Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of solute transport parameters for remediation of hydrocarbons from ground water in Antarctica

There are many contaminated sites in Antarctica as a result of accidents or poor waste management. A significant proportion of the pollution is from oil and its derivatives and heavy metals. Although it's a common perception that hydrocarbon spills in frozen grounds are immobile, fuel components have been shown to be highly mobile in soils and sediments with low organic contents specifically during the summer snow melting season. The low temperature and low nutrient soils in cold regions make the natural attenuation rates much slower as compared to temperate climates. Therefore, more active remediation options are often sought for such sensitive areas. Permeable reactive barriers (PRB) are one such option. They are an in situ passive treatment technology that removes dissolved contaminants from polluted water through subsurface emplacement of reactive materials and are widely applied. But to install a successful PRB in cold regions, it is important to understand the flow path and solute transport mechanism in frozen including axial dispersion and the reaction of solute. This paper will discuss about the modeling tool to determine the contaminant transport behavior with minimal amount of data requirements, as acquiring significant amount of field data in such environments is practically not often possible. This study also investigates the impact of temperature and axial flow on the sorption column performance to adsorb hydrocarbons by studying breakthrough point and breakthrough curve at various flow rates and development of a model to predict the solute transport parameters. Toluene has been used as a representative soluble aromatic hydrocarbon in this study. Inverse modeling has been utilized using the computer program CXTFIT to determine the variable parameters, axial dispersion coefficient and porosity. A set of partial differential equations was solved to describe the solute flow through, with appropriate initial and boundary conditions in order to develop a model to predict the future PRB and its performance in the field.
The effect of national culture on the association between profitability and corporate social and environmental disclosure: A meta-analysis

Purpose - – This paper aims to investigate the moderating effect of cultural dimensions (masculinity, individualism and long-term orientation) on the association between profitability and corporate social and environmental disclosure (CSED). Design/methodology/approach - – The authors apply the meta-analysis technique developed by Hunter Findings - – The authors find that masculinity, individualism and long-term orientation moderate the association between profitability and CSED. Given the weight of US studies on the overall sample, the authors conduct a sensitivity analysis to examine how this factor may affect the findings. After excluding these studies, only long-term orientation and individualism remain strong moderators of the association between profitability and CSED. Originality/value - – This study provides further evidence on the impact of institutional frameworks on CSED. It has, also, policy implications for managers of multinational corporations.
Study of the two-phase liquid loading phenomenon by applying CFD techniques

In order to understand the liquid loading phenomenon, 2D (axisymmetric) numerical simulations were performed. This phenomenon appears when the gas velocity reduces to a value below the critical speed of drop extraction in two-phase production wells, and as consequence liquid is accumulated in the tubing, increasing the pressure drop and reducing the flow rate within the tube. Simulations were made using air-water as working fluids over a vertical pipe of 4 meters long through a commercial package of CFD. Comparison between the simulation results and the experimental data available in the literature shows a good capability of homogeneous models to predict the flow characteristics for a given velocity range close to the critical gas velocity; over 100% of this parameter the model significantly overestimates the pressure drop.
Title Confirmatory Validation and Measurement Equivalence of the Eating Loss of Control Scale in Binge Eating and Non-Clinical Samples Permalink

Although Loss of Control (LOC) is a transdiagnostic factor in eating pathology, there are few standalone assessments of LOC. The objective of this study was to evaluate the uni-dimensionality and measurement equivalence of the Eating Loss of Control Scale (ELOCS). Confirmatory factor analyses were used to achieve a well-fitting uni-dimensional model in clinical (N = 226) and non-clinical (N = 476) samples. Measurement equivalence was tested in a factor analytic framework, and effect sizes were computed to evaluate the impact of non-equivalence. A well-fitting model was achieved in both samples after the removal of 4 items. The instrument showed configural equivalence but not metric equivalence. Results suggest that the ELOCS is a reliable and valid measure of LOC in clinical and non-clinical samples. However, while the nature of the LOC construct is similar across binge eating and non-clinical participants, comparisons of ELOCS across these groups are affected by measurement nonequivalence. This research also revealed novel insights into the relative sensitivity of model fitting and effect size approaches to investigating measurement equivalence.
A Case Study in the Measurement of Educational Efficiency in Open and Distance Learning

Open and distance learning (ODL) gives learners control of the time, place, and pace of learning, often being characterized as flexible learning. However, this flexibility goes hand‐in‐hand with procrastination and non‐completion. As a result, the efficiency of the educational process is of importance to ODL providers, government funding agencies, and learners themselves. Despite its importance, measuring efficiency in ODL is problematic. This article presents a case study in measuring educational efficiency using a method which reflects the special characteristics of ODL. The article concludes with a discussion of the wider applicability of the measurement method in the context of lifelong learning.
A comparison of the impact of major mesozooplankton taxa on marine, brackish and freshwater phytoplankton during summer

