Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empirical Study on the Effects of Stationary and Mobile Student Laboratories: How Successful Are Mobile Student Laboratories in Comparison to Stationary Ones at Universities?

In the past 20 years, science education in schools has increasingly been supported by extracurricular learning opportunities. From the point of view of pupils and teachers, student laboratories make meaningful contributions to complement the teaching of science. Studies have shown that participation in student laboratories has increased students’ motivation and situational interest in science. It is not always possible, however, for some schools to take advantage of extracurricular learning opportunities at universities or science centers. In order to offer a supplementary course for these schools, a number of mobile extracurricular laboratories have been designated. Little is known, nevertheless, about whether mobile extracurricular offerings are equally capable of increasing motivation or if the already mentioned positive effects of student laboratories at universities can only occur there. It remains to be seen whether these effects are linked to, and can only be measured at, a university as a place of.
The Value of Investor Sophistication

We propose idiosyncratic volatility based return spread as a new measure of the stock-level value of investor sophistication. We find that stocks with a high value of investor sophistication tend to have low average returns, and this effect is pronounced for highly short-sale constrained stocks. The negative relation between expected stock returns and the value of investor sophistication is not explained by variables that affect the relation between idiosyncratic volatility and returns. Our results are robust with respect to whether idiosyncratic volatility is estimated using different factor models or methods. Such relation is more prominent in periods of high investor sentiment, high market uncertainty, and economic contraction.
The Time-Varying Risk Price of Currency Portfolios

This paper formally implements time-varying risk price models for currency returns. Focusing upon time variation in risk prices, the paper explores four currency risk factors. In addition to dollar and carry factors, we employ momentum and value factors which are widely used by currency investors. We find time variation in risk prices for the dollar factor is associated with the U.S. business cycle, with notable increases at the end of economic downturns. Constant beta models moreover have smaller pricing errors across all currency portfolios, which is in contrast to the stock and bond markets.
Degradation of Malachite Green by GreenSynthesized Copper Nanoparticles byUsing Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extracts

The present study was aimed to account a green synthesis of copper nanoparticle is by interaction of leaf extract and copper salt. The bio-synthesis of nanoparticles put forward a cost free and eco-friendly method of nanoparticle synthesis. Copper nanoparticles were synthesized by using aqueous solution of copper sulphate and extract of Aloe barbadensis. The prepared leaf extract was observed when 1mM copper sulphate solution is added in it. Color change of the reaction mixture was observed from deep blue to colorless and then to brick red and dark red indicating the formation of copper nanoparticles. The synthesized CuO NPs was characterized by using different technique such as UV, IR, XRD, and SEM. ward a cost-free and environmentally suitable method of nanoparticle synthesis. Synthesized CuO nanoparticles with average particle size of 60n. Shape of copper nanoparticles was spherical and cubic and their range was 80-120nm Different functional group in synthesized nanoparticles are examined by FTIR. UV spectrophotometer confirm peak of copper nanoparticle experiments Copper oxide nanoparticles shows maximum absorbance at 272nm. Catalytic activity of synthesized nano particles is also examined on the degradation of malachite green. This catalytic effect of copper oxide nanoparticles can be contributed to its small size.
Green synthesis of g-C3N4-Pt catalyst and application to photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting

ABSTRACT The g-C3N4-Pt photocatalyst was successfully prepared by the combination of a biosynthesis method and sol deposition, which were used for hydrogen evolution from water splitting. The layers of g-C3N4 are thinned and the Pt nanoparticles simultaneously become tightly bound to g-C3N4 by secondary calcination in the process of synthesizing the g-C3N4-Pt photocatalyst. Analysis of the morphological structure and instrumental characterization of the optical performance revealed that the Pt nanoparticles were successfully loaded and well dispersed on the surface of g-C3N4. Furthermore, the absorption wavelength range of the g-C3N4-Pt photocatalyst in visible light was widened and the absorption increased. The activity and photostability of the g-C3N4-Pt photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation (λ≥420 nm) were excellent. The rate of H2 evolution reached 582.4 μmol h−1 g−1, and the quantum efficiency (QE) reached 2.70% at 420 nm.
Conformation-dependent dynamics of macromolecular ions in the gas phase under an electrostatic field: A molecular dynamics simulation

