Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy for Molecular Trace Gas Detection Using A Pulsed DFB QCL Emitting at 6.8 µm

A trace gas sensor based on pulsed cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) was developed for measurement of the ν4 fundamental vibrational band of ammonia (NH3) centered at 1468.898 cm−1. A pulsed distributed feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) operating at 6.8 µm (1470.58 cm−1) quite well covered the absorption band of the ammonia and strong fundamental vibrational absorption bands of different molecular gases in this unexplored region. The cavity was partially evacuated down to 0.4 Atm by a turbo-molecular pump to reduce the partial interference between the NH3 spectra and water near the absorption peak of ammonia. A sensitivity of nine parts per billion was reached for a measurement time of 120 s as well as an optical path length of 226 m. The device demonstrated high spectral performance and versatility due to its wide tuning range, narrow linewidth, and comparatively high-energy mid-IR radiation in the relatively unexplored 6.8 µm region, which is very important for high-resolution spectroscopy of a variety of gases.
Abdominal CT radiation dose optimization at Siriraj Hospital

OBJECTIVE: To compare radiation dose and image quality between standard dose abdominal CT currently performed at our hospital and new low dose abdominal CT using various percentages (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) of Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction (ASiR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively performed low dose abdominal CT (30% reduction of standard tube current) in 119 participants. The low dose CT images were post processed with four parameters (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) of ASiR. The volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) of standard and low dose CT were compared. Four experienced abdominal radiologists independently assessed the quality of low dose CT with aforementioned ASiR parameters using a 5-point-scale satisfaction score (1 = unacceptable, 2 = poor, 3 = average, 4 = good, and 5 = excellent image quality) by using prior standard dose CT as a reference of excellent image quality (5). Each reader selected the preference ASiR parameter for each participant. The image noise of the liver and the aorta in all 5 (1 prior standard dose and 4 current low dose) image sets was measured. RESULTS: The mean CTDIvol of low dose CT was significantly lower than of standard dose CT (7.17 ± 0.08 vs 12.02 ±1.61 mGy, p<0.001). The mean satisfaction scores for low dose CT with 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% ASiR were 3.95, 3.99, 3.91 and 3.87, respectively with the ranges of 3 to 5 in all techniques. The preferred ASiR parameters of each participant randomly selected by each reader were varied, depending on the readers’ opinions. The mean image noise of the aorta on standard dose CT and low dose CT with 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% ASiR was 29.07, 36.97, 33.92, 31.49, and 29.11, respectively, while the mean image noise of the liver was 24.60, 30.21, 28.33, 26.25, and 24.32, respectively. CONCLUSION: Low dose CT with 30% reduction of standard mA had acceptable image quality with significantly reduced radiation dose. The increment of ASiR was helpful in reducing image noise.
Potential of ‘future workshop’ method for educating adolescents about climate change mitigation and adaptation: a case from Freistadt, Upper Austria

Abstract Using the ‘future workshop’ (FW) method, adolescents can be prepared for responding to climate-related risks at the local level. The ‘KLAR! – Zukunftswerkstatt’ presents a case study combining climate change information, FW and place-attachment theories. Its development and application with 41 learners in one upper-secondary school in Austria are demonstrated. Statistically significant findings suggest that students are more aware about mitigation and adaptation behaviors after participating in FW. Qualitative findings demonstrate that students developed higher levels of action knowledge for mitigation and adaptation behaviors. Such teaching approach is not limited to the researched case, but supports environmental education in general.
Modular, hollow culms of rain-forest bamboos explain their persistence across a wide range of light environments

Abstract: Tropical bamboos persist in a wide range of light conditions and quickly respond to changes in light availability. However, the mechanisms underpinning this ability remain unknown. In order to test the hypothesis that the modular and hollow culm architecture of bamboos explains their performance in a wide range of light environments, we determined the allometric relationships of two dominant bamboo species of the upper hill dipterocarp forests of Malaysia, Gigantochloa ligulata (n = 29) and Schizostachyum grande (n = 25), via destructive sampling. We also monitored biomass turnover of bamboos and woody trees in 24 permanent plots (1.92 ha in total) over a one-year period. Compared with woody trees, bamboo culms attained 1.5 times the height and their clumps supported four times as much total leaf area at the same above-ground biomass. In addition, at a given height, bamboo clumps had six times larger crown projection area than trees while having a similar amount of total leaf area per unit of crown projection area. Finally, bamboos’ biomass turnover rate was three times higher than trees, and G. ligulata increased its specific rate of biomass increase after canopy disturbance, while trees decreased. We conclude that the unique architecture of bamboos allows them to persist under closed forest canopy light conditions and to respond to gap formation via high biomass turnover rate.
Young Entrepreneur, Parental Socioeconomic Status, and Financial Literacy: Does Supply Chain Mediate Entrepreneurship Education?

