Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How to Use Hydrogen in a New Strategy to Mitigate Urban Air Pollution and Preserve Human Health

Received: 7 August 2020 Accepted: 12 October 2020 If transport is an essential means for the development of the economy, society and its mobility, it has the drawback of leading to significant atmospheric pollution. As traffic density is very high in large cities, air pollution is amplified by the various means of transport resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels. Urban air pollution is mainly caused by vehicles generating emissions harmful to human health. Our objective of this work is to analyze a strategy to eliminate or reduce the emission of these pollutants (NOx, CO, CO2) during combustion. This strategy aims to explore a clean energy source alternative to fossil fuels. This approach consists of completely replacing the internal combustion scalar with the engine powered by fuel cells using hydrogen. This motivates decision makers to choose hydrogen as an alternative fuel to protect the urban environment and the health human from air pollution. This study shows that it is possible to perfectly mitigate pollutants from urban transport systems by using a PEMFC as an alternative clean energy source. Analyze a strategy to eliminate or reduce the emissions of these pollutants (NOx, CO, CO2) during the combustion of full fossil fuel in vehicle engines. This strategy aims to exploit the energy vector represented by hydrogen in order to save human life in more populated areas and protect the environment. The pressure, temperature and concentration of each species (O2, H2 and H2O) are obtained from the resolution of the electrochemical model coupled to the dynamic model, which we do not present here.
Investigate the Drag Resistance of Antifouling Self-Adhesive Film

Fouling has always been a common issue for ships as fouling drastically increases the surface roughness and ship resistance. The microfiber self-adhesive antifouling film is claimed to be effective up to 5 years and is environmentally friendly. However, there is lack of information about the drag characteristics of the antifouling material. Thus, this project is conducted based on an experimental study to determine the drag characteristics of the surface installed with microfiber self-adhesive antifouling film. The rotor apparatus is used to study the coefficient of friction of the microfiber surface. From the experimental results, a flat plate simulation using ANSYS-Fluent is conducted to further estimate the coefficient of friction up to Reynolds number of 109 and to evaluate the total ship resistance for the Semi-SWATH (fast vessel) and KVLCC (slow trading ships). The results show that the percentage increase in total ship resistance for the KVLCC is about 80%, which is more than the Semi-SWATH of 30%, as frictional resistance has high significance for slow trading ships. The speed drop experienced by the ship model installed with the microfiber antifouling is 2 knots for the KVLCC and 1 knot for the Semi-SWATH if the power remained the same for both models.
Factors Affecting the Performance of Public Sector Practitioners in the Republic of Congo

In most of the structures of the public sector in the Republic of Congo, the quality of services provided to the general public has never been of good quality as perceived by the population. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to understand the root cause of inefficiency in the public sector of the Republic of Congo. A descriptive survey was designed for this purpose. Gill et al. (2008) argument on the most preferred use of interviews questionnaires in qualitative research was utilized to gather data from the sampled respondents. The data obtained from the individual's interviews were analysed using SPSS software. The traditional approaches of employee's performance management were analysed and plotted. The results of the study revealed that many employees were not adequately trained to perform their duties; in the meantime, most of these employees have not received any training in the last 10-15 years. Furthermore, it was also revealed that the top management doesn't undertake performance management appraisal and also the latter doesn't promote career development. Therefore, the employees suggested capacity building training. Revision of the salary scale and improvement of working conditions as the things that needs to be changed to improve their performance. Finally, the researcher concluded that among others actions that can be taken there is need to initiate a restructuration of the public sector in the Republic of Congo e.g. by re-introducing an entrance to the public sector examination, introduce performance appraisal management system and establish a career development systems for all categories of employment, to promote the culture of excellence in its structures and improve employee's performance. The novelty of the present study is the fact that the effectiveness of most of the services rendered to the general public in the Republic of Congo has never been investigated using scientific approaches. This study has therefore established the relation between the decisions taken by the top management and their impacts on employee’s performance. In the meantime, the study has provided also the evidence on the correlation between the organization’s culture and the decisions taken by the top management.
Virtual Teaching and Learning of Accounting in Technical Universities (TUs) in Ghana amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