Abstract Highly charged macromolecular ions exhibit various conformations in gas. Intramolecular charge-to-charge interaction induces a transformation from a globular structure into a stretched one. The change in the molecular conformation brings a complex dynamic behavior of ions under an electrostatic field. In the present study, we visualized the movement of a monovalent and multiply charged straight chain macromolecules, polyethylene glycol (PEG), by a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The simulation showed that a singly charged PEG ion (899 < MW < 4,643) takes a globular conformation. The electrical mobilities of these ions determined from the migration distance under an electric field were compared with the experimental data and those determined by the classical Mason–Schamp theory under an assumption of spherical shape. As a result, we obtained a good agreement between the MD, theoretical, and experimental data for the monovalent ions. We also found that the MD simulation successfully predicts the electrical mobility of the multiply charged stretched PEG ions, but the classical theory fails. We were able to visualize the periodic bending and stretching motion by the MD simulation. This unique motion results from the localization of charges on the PEG molecule and may have a significant effect on the dynamic behavior of macromolecule ions in gas. Copyright © 2019 American Association for Aerosol Research
Dynamics in pigment concentration and light absorption by phytoplankton, non-algal particles and colored dissolved organic matter in the Black Sea coastal waters (near Sevastopol)

Results of long-term biooptical monitoring and parameterization of light absorption by phytoplankton, non-algal particles ( αNAP(λ)) and colored dissolved organic matter (αCDOM(λ)) in coastal surface waters of the Black Sea near Sevastopol have been presented. Seasonal differences in the relationship between phytoplankton light absorption coefficients and chlorophyll a concentrations, which are associated with annual dynamics in the intracellular pigment concentration and composition in the surface layer of the sea, have been revealed. The αNAP(440) was on ~order increased from off-shore waters to the Sukharnaya Balka, but the αNAP(440) contribution to the total particulate absorption was the same (~ 20-49% based on IQR) at all stations reflecting the correlated variations in phytoplankton and NAP absorption coefficients at ~440 nm. The obtained slope coefficient (SNAP) values varied from 0.010 to 0.014 nm -1 . The CDOM light absorption increased significantly (almost in order) from off-shore waters to the Sukharnaya Balka, but the contribution of αCDOM(440) to total light absorption by particles and dissolved matter changed in the opposite direction: decreased from 40 - 70% to 25 – 45%. The ranges of SCDOM variability in all investigated areas were close (0.017 to 0.020 nm-1 based on IQR). The median of SCDOM was 0.018-0.019 nm-1 . The obtained in this research results will be used for adaptation of the regional algorithms of remote assessment of water quality and productivity indicators for coastal waters near Sevastopol.
Synthesis, Performance and Emission Quality Assessment of Ecodiesel from Castor Oil in Diesel/Biofuel/Alcohol Triple Blends in a Diesel Engine

This research aims to promote the use of second-generation biofuels based mainly on Castor oil, which is not adequate for food use, and Sunflower oil as a standard reference for recycled oils. They have been applied in the production of Ecodiesel, a biofuel that integrates glycerol as monoglyceride, employing sodium methoxide as homogeneous catalyst and ethanol as solvent, but operating in milder conditions than in the synthesis of conventional biodiesel in order to obtain a kinetic control of the selective transesterification. The behavior of biofuels has been evaluated in a conventional diesel engine, operating as an electricity generator. The contamination degree was also evaluated from the opacity values of the generated smokes. The different biofuels here studied have practically no differences in the behavior with respect to the power generated, although a small increase in the fuel consumption was obtained in some cases. However, with the biofuels employed, a significant reduction, up to 40%, in the emission of pollutants is obtained, mainly with the blend diesel/castor oil/alcohol. Besides, it is found that pure Castor oil can be employed directly as biofuel in triple blends diesel/biofuel/alcohol, exhibiting results that are very close to those obtained using biodiesel or Ecodiesel.
Is Online Education Working?

