and low-cost amperometric reader AMP3291. This laboratory-made instrument was designed using the analog front end LMP91000 and the microcontroller ESP32; the operational parameters like working potential, acquisition time and dynamic measuring range were configured for UA detection. The whole sensing system (AMP3291+ SPE-AuNps) was evaluated for nonenzymatic sensing of UA, showing a fast response time of 3.5 s, a sensitivity of 0.022 μA·μM−1, a linear range from 20 to 200 μM (R2 = 0.993) and a limit of detection of 11.91 μM. Throughout, a piece of commercial equipment was used for validation and noticeably the measurements with the AMP3291-based platform showed improved performance, indicating the feasibility of the developed instrument for UA monitoring and potentially for in situ decentralized applications. Finally, artificial saliva was used as model medium exhibiting interesting analytical parameters, encouraging to consider the reported system as a potentially valuable tool for monitoring UA for clinical applications in resource-limited settings.
Philanthropic Foundations and Higher Education: The Politics of Intermediary Organizations

ABSTRACT Intermediary organizations (IOs) are influential policy actors in higher education. Yet, little is known regarding the role of philanthropic foundations in sponsoring IOs for policy promotion. By relying on longitudinal analysis of grants, semi-structured interviews, and social network analysis, this study examined the most central IOs within foundation-sponsored networks, documenting rationales behind this grantmaking strategy. Data included nearly 7,000 grants from 2004 to 2014, representing nearly $3b in postsecondary funding. Results demonstrated that over a decade, the field of higher education philanthropy has shifted, with a decrease in traditional forms of grantmaking and an increase in field-building efforts. Specifically, grants flowing to IOs focused on policy advocacy and completion purposes, or what can be described as a high-leverage approach to educational philanthropy. Furthermore, the most influential voices within philanthropic-sponsored networks were linked to the college completion agenda, a powerful reform movement seeking to increase national degree productivity. By emphasizing philanthropic organizations and their relationships with IOs, this study extends postsecondary policy analysis from a state-centric approach to one that considers non-state actors’ role in policy advocacy and educational reform.
Blending of Sunflower Oil with Pomegranate Seed Oil from Blanched Seeds: Impact on Functionality, Oxidative Stability, and Antioxidant Properties

Seed oil blending is a novel approach that may enhance the oil antioxidant capacity. The study evaluated the effect of blending sunflower oil (SO) with pomegranate seed oil (BPSO) from blanched seeds (95 °C/ 3 min) on oxidative stability and antioxidant properties of the oil blends. SO and pomegranate seed oil from unblanched seeds (PSO) were used as controls. Blending SO with BPSO and PSO was assessed in the following respective proportions: 90:10, 85:15, and 80:20 (w/w) with respect to total phenolic content, total carotenoids content, tocopherols content, and fatty acid composition to establish the best blending ratio. An accelerated storage test was conducted using the best blending ratio (85:15) at 60 ± 2 °C for 20 days. The evolution of peroxide value, ρ-anisidine value and, total oxidation value, together with the depletion of the oils’ 2.2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2.2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and radicals scavenging capacity were evaluated. Volatile oxidation compounds (VOCs) were assessed at the end of the accelerated storage test. Blended oils exhibited better oxidative stability than SO. Nevertheless, the oxidative stability of SO:PSO and SO:BPSO blends did not significantly vary. Additionally, blended oils showed a lower rate of DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging capacity depletion than SO, although this did not significantly vary between the oil blends. The concentration of VOCs was significantly higher in SO than blended oils. No significant difference in the content of VOCs was observed between SO:PSO and SO:BPSO blends. The findings of this study are valuable to the food industry, which is presently interested in nonconventional oils and functional foods to improve health and human nutrition.
The Moderating Role of Personal Innovativeness and Users Experience in Accepting the Smart Meter Technology

The rapid development of smart technologies and data analytics empowers most industries to evolve their systems and introduce innovative applications. Consequently, smart metering technology, an internet of things-based application service, is diffusing rapidly in the energy sector. Regardless of its associated benefits, smart meters continue to struggle from consumers’ acceptance. To promote smart meters’ successful deployment, research is needed to better understand consumers’ acceptance of smart metering. Motivated by these concerns, a smart meter acceptance model is developed to evaluate the moderation role of experience and personal innovativeness factors among residential consumers. A cross-sectional research design was used in this study. Data were collected using a self-administrated questionnaire from 318 smart meters consumers who have had experience in using it. Hypothetical relationships were assessed and validated using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The empirical findings exert the moderating role of experience and personal innovativeness of smart meter acceptance that achieved an acceptable fit with the data, and specifically, five out of nine hypotheses were supported.
Synchrotron X-ray diffraction observation of phase transformation during annealing of Si processed by high-pressure torsion

