Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes of Organic Carbon in Black Soils with the Different Reclamation Years

The results from the experiment showed that the content of organic C decreased in toplayer (0～20 cm) of black soils after reclamation, with the annual organic C mineralization rate of 1.72%. The organic matter content could reach 7 27g/kg when it is balanced. The H/F ratio of humus rose and the oxidation stability strengthened. The degree of organo-mineral complex also increased, but the ratio of loose to tight humus fractions decreased. In the 20～40cm soil layer, the organic C content increased after 22 years reclamation, and then decreased. The humus oxidation stability strengthened, while the degree of organo mineral complex and the ratio of loose to tight humus decreased.
EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL E AGENDA 2030: OBJETIVOS DE DESENVOLVIMENTO SUSTENTÁVEL NA ATUALIZAÇÃO DA PROPOSTA CURRICULAR DO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO DE PAULO

Nosso trabalho se insere no campo dos estudos curriculares, tendo como proposta a analise da rede formada pela proposta do curriculo para a educacao infantil do municipio de Sao Paulo em relacao aos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentavel (ODS). A pesquisa que da origem a este texto pode ser entendida como de metodologia mista, desenvolvendo-se a partir das tecnicas de Analise de Redes Sociais (ARS) e do software Gephi, responsavel pelas estatisticas e pela composicao dos grafos. Os grafos elaborados sugerem que os ODS atuam, na proposta curricular para educacao infantil, como mediadores entre pautas macro, ou internacionais, e questoes tematicas locais da rede municipal de ensino. A categorizacao, pautada nos documentos oficiais da secretaria municipal de educacao, da suporte a ARS e nos permite inferir os vinculos entre os ODS e os objetivos relacionados a aprendizagem preconizados nos documentos oficiais da rede de ensino investigada. Os resultados permitem discutir algumas implicacoes praticas, tais como o potencial de aderencia do desenvolvimento sustentavel ao contexto de desenvolvimento curricular em esfera municipal.
Metabolomics-Based Systems Biology Needs Chemometrics – Former Eexperience and Case Studies

Considering the need of symbiosis between metabolomics& chemometrics in developing systems biology, we review here some relevant findings of our previous experience in performing analytical methods for metabolomic fingerprinting of fruits and food products, coupled with chemometrics as an integrated , added-value technology for systems biology. Some specific case-studies relevant for plant and food metabolomics are presented: seabuckthorn fruits and leaves, lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts or juices, aronia, black currant and bilberries. We proposed specific metabolomic-metabonomic evaluations (fingerprint and quantification) integrated by a four-steps analysis: UV-VIS spectroscopy (1), Infrared spectrometry (2), GC or HPLC ± FID, PDA or MS detection (3) and chemometry (4). By our specific case-studies we demonstrated here that the determination of biochemical markers for a specific plant or food is just a beginning of a metabolic approach. Only combining the chemical informations given by sophisticated or rapid, simple techniques associated with chemometrics’ informations via pattern recognition (fingerprinting), data calibration and quantitative measuring, as well clustering of significant groups of samples based on their principal components are necessary to enrich the metabolic profile and approach the intergrated view of systems biology.
Assessing the Dimensional Validity and Reliability of the University of Florida Critical
Thinking Inventory (UFCTI) in Chinese: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis

The importance of assessing critical thinking has been emphasized extensively by numerous administrators and educators in higher education worldwide. In a contemporary agricultural sustainable development environment, agricultural students need to develop critical thinking to manage complex situations and to deal with controversial issues in international agriculture settings. From psychological points of view, thinking varies cross-culturally. In other words, people from different cultures think differently. With the increasing number of Chinese students studying in the U.S., educators need to be aware of the importance of supporting these Chinese students within the intercultural classroom environment. Thus, it is necessary to explore and understand the way Chinese students think to help them more easily adapt to a culturally diverse educational environment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a Chinese version of the University of Florida Critical Thinking Inventory (UFCTI). The UFCTI measures critical thinking styles using two constructs: engagement and seeking information. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was applied to examine the hypothesized measurement model based on the theoretical foundations of the original UFCTI (English version). The CFA findings indicated the UFCTI measurement model between the two versions is equivalent. Specifically, the results confirmed the two-factor measurement of critical thinking style: engagement and seeking information. The findings also indicated adequate validity and reliability for the UFCTI Chinese version
Preparation of polymeric aluminum ferric chloride (PAFC) coagulant from fly ash for the treatment of coal-washing wastewater