The pandemic has revived the longstanding debate about the effect of online versus face-to-face instruction on student achievement. The goal of this paper is to provide new evidence on the impact of online versus face-to-face instruction on student learning outcomes, using rich, transcript-level longitudinal data from a public university. We pay particular attention to eliminating selection bias by incorporating student and instructor fixed effects into the empirical analysis as well as to separate out the impact of online versus in-person education from COVID-19-related confounding factors. Our results indicate that students in face-to-face courses perform better than their online counterparts with respect to their grades, the propensity to withdraw from the course, and the likelihood of receiving a passing grade. However, our investigation also reveals that instructor-specific factors, such as leniency in grading or actions towards preventing violations of academic integrity, play a significant role in determining the studied relationship. Without accounting for these instructor-specific factors, the relationship is severely biased, causing one to mistakenly conclude that online instruction is better for student learning than face-to-face instruction. Our analysis further documents a rise in grades associated with COVID-19-triggered changes to student assessment policies embraced by universities as well as instructors adopting a more flexible approach to grading. While these developments led to an increase in grades for all students overall, those who began Spring 2020 in face-to-face courses appear to have benefitted more generously from them. Finally, an auxiliary analysis shows that living in neighborhoods with better broadband technology is associated with a larger increase in grades among students who had to switch from in-person to online instruction during COVID-19. This finding supports the argument that unequal access to technology might have caused learning disparities to get deepened during the pandemic.
RESEARCH REGARDING THE POLLUTION DEGREE FROM ROMANIAN BLACK SEA COAST

This paper presents an analysis of pollution with heavy metals (cadmium, cooper, zinc, lead) and pesticides: lindan, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) in mussels collected from various areas of the Romanian Black Sea coast, to determine the most and least polluted areas for raw material harvesting. The research has taken into account mussel specificity as filtering-organisms, able to retain large quantities of water pollutants from their living area. The concentrations of heavy metals were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (air/acetylene flame) and the concentrations of pesticide were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (ECD). A relatively high degree of pollution was registered in areas A1 and A2 with high industrial activities due oil refinery or harbour neighbouring, with Cu concentrations (112.30 ± 3.8 μg/L in A1 and 119.58 ± 2.3 μg/L in A2) and Pb concentrations (21.44 ± 1.6 μg/L in A1 and 24.22 ± 2.8 μg/L in A2) exceeding the maximum limits, as is the case of pesticides detected in these areas. Mussels samples harvested from polluted areas also showed elevated heavy metals values and pesticides concentrations. The areas most suitable for mussel sampling are the A3 and A4 areas, with less industrial activity.
Assessment of microvascular patterns and density in glioblastoma and their correlation with matrix metalloproteinase-9, p53, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and Ki-67