The impact by freshwater and marine mesozooplankton on phytoplankton particle size and stoichiometry was studied. Additionally, zooplankton d15N were determined as an inidicator of trophic level. Mesocosm studies, using logarithmically scaled zooplankton density gradients, were performed at three locations (lake Schoehsee, the marine Hopavagen lagoon, Norway, and Kiel Fjord) in August 2000, July 2001 and September 2002. In two of the three studies (Schoehsee, Hopavagen), zooplankton shifted phytoplankton size structure predictably to small or large species, respectively, with freshwater zooplankton (copepods, Daphnia) being complementary in their impact. Stoichiometrically, both Daphnia and marine copepods increased the carbon to nutrient ratios (C:P or C:N) of POM, indicative of phytoplankton nutrient limitation. Yet, while the depletion of P in freshwater POM was due to its retention in ‘new’ Daphnia biomass (numerical increase), the mechanism for marine copepods was different: copepods triggered the growth of nanoflagellates via a a trophic cascade (‘copepods-ciliates-nanoflagellates’), which increased at the expense of their intracellular nitrogen pool. Measurements of zooplankton d15N showed that differences were large between Daphnia and freshwater copepods (3.2 to 4.8‰), while negligible between marine copepods and the appendicularian Oikopleura dioica. Moreover, stable isotope analysis revealed different patterns of d15N enrichment for cruising versus stationary suspension feeding copepods, and also traced the (indirect) transfer of isotopically ‘light’ nitrogen from diazotrophic cyanobacteria to zooplankton.
Potentialities of Electrospun Polymeric Nanofibres in the Biomedical Field

Electrospinning is a polymer processing technique that uses electrostatic forces to uniaxially stretch a viscoelastic jet derived from a polymer solution or melt, to produce continuous nanometric and micrometric fibres, typically assembled into non-woven mats [1]. It is an old technology and the first patent on the process was awarded in 1934 [2]. However, until the early 1990s only few publications dealt with this fabrication technique, and outside of the filtration industry there was little interest in electrospun nanofibres. It was only a couple of decades ago that the technique raised the interest of some research groups, first of all the Reneker’s group at the University of Akron [3], that contributed to its spreading in research institutes all around the world. Since that time, the multi-potentialities of electrospinning started to be fully recognized and researchers gained understanding of the process governing this technology and acquired the capability to rule it. Electrospinning experienced then a rapid growth, and since that time over a hundred synthetic and natural polymers have been processed into electrospun fibres with diameters ranging from a few nanometers to micrometers. Further advancements in proper material design, in controlling process parameters, as well as the use of innovative spinning devices, allowed to dramatically expand the potentiality of the technology. Nanofibres made of materials different from polymers such as metal oxides, carbon, ceramics, as well as composite organic/ inorganic systems have been therefore obtained. The development of such systems made it possible to expand the list of possible uses of electrospun nanofibres as innovative functional products to be used in sensors, in catalytic and photo-catalytic systems and in energy storage systems (fuel cells, lithium ion batteries, solar cells).
Microbial biobanking – cyanobacteria-rich topsoil facilitates mine rehabilitation

Abstract. Restoration of soils post-mining requires key solutions to complex issues through which the disturbance of topsoil incorporating soil microbial communities can result in a modification to ecosystem function. This research was in collaboration with Iluka Resources at the Jacinth–Ambrosia (J–A) mineral sand mine located in a semi-arid chenopod shrubland in southern Australia. At J–A, assemblages of microorganisms and microflora inhabit at least half of the soil surfaces and are collectively known as biocrusts. This research encompassed a polyphasic approach to soil microbial community profiling focused on “biobanking” viable cyanobacteria in topsoil stockpiles to facilitate rehabilitation. We found that cyanobacterial communities were compositionally diverse topsoil microbiomes. There was no significant difference in cyanobacterial community structure across soil types. As hypothesised, cyanobacteria were central to soil microprocesses, strongly supported by species richness and diversity. Cyanobacteria were a significant component of all three successional stages with 21 species identified from 10 sites. Known nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria Symploca, Scytonema, Porphyrosiphon, Brasilonema, Nostoc, and Gloeocapsa comprised more than 50 % of the species richness at each site and 61 % of the total community richness. In the first study of its kind, we have described the response of cyanobacteria to topsoil stockpiling at various depths and ages. Cyanobacteria are moderately resilient to stockpiling at depth and over time, with average species richness greatest in the top 10 cm of the stockpiles of all ages and more viable within the first 6 weeks, indicating potential for biocrust re-establishment. In general, the resilience of cyanobacteria to burial in topsoil stockpiles in both the short and long term was significant; however, in an arid environment recolonisation and community diversity could be impeded by drought. Biocrust re-establishment during mine rehabilitation relies on the role of cyanobacteria as a means of early soil stabilisation. At J–A mine operations do not threaten the survival of any of the organisms we studied. Increased cyanobacterial biomass is likely to be a good indicator and reliable metric for the re-establishment of soil microprocesses.
Improvement on Solving the Constraint System in Automated Test Data Generation for Database Stored Procedure Testing