AbstractFly ash-based polymeric aluminum ferric chloride (PAFC) was prepared from fly ash leached with acid; the PAFC was used as a coagulant to treat coal-washing wastewater. The effects of pH, reaction temperature, and reaction time on coagulant performance were investigated, with optimal conditions determined using response surface methodology. The coagulation mechanism of PAFC was explored by comparing its performance with commercially available polyaluminum chloride (PAC), using scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy analyses. Results showed that the optimum PAFC preparation conditions were at a pH of 3.60, a reaction temperature of 92°C, and a reaction time of 2.30 h. Under these conditions, the removal of suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand in treated coal-washing wastewater reached efficiencies of over 81 and 70%, respectively. This means that the prepared PAFC is an effective coal-washing wastewater treatment technique, combining the advantages of polyaluminum and polyferr.
Sediment Nutrient Flux Rates in a Shallow, Turbid Lake Are More Dependent on Water Quality Than Lake Depth

The bottom sediments of shallow lakes are an important nutrient sink; however, turbidity may alter the influence of water depth on sediment nutrient uptake by reducing light and associated oxic processes, or altering nutrient availability. This study assessed the relative influence of water quality vs. water depth on sediment nutrient uptake rates in a shallow agricultural lake during spring, when sediment and nutrient loading are highest. Nitrate and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) flux rates were measured from sediment cores collected across a depth and spatial gradient, and correlated to water quality. Overlying water depth and distance to shore did not influence rates. Both nitrate and SRP sediment uptake rates increased with greater Secchi depth and higher water temperature, and nitrate and SRP rates increased with lower water total N and total P, respectively. The importance of water temperature on N and P cycling was confirmed in an additional experiment; however, different patterns of nitrate reduction and denitrification suggest that alternative N2 production pathways may be important. These results suggest that water quality and temperature can be key drivers of sediment nutrient flux in a shallow, eutrophic, turbid lake, and water depth manipulation may be less important for maximizing spring runoff nutrient retention than altering water quality entering the lake.
Highly efficient siRNA delivery into primary cultures of rat pancreatic stellate cells

RNA interference (RNAi) was discovered about 10 years ago and has become a standard widely used method for silencing the expression of any target gene of interest (3). Target gene silencing is mediated by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs; double stranded RNA molecules 19-25 nucleotides in length), which trigger a catalytic mechanism for mRNA degradation. siRNA is unstable and has poor cellular uptake due to its physiochemical and biological properties. To increase the stability of siRNA and improve its uptake into cells, scientific companies have designed siRNA modifications and/or developed a variety of in vitro delivery agents.
Low-Cost Fabrication of UV Photodetector Based on Hexagonal Nanocrystal ZnO:Al/p-Si Heterojunction

ZnO:Al/p-Si heterojunction was fabricated by depositing a hexagonal nanocrystal ZnO:Al film on p-type Si substrate using a simple chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The vertically aligned hexagonal ZnO:Al nanocrystals reduce the grain boundary scattering and provide good conductivity. The ZnO:Al/Si heterojunction shows obvious photocurrent under ultraviolet (UV) illumination. A high UV-to-visible rejection ratio of the ZnO:Al/Si heterojunction indicates that the hexagonal nanocrystal ZnO:Al film is a good material for fabricating UV photodetectors. Furthermore, the response speed of the photodetector based on ZnO:Al hexagonal nanocrystal film is faster than that of most previously reported photodetectors based on ZnO:Al nanorods. We infer it is because the ZnO:Al nanocrystals film has a smaller surface to volume ratio than the ZnO:Al nanorod array.
Adsorption Equilibrium and Kinetics of Toxic Dye-Erythrosine B Adsorption onto Montmorillonite