Background and Aim: Microvascular patterns (MVPs) and microvessel density (MVD) can influence the progression of glioblastomas. This study aims to study MVP and MVD using immunohistochemistry, and examine any correlation with the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), p53, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and Ki-67 labeling index (Ki-67 LI) in 24 cases of glioblastoma multiforme. Materials and Methods: MVPs and MVD were studied by a dual staining method using periodic acid–Schiff stain with CD34 (MVDCD34), CD31 (MVDCD31), von Willebrand factor (MVDvWF), and factor VIII (MVDFVIII). The expression of MMP-9, p53, GFAP, and Ki-67 LI was analyzed using immunohistochemistry. The Pearson coefficient of correlation and intraclass correlation were obtained using SPSS software. Results: Five distinct categories of MVP were found: Microvascular sprouting (MS)/simple vessels, vascular clusters (VCs), vascular garlands, glomeruloid tufts, and vasculogenic mimicry. Of the MVPs, MS was the most common pattern and was present in all cases. On calculating the Pearson's correlation coefficient, different MVPs gave varying results regarding their correlation with MMP-9, p53, GFAP, and Ki-67 LI. MSCD34, CD31, vWF showed significant correlation with MMP-9 and Ki-67 LI, while MSFVIII did not show any correlation with Ki-67 LI. Only VCCD34 had a correlation with Ki-67 LI. No correlation between any of the MVPs and GFAP and p53 was appreciated. MVD ranged from: CD34 (9.2–41.9/hpf), FVIII (6.05–40.5/hpf), CD31 (5.1–40.7/hpf), and vWF (8.7–35.5/hpf). MVDCD34 and MVDCD31 correlated with MMP-9 and Ki-67, whereas, MVDvWF and MVD FVIII correlated with MMP-9. Interobserver agreement was seen only in the assessment of MVD and the MS type of MVP. Conclusion: MVD and MVPs had correlation with MMP-9, p53, GFAP, and Ki-67. These results could impact the development of strategies using antiangiogenic therapies.
A single-chip storage LSI for home networks

Network direct attached storage (NDAS) is a network storage architecture that allows direct attachment of existing ATA/ATAPI devices to Ethernet without a separate server. Unlike other architectures such as NAS, SAN, and USB mass storage, no server computer intervenes between the storage and the client hosts. We describe an NDAS disk controller (NDC) amenable to low-cost single-chip implementation that processes a simplified L3/L4 protocol and converts commands between ATA/ATAPI and Ethernet, while the remaining complex tasks are performed by remote hosts. Unlike NAS architectures that use TCP/IP, NDAS uses a TCP-like lean protocol that lends itself well to high-performance hardware realization. Thanks to the simple NDAS architecture and protocol, an NDC implemented on a single 4 mm /spl times/ 4 mm chip in 0.18 /spl mu/m CMOS technology achieves a maximum throughput of 55 Mbytes/s on gigabit Ethernet, which is comparable to that of a high-performance disk locally attached to a host computer.
Determination of the functional groups and the melting point of iraqi asphaltenes

Abstract A qualitative analysis study of n-C5 asphaltene of Iraqi crude oil from (Al-Dura, Kirkuk and Basra) oil fields was done using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The melting points of the three oil derived asphaltenes were determined using Hot stage polarizing microscope at 180 °C for Al-Dura, 125 °C for Kirkuk and 140 °C for Basra asphaltenes. The FTIR spectrum shows an aromatic behavior of the asphaltene samples at a wavelength of 3049 cm−1 and aliphatic chains were found at wavelengths 2924 cm−1.
Clusters of Local Bond-Orientational Order in Liquid Gallium: Studies of ab initio and Classical MD Simulations

The structure of liquid Ga at ambient pressure (AP) were generated separately via ab initio and classical molecular dynamics simulations, and analysed with a cluster approach developed in terms of the local bond-orientational order (LBOO) parameters. Two types of cluster structures were found in both simulated liquids, one typified by sixfold orientational symmetry and the other showing fourfold orientational symmetry: The static structure factors (SSF) of the former are akin to that of the hard-sphere (HS) fluid; however, the SSFs of the latter display either an asymmetric first peak with a shape different from that of the HS fluid or even a shoulder on the high-q side of the first peak, similar as the anomalous SSF of liquid Ga at AP.
Meaty Arguments and Fishy Effects: Field Experimental Evidence on the Impact of Reasons to Reduce Meat Consumption

We report evidence from a field experiment ($N=561$) on how different reasons for reducing the consumption of red meat (health, climate and animal welfare) impact intentions to change behavior, actual consumption of red meat and the enjoyment of meals. Surprisingly, the three concepts are not aligned. On average, two treatments affect intentions to reduce meat consumption, only one affects behavior, while all affect enjoyment of the meal with red meat. This contributes to the emerging discussion of the welfare effects of nudging. We find that behavioral changes are driven by our female participants (in two treatments) and discuss the role of the social environment to shed light on the mechanisms behind this gender difference.
The Case of Fleeting Orders and Flickering Quotes