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the financial literacy of young entrepreneurs based on parental income, parental education level, and parental profession. Supply chain management significantly and positively mediates among the relationship between parental income, parental profession, parental education level, and financial literacy. This study used survey methods. The samples of this study were young entrepreneurs or students who started businesses. This study used a different test with smart-PLS. The results of this study showed the differences in the financial literacy of young entrepreneurs based on parental income, parental education level, and parental profession. This study found that young entrepreneurs with high or medium parental income were different from young entrepreneurs with low parental income. Young entrepreneurs with parents attending higher and secondary education were different from entrepreneurs with parents who are only attending elementary school. Young entrepreneurs who have parents as employees and entrepreneurs had no differences in financial, but different when compared to parents who work as laborers.
Virtual reality learning environment for enhancing electronics engineering laboratory experience

Engineering laboratory courses have a significant role in building practical knowledge and enhancing the skills of the students. While working in electronics laboratories, students often operate complicated laboratory equipment and juggle through a set of multiple knobs and buttons to configure the equipment(s). It takes a lot of practice to master the skill of operating the laboratory equipment and it becomes difficult for students to operate the equipment without any prior experience. Virtual reality (VR) is the emerging technology and has the potential to provide a better learning experience to the students. In this paper, a VR‐based learning environment (VLE) is developed, which aims to give prior training to the engineering students about the electronics laboratory hardware. An experimental study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of VR on student knowledge development, learning motivation, and cognition. The study was conducted among the 65 engineering students and they were randomly divided into two groups: treatment group (N = 33) and control group (N = 32). The students of the treatment group were taught with the VR approach and students of the control group were taught with a conventional teaching approach. The outcomes of the experiment indicate that VR has a significant positive impact on student knowledge, learning motivation, and cognition. By interacting with the three‐dimensional virtual models of the laboratory instruments, students were able to demonstrate an improved understanding of the laboratory hardware. Also, the treatment group students mentioned that they were not worried about the equipment malfunction that has further enhanced their confidence and reduced the cognitive load.
“She’s the Center of My Life, the One That Keeps My Heart Open”: Roles and Expectations of Native American Women

Historically, Native American (NA) mothers have proven essential to the survival of their families and communities, yet scant research has examined their roles today. Current gender roles in NA communities are influenced by historical oppression (both historic and contemporary forms) that acted to reverse matrilineal gender norms in favor of patriarchy. The present study sought to explore norms and expectations for women among two NA tribes located in the southeastern region of the United States. The framework of Historical Oppression, Resilience and Transcendence (FHORT), Hill-Collins’s concept of “motherwork,” and a framework of reproductive justice were used to frame the study and interpret findings. This critical ethnography included data from field notes, semistructured interviews, and focus groups. Reconstructive analysis, a specific type of thematic qualitative analysis for critical ethnographies, was used to interpret data. Participants from both tribes described themes related to the expectations and roles of mothers. These expectations included themes of (a) mothers as caretakers, (b) mothers as the centers of family and role models, (c) women to prioritize family over economic and educational aspirations, and (d) decolonizing norms for mothers. While historical oppression and patriarchal norms have constrained and regulated expectations for motherhood and the domestic roles of NA women, these findings also highlight how women decolonize these norms and find ways to reclaim their power through their roles as mothers.
Padrão da ocupação da baleia-franca-austral (Eubalaena australis) em enseadas do litoral catarinense e influencia das anomalias climáticas em sua taxa de natalidade

Vulnerability to threats that can compromise population maintenance is one of the reasons why many marine mammal species are targeted for conservation research. The southern right whale, Eubalaena australis, is one such species, and hunting was a strong threat to all of their populations. On the Brazilian coast, its main reproductive site is located along the Santa Catarina State, where individuals of the species are observed annually between July and November. These individuals belong to a population shared between Brazil and Argentina, which recovers at significant rates. Efforts have been made to preserve this important area for the species, but the habitat use of right whales in the region needs to be better known, as well as factors that may be influencing their relative birth rates, which are strongly related to population recovery. The objective of this study was to test the influence of temporal and environmental variables on species distribution at the southern coast of Santa Catarina and whether climate anomalies influence their relative birth rate using Generalized Linear Models and cross correlation, respectively. Our results suggest that both cowcalf and unaccompanied adult groups prefer large bays with gentle slope and they seem to avoid bays with great inclination angles when strong east winds are acting on them. The reproductive success of individuals appears to be influenced by climate anomalies, mainly the ones related to sea surface temperature, which affect food availability on the species feeding area, in the vicinity of South Georgia Islands.
An analytical model for permittivity measurement of liquid dielectrics with a tubular sample holder