Erythrosine B is extensively used in the textile and food industry. It is reported to be a neurotoxicant and is carcinogenic in nature. It can induce DNA damage in the gastrointestinal organs even at low doses. In this study, adsorption efficiency of montmorillonite (MMT) has been investigated for the removal of erythrosine B (EB) from aqueous solution. The batch adsorption model was developed to predict the equilibrium adsorption capacity with respect to the pH of the dye solution, contact time, initial dye concentration, and adsorbent dosage. A maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 578.03 mg/g was obtained at the original pH (7.5) of the aqueous dye solution within 5 minutes of contact time. It was found that the Langmuir adsorption isotherm yielded the most favorable representation of the adsorption behavior of EB. The dye was found to be chemisorbed on the adsorbent as confirmed by the FTIR spectral analysis. Although anionic in nature, the dye was found to be intercalated into the clay interlayers as suggested by the X-ray diffraction studies.
Plasmonic silver incorporated silver halides for efficient photocatalysis

The development of visible-light-responsive photocatalysts is a promising challenge in the management of environmental pollution. Silver–silver halide nano-photocatalysts have received intensive attention due to their excellent photocatalytic performance in recent years, where silver nanoparticles/nanoclusters demonstrate plasmonic enhanced light absorption efficiency and have been considered as an important component in various functional photocatalytic nanocomposite materials, serving for harvesting visible light. This review provides an overall survey on the state-of-the-art silver–silver halide-based photocatalysts, fundamental understanding of their plasmonically induced photo-reactions and their major environmental applications. We first discuss the basic concepts of localized surface plasmon resonance, and outline the general mechanism of silver–silver halide-based photocatalysis. We then discuss the latest progress in the design and fabrication of silver halide based photocatalysis using various strategies. Next, we highlight some selected examples to demonstrate the new applications of silver/silver halide nano-photocatalysts. Eventually, we provide an outlook of the present challenges and some perspectives of new directions in this interesting and emerging research area.
Electrochemical Oxidation of Hydrogen on Basal Plane Platinum Electrodes in Imidazolium Ionic Liquids

In this paper, the electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen at the interface between single-crystal platinum electrodes and imidazolium-type room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) is studied. This is the first report about the electrochemical properties of single-crystal platinum electrodes in contact with ionic liquids. It was found that the imidazolium cation can be reduced to 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazol-2-ylidene species on the basal plane platinum electrodes and that the presence of hydrogen increases the reversibility of this process, suggesting that it is a proton-coupled electron-transfer reaction. On the other hand, it was found that the oxidation of H2 is a surface structure-sensitive process on RTIL/Pt interfaces. The activity toward H2 oxidation was found to increase in the order of Pt(100) < Pt(110) < Pt(111) in [C4mim][OTf], [C2mim][EtSO4], and [C4mim][BF4]. However, in [C2mim][NTf2], Pt(100) is the best electrocatalytic electrode for this reaction. Finally, a complex kinetic behavior was observed .
Effect of Drying on Rheological, Thermal, and Structural Properties of Desert Truffles (Terfezia Claveryi) Powder Dispersions

The effect of drying methods (freeze-drying and tray-drying) on the rheological, thermal and functional properties of truffle flour dispersion was studied. Sieve analysis showed the number of finest particles in the freeze-drying samples were significantly higher than the tray-drying samples whereas no significant difference was observed in the particle size distribution through laser diffraction measurement. The freeze-drying sample had significantly higher water holding capacity, sediment volume fractions, and superior instrumental color values than the tray-drying sample. Upon thermal scanning, two distinct starch-lipid complex melting transitions for the freeze-drying and one for the tray-drying sample were detected. Contrary to differential scanning calorimetric measurement, the oscillatory shear measurement successfully detected a distinct gelatinization temperature for the freeze-drying sample between 64 and 67.6°C. The mechanical rigidity of the dispersion was significantly influenced by the drying method and the freeze-drying sample exhibited the higher mechanical strength over the tray-drying sample throughout the frequency range (0.1 to 10 Hz). Viscoelasticity of the dispersion was estimated by a power-type relationship correlating the elastic modulus and frequency. Various shapes of truffle particles including rod, round, oval, and irregular were observed through the scanning electron microscope. This study provided in-depth knowledge on structural/rheological properties of truffle powder produced by two drying processes.
Strategic Planning, Competitive Advantage And Performance At Equity Bank