Stored procedure has occurred independently in database application systems. How to test the stored procedure effectively becomes an urgent problem in automated testing. Test data generation is a vital part in automated test of stored procedure. However, the current approaches of test data generation for stored procedure needs manual intervention and the solution of the constraint system which limits test data can not effectively cover all the situations. Existing approaches can not solve constraint system with character string and strict inequality. This paper improved the approach to generate test data, perfected existing approach to solve constraint system and reduced the limitation on solving the constraint system.
Robotized Determination of Vitality Wastefulness for Cell Phone Applications Greed Droid

Cell phone applications vitality effectiveness is basic, yet numerous Android applications experience the ill effects of genuine vitality inefficiency issues. Placing these issues is work serious and robotized finding is very alluring. Then again, a key challenge is the absence of a decidable model that encourages robotized judgment of such vitality issues. Our work expects to address this test. We led a top to bottom investigation of 173 open-source and 229 business Android applications, and watched two normal reasons for vitality issues: missing deactivation of sensors or wake bolts, and expense incapable utilization of tangible data. With these discoveries, we propose a computerized way to diagnosing vitality issues in Android applications. Our approach investigates an application's state space by efficiently executing the application utilizing Java Path Finder (JPF). It monitors sensor and wake lock operations to recognize missing deactivation of sensors and wake locks. It likewise tracks the change and utilization of tangible information and judges whether they are successfully used by the application utilizing our state-delicate information utilization metric. Thusly, our methodology can produce point by point reports with significant data to support designers in validating identified vitality issues. We manufactured our methodology as a device, Green Droid, on top of JPF. Actually, we tended to the challenges of producing client cooperation occasions and booking occasion handlers in expanding JPF for breaking down Android applications. We assessed Green Droid utilizing 13 certifiable prevalent Android applications. Green Droid finished vitality productivity finding for these applications shortly. It effectively spotted genuine vitality issues in these applications, and moreover discovered new unreported vitality issues that were later affirmed by designers.
Cytotoxic effect of betulinic acid and betulinic acid acetate isolated from Melaleuca cajuput on human myeloid leukemia (HL-60) cell line

The cytotoxic effect of betulinic acid (BA), isolated from Melaleuca cajuput a Malaysian plant and its four synthetic derivatives were tested for their cytotoxicity in various cell line or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by 3-[4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Betulinic acid acetate (BAAC) was most effective than other betulinic acid derivatives. It had most active cytotoxic activity against human myeloid leukemia (HL-60), human T4-lymphoblastoid (CEM-SS), BALB/c murine myelomonocytic leukemia (WEHI-3B) and human cervical epithelial carcinoma (HeLa) but not on normal human lymphocytes (PBMC), suggesting its action is specific for tumor cells. BA and BAAC inhibit HL-60 cell line at low concentration after 72 h with IC 50 values at 2.60 and 1.38 g/mL, respectively. DNA fragmentation analysis showed ladder formation in the 100 - 1500 bp region in HL-60 cell lines after 24 h of treatment with IC 50 values. The induction of apoptosis was also confirmed by flow cytometric analysis of cell cycle. BA and BAAC have been shown to induce a time dependant increase in the sub G 1 peak indicating apoptotic phenomenon as obtained from the DNA content histogram analysis. Thus, betulinic acid isolated from Malaysia plant showed good potential as an anti-cancer compound with less toxicity to human normal cells. Key words : Betulinic acid, HL 60, cytotoxicity, MTT assay, DNA laddering, Cell cycle PI
Supply chain single vendor – Single buyer inventory model with price-dependent demand

Purpose: The aim of this article is developing an integrated production-inventory-marketing model for a two-stage supply chain. The demand rate is considered as the Iso-elastic decreasing function of the selling price. The main research goal of the article is to obtain the optimal values of the selling price, order quantity and number of shipments for the proposed model under independent and also joint optimization. In addition, the effects of the model’s parameters on the optimal solution are investigated. Design/methodology/approach: Mathematical modeling is used to obtain the joint total profit function of the supply chain. Then, the iterative solution algorithm is presented to solve the model and determine the optimal solution. Findings and Originality/value: It is observed that under joint optimization, the demand rate and the supply chain’s profit are higher than their values under independent optimization, especially for the more price sensitive demand. Therefore, coordination between the buyer and the vendor is advantageous for the supply chain. On the other hand, joint optimization will be less beneficial when there isn’t a significant difference between the buyer’s and the vendor’s holding costs. Originality/value: The contribution of the article is determining the ordering and pricing policy jointly in the supply chain, which contains one vendor and one buyer while the demand rate is the Iso-elastic function of the selling price.
How Do Family Firms Manage Risky Situations? An Organizational Resilience Perspective