In this work, an analytical model for permittivity measurements of liquid materials is presented. It uses a variant of the transmission line method with a tubular sample holder. The proposed formulation is simple, easy to deal with and allows straightforward conversion between the direct and the inverse solutions of the problem. Measurement results presented maximum relative errors of about 10% when compared to available data in the literature. It is shown to be suitable for measurements of materials over a wide range of relative permittivities.
Scaffolding in industrial construction projects: current practices, issues, and potential solutions

Abstract Scaffolding is a temporary structure whose configuration and location change as the construction progresses. As scaffolding is used and shared by multiple trades, its interaction with different construction activities often entails challenges and issues that emerge only after construction commences. Managing scaffolding in industrial construction is more challenging due to project complexity and size. The purpose of this paper is to understand how scaffolding is completed, what issues are typically encountered, and what potential solutions may be generated in the context of industrial construction projects. The research team reviewed the literature and conducted 11 interviews with scaffolding professionals. It also conducted 2 review sessions with a three-expert panel to summarize the scaffolding practice and to consolidate the findings into a list of 22 scaffolding-related issues with the causes. These issues are further grouped into four categories according to potential solutions provided. The study offers a comprehensive view of industrial scaffolding and its management and puts forward solutions to improve scaffolding management in industrial construction.
The Influence of Change in Costs, Market Age, Capacity Utilization, Supply Chain Management on Bank’s Competitive Advantage

The goal associated with the current article is to examine the impact of change in cost along with market age, capacity utilization and supply chain management on the competitive advantage of banks in Indonesia. The data has been gathered from the employees of the banks by employing a questionnaire method and analysis has been made by using PLS-SEM. The results revealed that positive along with significant association has been observed among the change in cost, market age, capacity utilization, supply chain management and competitive advantage of banks in Indonesia. These findings have provided the guidelines to the regulators that they should expand their focus on the supply chain along with cost and market that enhance the competitive advantage of the banks that ultimately improve the performance of the banks in the country.
Considerations for the design of vaccine efficacy trials during public health emergencies

Public Health Emergencies (PHEs) provide a complex and challenging environment for vaccine evaluation. Under the R&D Blueprint Plan of Action, the World Health Organization (WHO) has convened a group of experts to agree on standard procedures to rapidly evaluate experimental vaccines during PHEs while maintaining the highest scientific and ethical standards. The Blueprint priority diseases, selected for their likelihood to cause PHEs and the lack of adequate medical countermeasures, were used to frame our methodological discussions. Here, we outline major vaccine study designs to be used in PHEs and summarize high-level recommendations for their use in this setting. We recognize that the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of the Blueprint priority diseases may be highly uncertain and that the unique characteristics of the vaccines and outbreak settings may affect our study design. To address these challenges, our group underscores the need for novel, flexible, and responsive trial designs. We conclude that assignment to study groups using randomization is a key principle underlying rigorous study design and should be utilized except in exceptional circumstances. Advance planning for vaccine trial designs is critical for rapid and effective response to a PHE and to advance knowledge to address and mitigate future PHEs. One Sentence Summary As part of the WHO research and development Blueprint for action to prevent epidemics, we describe key considerations for the design and analysis of trials and studies to evaluate experimental vaccines during public health emergencies.
Urea-molasses pre-treatment to enhance nitrogen gain, digestibility, intake and milk yield from crop-residues in smallholder dairy farms in eastern Africa

Aim: Crop residues from dual-purpose crops, particularly from coarse cereal and leguminous crops are by far the most important feed source available to smallholder dairy farmers in highlands and lowlands in Eastern Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) determine the effect of urea and molasses pre-treatment on nitrogen gain, digestibility and rumen micro-biota of crop residues by in vitro culture; and (2) validate the effect of feeding pre-treated urea and molasses maize stover on feed intake and milk yield of dairy cows. Methods: Fresh dry crop residue samples were collected in highlands and lowlands agro-ecological zones of Manyara region, Northern Tanzania and pre-treated with urea and molasses. The in-vitro culture experimental design was completely randomized block with 3 runs (replicates) and 3 crop residue treatments (control, urea, urea + molasses), with duplicates of 2 bottles per each treatment within a run. From the in vitro analysis, only maize stover had significant ( p ≤ 0.05 ) urea and molasses pre-treatment effect, and was therefore considered for comprehensive in vitro culture. The effect of urea and molasses pre-treatment of maize stover on intake and milk yield was validated in a feeding trial of Friesian cows in Siaya lowlands in Kenya. Results: Pre-treatment of crop residues with urea and molasses resulted into significant ( p ≤ 0.05 ) improvements in chemical composition and fermentation products, but not gene copies of selected rumen microbes ( p ≥ 0.05 ), with exception of methanogens ( p ≤ 0.05 ). Urea and molasses pretreated maize stover diet slightly improved milk yield and growth of dairy cows, reduced expenditure on labour with respect to feeding and the cost of producing milk and contributed to an increase in dry matter intake. Conclusion: Despite the improvements in feeding value of maize stover, and other crop residues in general, with urea and molasses pre-treatment, the efficient utilization to desirable extent is still awaited.
Genetic variation and molecular relationships among eight taxa of Desmodium Desv. based on RAPD markers