xii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background of the Study . 1 1.1.1 Strategic Planning . 2 1.1.2 Competitive Advantage. 4 1.1.3 Firm performance . 5 1.1.4 Commercial Banks in Kenya . 6 1.1. 5 Equity Bank of Kenya . 7 1.2 Research Problem . 8 1.3 Objectives of the study.10 1.4 Value of the study . 10 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 13 2.
Carbonated Nano Hydroxyapatite Crystal Growth Modulated by Poly(ethylene glycol) with Different Molecular Weights

The effects of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) molecular weights on nano hydroxyapatite (n-HA) crystal growth were studied, and a possible mechanism was proposed. n-HA crystals were synthesized in the presence of PEG with different molecular weights via hydrothermal method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the presence of PEG increased the size of n-HA crystals; PEG with larger molecular weights produced larger n-HA crystals. High-resolution TEM observation indicated that all of the n-HA crystals tended to grow along the ⟨002⟩ axis. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that all of the samples consisted of only the HA phase. Besides, PEG increased the crystallinity of n-HA crystals, and this effect was more significant for PEGs with larger molecular weights. Fourier transform infrared results further revealed that all of the crystals were carbonated HA. Thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry analysis detected PEG residues on n-HA particles. To thoroughly study the modulating.
Impact of Improved Maize Technology Package on Maize Yield Growth of Major Maize Growing Regions of Ethiopia

This study examines the differential impact of adoption of improved maize technology package (including improved maize varieties, fertilizer of any kind as well as row planting) on maize yield growth using 645 sample farm households in three major maize growing administrative regions of Ethiopia. Propensity score matching (PSM) technique was employed since it is an increasingly utilized standard approach for evaluating impacts using observational data. It is found that adoption of improved maize technology package doesn't have the desired positive and significant impact on yield growth in all of the administrative regions considered. Moreover, the magnitude of the impact greatly varies among regions. Thus, the study recommends that the agricultural research and extension system of the country should further consider the various differences that exist among different regions and areas of the country so as to generate and disseminate appropriate and suitable improved agricultural technologies and information. Keywords: Impact, Maize, Improved Technology Package, Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/ISDE/12-1-01 Publication date: January 31 st 2021
Preparation of Glibenclamide Nanoparticles

One of the progressive ways for increasing oral bioavailability of drug substances with poor solubility is nanoparticles preparation. Glibenclamide (Biopharmaceutical Classification System class II) was chosen as a model compound with low solubility and high permeability. Nanoparticles were prepared either by the antisolvent precipitation – solvent evaporation method or by the emulsion solvent evaporation method. Sodium dodecyl sulphate and macrogol 6000 were used as stabilizing excipients in aqueous solutions with the mass concentrations of 1, 3 and 5%. Acetone and dichloromethane were used as glibenclamide solvents. Ten samples were characterized by dynamic light scattering. The particles size of seven samples ranged from 4.4 to 27.0 nm.
B-GAP: Behavior-Guided Action Prediction and Navigation for Autonomous Driving.

We present an algorithm for behaviorally-guided action prediction and local navigation for autonomous driving in dense traffic scenarios. Our approach classifies the driver behavior of other vehicles or road-agents (aggressive or conservative) and considers that information for decision-making and safe driving. We present a behavior-driven simulator that can generate trajectories corresponding to different levels of aggressive behaviors, and we use our simulator to train a reinforcement learning policy using a multilayer perceptron neural network. We use our reinforcement learning-based navigation scheme to compute safe trajectories for the ego-vehicle accounting for aggressive driver maneuvers such as overtaking, over-speeding, weaving, and sudden lane changes. We have integrated our algorithm with the OpenAI gym-based ``Highway-Env'' simulator and demonstrate the benefits of our navigation algorithm in terms of reducing collisions by $3.25 - 26.90$% and handling scenarios with $2.5 \times$ higher traffic density.
Inkjet-Printed Reduced Graphene Oxide/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Composite Electrodes for Flexible Transparent Organic Field-Effect Transistors

