Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glycerol Hydrogenolysis with In Situ Hydrogen Produced via Methanol Steam Reforming: The Promoting Effect of Pd on a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 Catalyst

The glycerol hydrogenolysis to produce 1,2-propanediol without using externally supplied hydrogen was investigated using methanol present in crude glycerol to provide in situ hydrogen via its steam reforming reaction. This paper focuses on the promoting effect of Pd on the reactivity of a Cu/Zn/Al2O3 catalyst. Adding 2 wt% Pd onto a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst significantly improved the selectivity to 1,2-propanediol from 63.0% to 82.4% and the glycerol conversion from 70.2% to 99.4%. This enhancement on the catalytic activity by Pd is mainly due to the improved hydrogenation of acetol, which is the intermediate formed during the glycerol dehydration. The rapid hydrogenation of acetol can shift the reaction equilibrium of glycerol dehydration forward resulting in a higher glycerol conversion. The improved reducibility of the catalyst by Pd allows the catalyst to be reduced in situ during the reaction preventing any loss of catalyst activity due to any potential oxidation of the catalyst. The catalyst was slightly deactivated when it was firstly recycled resulting in a 5.4% loss of glycerol conversion due to the aggregation of Cu and the deactivation became less noticeable upon further recycling.
The impact of the enrichment of the radionuclide thorium in the water body caused by industrial mining on the local ecological environment

In order to further understand the impact of industrial mining on the environment, this study conducted environmental monitoring on the radionuclide thorium content in a water body in an industrial mining area in Gansu Province, aiming to fully understand the occurrence of radioactive map elements in the area and its impact on the local. The specific impact caused by the ecological environment. The results of this paper are as follows: In the water environment surveyed this time, surface water has the highest content of radioactive thorium at 0. 2μg/L, and the lowest concentration of radioactive thorium in groundwater, with an average concentration of 0.04 μg/L. And with the depth of surface water sampling, there is a negative correlation between the content of thorium in the water. This research content can provide sufficient reference materials for the occurrence of thorium in the water in industrial mining areas, and is of great significance to the related research on radioactive elements in the water.
Knowledge Level of Poultry Farmers Regarding Recommended Poultry Farming Practices

In India, about 65 per cent of the population is engaged in agriculture and rearing of livestock, subsidiary to agriculture. There exists a symbiotic relationship in men-landlivestock ecosystem. Livestock comprising of mainly cattle, buffaloes and poultry have a complementary, supplementary and sustainable relationship with crop under mixed farming system prevalent in our country. The origins of the poultry industry can be traced back to India. The modern crossbreed hen owes its ancestry to the Red Jungle fowl of India. However, poultry farming as a commercial enterprise is a recent phenomenon in our country. Poultry occupies a pivotal position among livestock based vocations to bring about rapid economic growth particularly benefiting the weaker sections of the farmers. Further, it needs low capital investment and yet assures quick returns, within weeks in case of broilers and months in case of layers.
Distribution Uniformity in Intensive Horticultural Systems of Almería and Influence of the Production System and Water Quality

The high productivity and efficiency of the use of irrigation water that characterizes greenhouse horticultural crops can be affected by poor irrigation distribution uniformity. The objective of this work was to estimate the average irrigation distribution uniformity (DU) of the greenhouses in Almería, determining the influence of the irrigation water quality as well as the production system on this uniformity. A prospective study was carried out in which commercial farms were selected that used different water qualities (groundwater vs. reclaimed) with different production systems (organic vs. conventional/integrated). The average irrigation distribution uniformity in the greenhouses of Almería was 80%. The farms with organic production systems presented a drastic DU reduction with respect to conventional farms (48% vs. 88%). The DU of the irrigation water presented in commercial farms irrigated with reclaimed water presented a lower DU than those irrigated with groundwater (76% vs. 86%). The distribution of irrigation depth of water in the greenhouses showed slight variations (from 3.2 to 2.9 mm) depending on the emitter position, with the highest values being at the head of the sub-main pipe and dripper line and the lowest at the end of the sub-main pipe and dripper line. The depth of water values was very close to the theoretical average of 3 mm. Water quality affects the distribution pattern of the depth of water in greenhouses. Installations irrigated with reclaimed water showed greater oscillation of the water depth within the sub-unit, varying from 3.6 to 2.0 mm, although the average depth was located close to the theoretical depth (3 mm). The production system affected the distribution of the depth of water—in the organic system, the depth underwent greater variation depending on the position of the emitter in the sub-unit, ranging from 1.7 to 3.3 mm. In addition, within this production system, the median depth of water was close to 2.5 mm, lower than the theoretical depth (3 mm), which denoted a certain generalized filling that was accentuated at the end of the dripper line and sub-main pipe.
The Impact of Client Size and Financial Performance on Audit Opinion: Evidence from a Developing Market