Genetic variation and molecular relationships among eight taxa of Desmodium Desv. were assessed on the basis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The banding patterns of eight taxa namely, Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. , D. heterocarpon (L.) DC. , D. heterophyllum (Willd.) DC. , D. motorium (Houtt.) Merr. , D. pulchellum (L.) Benth. , D. triflorum (L.) DC. , D. triquetrum (L.) DC. and D. triquetrum subsp. alatum (DC.) Prain were compared. A total of 81 DNA fragments were detected by 11 primers. Among the taxa studied D. triquetrum and D. triquetrum subsp. alatum were found to be most closely related followed by close proximity between D. gangeticum and D. motorium . The highest genetic distance was observed between D. triflorum and D. heterophyllum followed by D. heterocarpon and D. heterophyllum . UPGMA dendrogram was constructed to show the genetic relatedness among the taxa employed and the tree revealed a close proximity among D. pulchellum , D. gangeticum and D. motorium . In contrast, D. heterophyllum was found distantly related with rest of the taxa. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 24 (2): 149–154.
A Synergy between History of Mathematics and Mathematics Education: A Possible Path from Geometry to Symbolic Algebra

This paper proposes an experimental path aimed at guiding upper secondary school students to overcome that discontinuity, often perceived by them, between learning geometry and learning algebra. This path contributes to making students aware of how the algebraic language, formalized in the most powerful form by Descartes, grafts itself onto the geometric language. This is realized by introducing a problem included in a text written by Abū Kāmil before the year 870. This awareness acquired by the students, when accompanied by some semiotic considerations, allows the translation of the problem from “spoken” algebra to “symbolic” algebra, and it represents the background for a possible use of the same problem within the framework of analytic geometry. This proposition manifests a didactic and popular efficacy that supports and favors the recognition of the object it is talking about in different contexts, helping to create a unitary vision of mathematics.
Effects of Sub-Lethal High Temperature on An Insect, Rhodnius Prolixus (Stål.) : II. Mechanism of Cessation and Delay of Moulting

1. In Rhodnius larvae, when moulting is delayed under normal temperature conditions by exposure to high temperature directly after feeding, the brain is needed for a period longer than normal to complete development, i.e. the critical period is postponed. 2. This is associated with a delay in the activation of the thoracic glands and in the mitotic activity in the epidermis. 3. It is suggested that high temperature may act directly on the brain thus inhibiting the secretion of its hormone, although other possibilities are also discussed. 4. The process of wound heating at normal and high temperatures is compared. Injury of the integument results in the ‘activation’ of the epidermal cells and their migration towards the wound. Consequently, a zone of sparse cells is formed which persists at high temperature, since cell division in the epidermis is inhibited. 5. The bearing of the inhibition of cell division on the cessation of moulting at high temperature, even in the presence of the moulting hormone, is discussed.
Production of ornamental sunflower irrigated with oilfield produced water in the Brazilian semiarid region.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of irrigation with oilfield produced water on the concentration of some soil nutrients, as well as on the performance and concentration of nutrients in the roots and on aerial parts of the ornamental sunflower 'Sunbright' (Helianthus annuus), and to define the operating costs for the production of floral stems under an irrigated system. 'Sunbright' sunflower plants were cultivated in a Typic Quartzipsamment in the state of Ceará, Brazil, and subjected to drip irrigation treatments with oilfield produced water treated by filtration (PWF), or by reverse osmosis (PWO), besides a control treatment with groundwater (GW) from the Açu aquifer. The study was carried out for three successive production cycles. Irrigation with PWF modifies the concentration of exchangeable salts in the soil, increasing Na+ in the shallow layers, affecting the vegetative growth and the nutrient accumulation in the roots and shoots, in such a way that brackish water may impact operating costs and revenues in the production of floral stems. PWO has a minor effect on soil nutrients and it is not able to modify the agronomic performance of the ornamental sunflowers, in comparison with irrigation with GW. The cost-benefit ratio was positive with all types of water in the following order: GW> PWF> PWO.