The characteristics of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) prepared with inkjet-patterned reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) composite electrodes were studied. PVA was blended with graphite oxide to enhance exfoliation of the graphite sheets and to provide for stable inkjet printing. Multistep reduction based on a combination of chemical and thermal reduction was conducted to increase the conductivity. Use of the inkjet-patterned RGO/PVA electrodes increased field-effect mobility of the bottom-contact pentacene FETs to 0.23 cm2/(V·s), which was significantly enhanced relative to that of FETs with Au or PEDOT:PSS electrodes. Moreover, we successfully prepared all-organic flexible transparent OFETs using inkjet-patterned RGO/PVA electrodes on plastic substrates.
Heat Capacity and Thermodynamic Property Studies of Diethyl Acetamidomalonate (C9H15NO5)

The heat capacity of diethyl acetamidomalonate (DEAM) has been studied using an adiabatic calorimeter in the temperature range from (78 to 395) K. No thermal anomalies were observed in temperature regions from (78 to 344) K and from (375 to 395) K, where the heat capacity data were fit to two polynomial equations. A solid–liquid phase transition was detected in temperatures from (344 to 375) K. The phase transition temperature, enthalpy, entropy and mole fraction purity of this compound were determined to be 368.72 K, 34.3 kJ·mol–1, 93.0 J·K–1·mol–1 and 0.9997(mole fraction), respectively, based on the experimental data in the phase transition region. The thermodynamic functions of DEAM relative to the reference temperature of 298.15 K were derived based on the fitted heat capacity data in the entire experimental region.
Computational Prediction of Molecular Photoresponse upon Proximity to Gold Nanorods

We endeavor to gain insight into radiative and nonradiative decay phenomena of emitters proximate to gold nanorods (AuNRs), which could be useful in fluorescence enhancement and also in mitigating loss in metal nanostructures. Factors that influence the photoresponse, such as the orientation, positioning, and distance, were quantified by applying finite-difference time-domain simulations, particularly for small separations afforded by chemical synthesis of the nanoparticles. In order to provide guidelines to experimental work, the geometries examined were consistent with synthesized nanostructures. For fluorophore fluorescence enhancement (FFE), we quantified requirements for compensation of the large nonradiative decay at small separations to the AuNR surface, for example by the preferable use of larger aspect ratio rods, yet care has to be taken in utilizing larger nanostructures. Quantifying the quantum yield is important in assessing the interplay among various parameters that tune the fluorescence. F.
Deep Learning and Conventional Machine Learning for Image-Based in-Situ Fault Detection During Laser Welding: A Comparative Study

An effective process monitoring strategy is a requirement for meeting the challenges posed by increasingly complex products and manufacturing processes. To address these needs, this study investigates a comprehensive scheme based on classical machine learning methods, deep learning algorithms, and feature extraction and selection techniques. In a first step, a novel deep learning architecture based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) and gated recurrent units (GRU) is introduced to predict the local weld quality based on mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and near-infrared (NIR) image data. The developed technology is used to discover critical welding defects including lack of fusion (false friends), sagging and lack of penetration, and geometric deviations of the weld seam. Additional work is conducted to investigate the significance of various geometrical, statistical, and spatio-temporal features extracted from the keyhole and weld pool regions. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed deep learning architecture is compared to that of classical supervised machine learning algorithms, such as multi-layer perceptron (MLP), logistic regression (LogReg), support vector machines (SVM), decision trees (DT), random forest (RF) and k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN). Optimal hyperparameters for each algorithm are determined by an extensive grid search. Ultimately, the three best classification models are combined into an ensemble classifier that yields the highest detection rates and achieves the most robust estimation of welding defects among all classifiers studied, which is validated on previously unknown welding trials.