The literature controversially discusses the ambiguous motives and driving forces behind HFT market typical very fast up and down jumps of the order book prices - so-called fleeting orders. In particular, manipulative and dysfunctional characteristics are feared. We show with an ultra-low latency derivative data set that none of these properties have to be dreaded. On the contrary fleeting orders are associated with liquid market environments. The prices of fast flickering order books improve by 3:90% before trades. The results of our Cox proportional hazard rate, logistic, and linear regressions reveal that flickering quotes are likely due to beneficial price discovery processes and inventories of HFTs offered at a discount to other participants.
Re-evaluation of experimental measurements for the validation of electronic band structure calculations for LiFePO4 and FePO4

Experimental measurements used to validate previous electronic band structure calculations for olivine LiFePO4 and its delithiated phase, FePO4, have been re-investigated in this study. Experimental band gaps of LiFePO4 and FePO4 have been determined to be 6.34 eV and 3.2 eV by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and UV-Vis-NIR diffusion reflectance spectroscopy, respectively. X-ray photoemission (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy show that the surfaces of very carefully synthesized LiFePO4 display Li-depletion, which affects optical reflectance determinations. Based on these experimental measurements, functionals for density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the electronic properties have been revisited. Overall, electronic structures of LiFePO4 and FePO4 calculated using sX-LDA show the best self-consistent match to combined experimentally determined parameters. Furthermore, the open-circuit voltages of the LiFePO4 half-cell have been interpreted in terms of both Fermi levels and Gibbs free energies, which provides additional support for the electronic band structures determined by this research.
KAJIAN KARAKTERISTIK SENSORIS, FISIK, DAN KIMIA FRUIT LEATHER ISANG TANDUK (Musa corniculata Lour.) DENGAN PENAMBAHAN BERBAGAI KONSENTRASI GUM ARAB

Fruit leather is one of the processed fruit products, shaped similar to thin sheets with specific consistency and flavor. One of the suitable fruits that can be processed to fruit leather was horn plantain (Musa corniculata Lour.). The aim of this research was to determine the effect of the addition of gum arabic on sensory and physical, and chemical characteristics of horn plantain fruit leather and most acceptable gum arabic concentration addition for consumer. The analysis method used was Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with single factor of the addition of gum arabic. Concentration addition of gum arabic in horn plantain fruit leather was 0,3%; 0,6%; and 0,9%. Based on the analysis result according to the sensory analysis using hedonic test, the addition of gum arabic to the horn plantain fruit leather resulted a significant effect on the parameters of color, texture, and overall, whereas the addition of gum arabic to the horn plantain fruit leather did not have a significant effect on the parameters of scent and flavor. The physical and chemical analysis result of the horn plantain fruit leather with gum arabic addition had significant effect on water content (12,696% -13,775% (wb)) and dietary fiber (2,7563% - 5,0825% (db)), and had no significant effect on ash content (2,875% - 2,896% (db)), water activity (Aw) (0,54 - 0,56), and tensile strength (4,8449 N - 5,8125 N). The recommended gum arabic addition to the horn plaintain fruit leather was 0,6%. Keywords: arabic gum, fruit leather, horn plantain
Predictors of Resilience in Families of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Following Deinstitutionalization

Following Deinstitutionalization Jillian Caldwell, Jennifer Jones, & Kami Gallus Oklahoma State University Introduction On July 10, 2015 Oklahoma closed the two remaining large state-run institutions for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The challenges deinstitutionalization introduces for families of individuals with IDD may lead to enhanced risk to the family system throughout and following the transition. However, some families are resilient despite significant risk (Henry, Morris, & Harrist, 2015).