This research investigates the effect of audit client size and its financial performance on audit opinion in the Egyptian audit market. A few studies have investigated the association between these factors in the audit context, especially in African developing countries. Data are manually collected from the annual financial reports of firms registered in the Egyptian Stock Market, focusing on a sample of EGX 70 from 2012 to 2016, and binary logistic regression is used in data analysis. We found that the company size is insignificantly, positively, related to a qualified, rather than an unqualified, type of audit opinion. In contrast, the client's financial performance has a significant but negative relationship with the qualified type of audit opinion. This study provides insights for managers and investors in developing countries to understand and perceive audit opinions in these contexts. Received: 31 October 2020 / Accepted: 12 December 2020 / Published: 17 January 2021
Approximation of CDF of Non-Central Chi-Square Distribution by Mean-Value Theorems for Integrals

The cumulative distribution function of the non-central chi-square distribution χn′2(λ) of n degrees of freedom possesses an integral representation. Here we rewrite this integral in terms of a lower incomplete gamma function applying two of the second mean-value theorems for definite integrals, which are of Bonnet type and Okamura’s variant of the du Bois–Reymond theorem. Related results are exposed concerning the small argument cases in cumulative distribution function (CDF) and their asymptotic behavior near the origin.
Assessing Markers of Reproducibility and Transparency in Smoking Behaviour Change Intervention Evaluations

Introduction Activities promoting research reproducibility and transparency are crucial for generating trustworthy evidence. Evaluation of smoking interventions is one area where vested interests may motivate reduced reproducibility and transparency. Aims Assess markers of transparency and reproducibility in smoking behaviour change intervention evaluation reports. Methods One hundred evaluation reports of smoking behaviour change intervention randomised controlled trials published in 2018-2019 were identified. Reproducibility markers of pre-registration; protocol sharing; data, material, and analysis script sharing; replication of a previous study; and open access publication were coded in identified reports. Transparency markers of funding and conflict of interest declarations were also coded. Coding was performed by two researchers, with inter-rater reliability calculated using Krippendorff's alpha. Results Seventy-one percent of reports were open access, and 73% were pre-registered. However, there are only 13% provided accessible materials, 7% accessible data, and 1% accessible analysis scripts. No reports were replication studies. Ninety-four percent of reports provided a funding source statement, and eighty-eight percent of reports provided a conflict of interest statement. Conclusions Open data, materials, analysis, and replications are rare in smoking behaviour change interventions, whereas funding source and conflict of interest declarations are common. Future smoking research should be more reproducible to enable knowledge accumulation. This study was pre-registered: https://osf.io/yqj5p.
Interlimb asymmetry in collegiate American football players: Effects on combine-related performance

The assessment of interlimb asymmetry has been of interest to researchers and practitioners who desire to maximize sport performance. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between interlimb asymmetry and Combine-related performance testing in collegiate American football players. Twenty-four skill position players (e.g., running backs, defensive backs, and wide receivers) from a Division II university completed all study-related procedures including unilateral countermovement (CMJ) and drop jumps on a force plate, 3-repetition maximum Bulgarian split squats with bar movement tracked by a 3D motion capture system, and their annual spring performance tests (L-drill, pro-agility, 40-yard dash, broad jump, and vertical jump). Using an alpha-level of . 05, significant, positive Spearman’s correlations between performance in the L-drill test (Change of Direction test; CoD) and asymmetries in mean peak velocity ( r s = .491, p = .015), mean peak power ( r s = .467, p = .021), and mean average power ( r s = .455, p = .026) were observed. A significant, negative Pearson correlation between unilateral CMJ height asymmetry and vertical jump performance was observed ( r = .578, p = .003). Asymmetry in mean peak velocity, mean peak power, and mean average power may negatively influence CoD ability within collegiate American football players.
Higher-order Multi-cumulant Factor Analysis

We estimate the latent factors driving the non-normal dependence in high dimensional panel data using Higher-order multi-cumulant Factor Analysis (HFA). This new approach consists of an eigenvalue ratio test to select the number of non-Gaussian factors, and uses alternating regressions to estimate both the Gaussian and non-Gaussian factors. Simulation results confirm that the HFA estimators improve the accuracy of factor selection and factor estimation as compared to approaches using principal or independent component analysis. The empirical usefulness of the HFA approach is shown in an application to forecasting the S&P 500 equity premium.
Role of Optical Coherence Tomography in Identifying Retinal Biomarkers in Frontotemporal Dementia