Nowadays, family firms account for a large part of the economy all around the world. Their longevity supposes that their unique characteristics make them efficient at managing risks in turbulent times. Drawing upon the concept of organisational resilience, this article proposes to theoretically investigate how the unique nature of family firms affects absorption, renewal and learning capacities. Based on these reflexions, this article proposes that the family character of the firm is positively related to absorption and learning capacities while being negatively linked with renewal capacity. It also stresses the importance to consider a contingency framework to better understand organizational resilience within family firms. Finally, it provides directions for future research to address various empirical gaps in the field.
Efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Malus zumi (Matsumura) Rehd using leaf explant regeneration system

Malus zumi is known as an excellent dwarfing apple rootstock occurring in natural or arid/semiarid soil or salina. Gene manipulation of M. zumi through transgenic technology can modify plant feature for further improvement fruit tree production by grafting the scion on a transgenic rootstock. Here, we report the establishment of an efficient, in vitro , shoot regeneration system and Agrobacterium tumefaciens - mediated transformation from the leaf explants for Malus zumi (Matsumura) Rehd. Leaf explants were infected with Agrobacterium strains containing npt II and gus gene. The highest frequency of shoot regeneration was obtained on MS medium containing 500 mg l -1 Lactalbumin hydrolysate, 30 g l -1 fructose, supplemented with 3.0 mg l -1 BA, 0.2 mg l -1 NAA.Using fructose instead of sucrose significantly increases the shoot regeneration and decreases vitrification. This regeneration procedure was incorporated into an Agrobacterium -mediated transformation procedure in M. zumi . Kanamycin was an efficient selective agent for selection. Pre-selection (5 days after co-cultivation) improved the transformation efficiency. The emergence of expected bands by PCR analysis and Southern blot in transgenic plantlets confirmed the transformation of foreign DNA into plant genome.
Indigenous Thai Beef Cattle Breeding Scheme Incorporating Indirect Measures of Adaptation: Sensitivity to Changes in Heritabilities of and Genetic Correlations between Adaptation Traits

A model Indigenous Thai beef cattle breeding structure consisting of nucleus, multiplier and commercial units was used to evaluate the effect of changes in heritabilities of and genetic correlations between adaptation traits on genetic gain and profitability. A breeding objective that incorporated adaptation was considered. Two scenarios for improving both the production and the adaptation of animals where also compared in terms of their genetic and economic efficiency. A base scenario was modelled where selection is for production traits and adaptation is assumed to be under the forces of natural selection. The second scenario (+Adaptation) included all the information available for base scenario with the addition of indirect measures of adaptation. These measures included tick count (TICK), faecal egg count (FEC) and rectal temperature (RECT). Therefore, the main difference between these scenarios was seen in the records available for use as selection criteria and hence the level of investments. Additional genetic gain and profitability was generated through incorporating indirect measures of adaptation as criteria measured in the breeding program. Unsurprisingly, the results were sensitive to the changes in heritabilities and genetic correlations between adaptation traits. However, there were more changes in the genetic gain and profitability of the breeding program when the genetic correlations of adaptation and its indirect measures were varied than when the correlations between these measures were. The changes in the magnitudes of the genetic gain and profit per cow stresses the importance of using reliable estimates of these traits in any breeding program.
Asymmetric‐Information Allocation to Avoid Coordination Failure

This study addresses optimal information allocation in team production. We present a unique implementation problem of desirable effort levels and show that, under certain conditions, it is optimal to asymmetrically inform the agents even if they are ex ante symmetric. The main intuition is that the asymmetric information allocation is effective in avoiding "bad" equilibria, that is, equilibria with coordination failure. This analysis provides an explanation as to why informing agents asymmetrically might be beneficial in improving the agents' coordination behaviors.
A framework for responsible innovation

“Responsible innovation,” in reality, lacks definition and clarity, both in concept and practice. This chapter begins by emphasizing that science and innovation have not only produced understanding, knowledge, and value (economic, social, or otherwise), but also questions, dilemmas, and unintended impacts. It presents a framework for responsible innovation, based on four dimensions-anticipatory, reflective, deliberative, and responsive. The chapter emphasizes that this must be able to reflect on both the products and purposes of science and innovation. It reminds of the rich history in a number of fields of study, both theoretical and applied, which make a significant and important contribution both to the framing and definition of responsible innovation, and to how this is translated through the dimensions into practice. The chapter concludes with some closing thoughts on implementation, on how the embedding of responsible innovation as a genuinely transformative and constructive approach can be supported.