ABSTRACT In situ observation of a phase transformation during annealing of Si containing diamond-cubic (dc) and metastable phases has been performed using synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Metastable body-centred-cubic (bc8) and rhombohedral (r8) phases were formed by high-pressure torsion. These metastable phases gradually disappeared when increasing the annealing temperature to ∼ 180°C while another metastable phase having a hexagonal diamond (hd) structure appeared at ∼ 190°C. High-resolution transmission microscopy analysis revealed that hd and dc grains were present after annealing at 200°C. The results indicate that a phase transformation, mainly from bc8 to hd, occurred during annealing.
Atangana-Baleanu and Caputo-Fabrizio Analysis of Fractional Derivatives on MHD Flow past a Moving Vertical Plate with Variable Viscosity and Thermal Conductivity in a Porous Medium

In this paper, a numerical investigation is presented for non-integer order derivatives with Atangana-Baleanu (AB) and Caputo-Fabrizio (CF) fractional derivatives for the variable viscosity and thermal conductivity over a moving vertical plate in a porous medium two dimensional free convection unsteady MHD flow. The effects of radiation have also been considered. The governing partial differential equations along with the boundary conditions are changed to ordinary form by similarity transformations. Hence physical parameters show up in the equations and interpretations on these parameters can be achieved suitably.By using ordinary finite difference scheme the equations are discritized and developed in fractional form. These discritized equations are numerically solved by the approach based on Gauss-seidel iteration scheme. Some numerical strategies are used to find the values of AB and CF approaches on time by developing programming code in MATLAB. The effects of all the physical parameters involved in the problem on velocity, temperature and concentration distribution are compared graphically as well as in tabular form. The effects of each parameter are found to be prominent. We have observed a significant variation of values under different parameters using AB and CF approaches on velocity, temperature and concentration distribution with respect to time. KeywordsAB and CF derivatives, Viscosity, Thermal conductivity, Porous medium, Radiation.
Job Prospects of Different EMI Engineering Programmes’ Graduates

English medium instruction (EMI) in university-level engineering programmes is becoming the norm globally as well as in Turkey due to the internationalisation and job opportunities in this field. However, research about the job prospects among the engineering graduates who studied in EMI programmes are quite limited compared to the presence and dominance of EMI implementation in these programmes. To address this gap, this study with a causal-comparative research design focused on the predictive power of studying in different EMI engineering subjects in terms of graduates’ job prospects. 139 engineering graduates took part in this study representing three academic subjects and two different EMI models (i.e., full vs. partial). All participants filled out an online survey that inquired into their job prospects. Proportional Odds Logistic Regression (POLR) analysis was used to determine the differences among academic subjects and EMI models. Findings of our study revealed that different EMI academic subjects in the field of engineering had different prospects in the job market. Moreover, differences in the same academic subject that employed a different EMI model were also observed. This study builds up on the limited scientific knowledge about the contribution of our higher education institutions to the career prospects of their graduates.
Encouraging bureaucrats to report corruption: human resource management and whistleblowing

ABSTRACT Although notoriously hierarchical, rigid and impersonal, bureaucracy has recently become the unsung hero in the fight against corruption. Recent studies suggest that countries whose public service reflects characteristics of a Weberian bureaucracy – particularly, permanent careers and merit recruitment – exhibit lower levels of corruption. Uncertainty exists, however, over which qualities are most important, as well as how these lower corruption. This article advances research by examining the relationship that various human resource management practices have with a central mechanism of thwarting corruption: whistleblowing. Using survey data from Australia, the results from various regression models show that bureaucrats’ belief that recruitment within their agency prioritises merit as well as their belief in opportunities for promotion have a positive relationship with whistleblowing. Meanwhile, reporting corruption does not seem to be affected by bureaucrats’ belief in the permanency of their job, satisfaction with remuneration, turnover intention or organisational commitment. The external validity of the findings is considered by comparing the nature of bureaucracy in Australia with some Asia Pacific and Anglo-American countries.