Purpose of Review Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is often misdiagnosed or recognized late. Clinical heterogeneity and overlap with other dementias impede accurate diagnosis. FTD biomarkers are limited, expensive, and invasive. We present a narrative review of the current literature focused on optical coherence tomography (OCT) to identify retinal biomarkers of dementia, discuss OCT findings in FTD, and explore the implications of an FTD-specific ocular biomarker for research and patient care. Recent Findings Recent studies suggest that outer retinal thinning detected via OCT may function as a novel ocular biomarker of FTD. The degree and rate of inner retinal thinning may correlate with disease severity and progression. In Alzheimer disease (AD), OCT demonstrates thinning of the inner retina, which may differentiate this condition from FTD. We conducted a comprehensive search of the literature and reviewed published OCT findings in FTD, AD, and mild cognitive impairment, as well as reports on biomarkers of FTD and AD used in the research and patient care settings. Three of the authors (O.M., N.S.K., and K.Z.Y.) independently conducted literature searches using PubMed to identify studies published before May 1, 2020, using the following search terminology: “Alzheimer's disease,” “Alzheimer's dementia,” “frontotemporal dementia,” “FTD,” “mild cognitive impairment,” “dementia biomarkers,” and “neurodegeneration biomarkers. ” Search results were then refined using one or more of the following keywords: “optical coherence tomography,” “optical coherence tomography angiography,” “retinal imaging,” and “retinal thinning. ” The selection of published works for inclusion in this narrative review was then limited to full-text articles written in English based on consensus agreement of the authors. Summary FTD diagnosis is imprecise, emphasizing the need for improved state and trait biomarkers. OCT imaging of the retina holds considerable potential for establishing effective ocular biomarkers for FTD.
Essential Oils and Their Application on Active Packaging Systems: A Review

The food industry is continuously evolving through the application of innovative tools and ingredients towards more effective, safe, natural and ecofriendly solutions to satisfy the demands of the costumers. In this context, natural sources (i.e., leaves, seeds, peels or unused pulp) can entail a valuable source of compounds, such as essential oils (EOs), with recognized antioxidant and antimicrobial properties that can be used as natural additives in packaging applications. The current trend is the incorporation of EOs into diverse kinds of biodegradable materials, such as edible films, thus developing active packaging systems with improved preservation properties that can offer benefits to both the food and packaging industry by reducing food waste and improving the management of packaging waste. EOs may be added into the packaging material as free or encapsulated molecules, where, especially this last option, has been revealed as very promising. The addition of these lipophilic compounds provides to the end-product various bioactivities of interest, which can eventually extend the shelf-life of the product by preventing food spoilage. Pairing biodegradable packaging with EOs extracted from natural agro-industrial by-products can lead to a more sustainable food industry. Recent knowledge and advances on this issue will be reviewed in the present work.
Activated Carbons: In Vitro Affinity for Fumonisin B1 and Relation of Adsorption Ability to Physicochemical Parameters.

In vitro affinity tests were conducted to assess the effectiveness of 19 activated carbons (ACs), hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS), and sepiolite (S) in binding fumonisin B1 (FB1) from solution. Relationships between adsorption ability and physicochemical parameters of ACs (specific surface area, iodine value, and methylene blue index) were tested. When 5 ml of a 4-μg/ml aqueous solution of FB1 was treated with 10 mg of AC, ACs adsorbed 0.46 to 100% of the FB1. HSCAS and S were not effective in binding FB1. In two saturation tests carried out with decreased amounts of sorbent (5 and 2 mg, respectively), three ACs also showed high adsorption ability (adsorbing 96.48 to 99.20% of the FB1) A general relationship between adsorption ability and the physicochemical parameters of the ACs was observed, supporting the inference of a close relationship between molecule trapping and surface physicochemical adsorption processes. The methylene blue index was more reliable than iodine number and surface area for predicting ability of ACs to adsorb FB1. In tests of simultaneous adsorption ability carried out using 5 ml of a solution containing 10 μg/ml FB1 plus 50 μg/ml aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)and 2 or 5 mg of sorbent, ACs showed a higher affinity for AFB1 than for FB1. However, two ACs bound ca. 100% of the two mycotoxins. When 5 ml of an aqueous extract solution obtained from naturally contaminated corn containing 1.84 μg/ml FB1 and 0.042 μg/ml AFB1 was treated with 10 mg of sorbent, one AC adsorbed ca. 95% and 99% of FB1 and AFB1, respectively. It is concluded that certain ACs have high in vitro affinity for FB1 and AFB1 singly or in combination, and may hold promise as multi-mycotoxin sequestering agents. However, further in vivo investigations are neededto confirm the abilities of ACs to sequester the most important mycotoxins singly or in combinations, establish the amounts to be added to feeds, and determine any long-term effects they may have on gastrointestinal absorption of essential nutrients.
The financial technologies transformation in the digital economy

The fourth industrial revolution is changing the technological face of the economy. Digital technologies are especially widespread in it. They affect all areas of the economy. These changes require in-depth research. The purpose of the article is to analyze financial technologies considered as a factor in the development of the financial sector in the digital economy. To achieve this goal, methods of institutional, retrospective and comparative analysis, modeling and forecasting were used. As a result of the research, theoretical approaches to the study of digital financial technologies have been systematized; perspective areas of their application are considered; the prerequisites, factors and risks of their application in the financial sector are determined. The main trend in the considered area is the intensification of competition between banks and IT companies, which makes it necessary for banks to change the traditional banking business model. Banks will transform into IT companies. And IT companies will penetrate deeper into the financial sector using fintech start-ups. It is expected that the convergence of these sectors of the economy will increase, which will lead to the formation of new integral industries based on digital and platform fintech technologies. Comprehensive support for the development of new digital financial technologies is needed. The tools of such support are support for the creation and implementation of digital financial innovations, stimulation of digital start-ups, support for companies in the implementation of digital financial technologies, the formation of a digital market, etc.
MASTER: Reclamation of Hybrid Scratchpad Memory to Maximize Energy Saving in Multi-Core Edge Systems

Most modern multi-core edge devices work in outdoor situations with limited power supplies like energy harvester and batteries. Therefore, energy consumption is a fundamental issue in which the memory subsystem has a significant role. Scratchpad memories (SPM) can provide a broad potential for energy saving. Still, due to the insufficient SPM capacity in such edge devices, a rigorous SPM data allocation scheme is necessary to reduce the energy consumption of the memory subsystem. Emerging non-volatile memories (NVMs) are very useful to reduce the energy consumption of the memory subsystem. Compared with SRAM, NVMs have lower leakage power and higher density, but the read and write latencies of the NVMs are higher than the SRAM. Therefore, embedded and edge devices can take advantage of hybrid SPM composed of both NVM and SRAM to achieve further energy saving. This paper proposes MASTER, a task mapping, task scheduling, and dynamic SPM allocation scheme that efficiently utilizes the hybrid SPM space. To this end, we model the hybrid SPM allocation on a multi-core system with integer linear programming formulation to minimize the energy consumption of the memory subsystem. Experimental results show that MASTER improves the energy saving of the memory subsystem by up to 34 percent compared to EADA, which is a heuristic dynamic data allocation algorithm for multi-core systems with hybrid SPM.
Effects of Racing Surface and Turn Radius on Fatal Limb Fractures in Thoroughbred Racehorses

North American Thoroughbred racing is conducted on three types of surfaces—dirt, turf, and synthetic. The tracks are oval, and races are run counterclockwise. The loading on right and left limbs is expected to differ as a function of turn radius, banking, surface, and gait asymmetry. Hind limbs and forelimbs also have different functions related to propulsion and turning, respectively. This study uses the Equine Injury Database for race starts from 1 January 2009 through 31 December 2014, to compare injury rates across participating North American racetracks. The data are limited to catastrophic injuries in which horses died or were euthanized due to a fracture within 72 h of the start of the race. Overall injury rates were lower on turf and synthetic surfaces and the pattern of limb injuries in left vs. right and fore vs. hind limbs were different. Regardless of surface, forelimbs were more likely to fracture. Dirt surfaces showed higher rates of forelimb injuries compared to other surfaces, hind limbs were more likely to experience a fatal fracture on turf than on dirt. The left fore and right hind limbs were more likely to experience a fatal fracture but only on dirt surfaces.
Influence of the Vehicle on the Tissue Reaction and Biomineralization of Fast Endodontic Cement

Objective: To investigate the tissue response and the biomineralization ability of CER prepared with epoxy resin or water compared to Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA). Material and Methods: Polyethylene tubes containing materials or empty tubes for control were inserted into the subcutaneous tissues of 30 rats. After 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days, the rats were killed and the tubes were removed for analysis using hematoxylin-eosin staining, von Kossa staining, and under polarized light. Inflammation was graded through a score system; the thickness of the fibrous capsule was classified as thin or thick; the biomineralization ability was recorded as present or absent. The results were statistically analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p<0.05). Results: Histologic analysis performed after 7 and 15 days for CER prepared with epoxy resin or water and for MTA showed moderate inflammation and a thick fibrous capsule (p>0.05). After 30, 60, and 90 days, mild inflammation, and a thin fibrous capsule were observed in all groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: All materials had structures positive for von Kossa and birefringent to polarized light. CER epoxy resin showed biocompatibility and biomineralization similar to CER water and MTA.