The novel COVID-19 pandemic has affected every facet of life including education. Governments the world over adopted several measures and protocols, including shutting schools, introducing online teaching and learning on campuses as an alternative to the traditional face to face mode of delivery to minimise the impact of the pandemic. In this study, the effectiveness of the virtual teaching and learning of accounting adopted by authorities in Ghanaian TUs is explored. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to formulate the hypotheses of this paper. The online survey was adopted to collect data from 315 respondents sampled purposively. In assessing both the measurement and structural models, Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) approach was adopted. The findings of the study prove that both mode of delivery and assessment, and period of delivery and assessment, have significant effects on the virtual teaching and learning of accounting in TUs in Ghana. This study is among the first papers to make significant attempts to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning in technical universities in Africa. This paper offers contributions to policymakers in tertiary institutions to have a better perspective of the effective virtual teaching and learning of accounting in TUs by both teachers and students. The researchers recommend that, the appropriate training opportunities for both learners and teachers on the virtual teaching and learning of accounting. This would go a long way to help students and teachers to discover the comprehensive and effective attributes of these virtual learning platforms to facilitate their effective usage.
OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA – A REVIEW

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common sleep related breathing disorder that is characterized by recurrent episodes of complete or partial obstruction of airway leading to reduced or absent breathing during sleep. Most common trigger factors are obesity, anatomical defects in the pharynx and reduction in airway which disrupts routine sleep cycle and results in reduced quality of life. This review article describes the sequalae of events due to OSA and importance in the diagnosis and management of OSA by orthodontists.
In-situ fabrication a thin-film nanocomposite photo-anode electrode for the dye-sensitized solar cell

Here, the performance of dye-sensitized solar consisting of the TiO2 anatase phase of nanoparticles and its nanocomposite (TiO2/G) were successfully fabricated via the electrophoretic method as thin films on the ITO conductive glass. Thin films were characterized by the X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS), and Raman spectroscopy. All of these techniques have confirmed the formation of nanocomposite when added the graphene sheets with changing in the properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticle. It can be noticed the peak in (002) which attributes to the graphene in TiO2/G. The new peaks that appeared in FTIR, and the bandgap reduced to be about 2.9 eV. Thus, the introduction of graphene sheets to the thin film of TiO2 photo-anode electrode via the solvo-electrochemical route is an effective method to improve the performance of the ITO/TiO2 thin film DSSC, which increases the short current density and increases the conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell from the 2.14 to 2.53 % after employed the thin-film titanium dioxide modified photo-anode.
DInSAR for Road Infrastructure Monitoring: Case Study Highway Network of Rome Metropolitan (Italy)

The road network of metropolitan Rome is determined by a large number of structures located in different geological environments. To maintain security and service conditions, satellite-based monitoring can play a key role, since it can cover large areas by accurately detecting ground displacements due to anthropic activities (underground excavations, interference with other infrastructures, etc.) or natural hazards, mainly connected to the critical hydrogeological events. To investigate the area, two different Differential Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) processing methods were used in this study: the first with open source using the Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (PSI) of SNAP-StaMPS workflow for Sentinel-1 (SNT1) and the second with the SBAS technique for Cosmo-SkyMed (CSK). The results obtained can corroborate the displacement trends due to the characteristics of the soil and the geological environments. With Sentinel-1 data, we were able to obtain the general deformation overview of the overall highways network, followed by a selection and classification of the PSI content for each section. With Cosmo-SkyMed data, we were able to increase the precision in the analysis for one sample infrastructure for which high-resolution data from CSK were available. Both datasets were demonstrated to be valuable for collecting data useful to understand the safety condition of the infrastructure and to support the maintenance actions.
Place-based entrepreneurs and their competitiveness: a relational perspective on small regional banks

Abstract This paper focuses on place-based entrepreneurs as regionally anchored companies that rely on regional resources to generate a sustained competitive advantage, but are increasingly challenged by a seemingly placeless and highly-globalized marketplace. Although there are numerous cases of successful place-based entrepreneurs, the role of place for their competitiveness is an understudied research field. This paper presents an illustrative case study to explore the competitive advantage of small regional banks from Germany, which are prototypical place-based entrepreneurs that successfully compete in the market, but meet important external challenges. By focusing on a relational perspective on the idiosyncratic co-operative relationships of the banks with regional SMEs, the paper finds that the place-based entrepreneurship of the small regional banks is determined by the interplay of static/dynamic proximities in the relationships, which leads to their strength and resilience. These relational and proximity-based benefits result in a strategy of investments by the banks in the relationships with regional SMEs, and the investments, in turn, support the building of a strong regional identity that is shared with the banks and their customers.
Indigenous Knowledge and Acceptability of Treated Effluent in Agriculture

The twin challenges of lack of access to improved sanitation and food insecurity remain critical, particularly in the global south. With cognizance of the nutrient potential of human excreta, there has been increasing interest in linking sanitation innovations with agriculture by using nutrients recovered from human excreta for crop production, thus, closing the nutrient loop. While studies and field trials have explored and validated the technical feasibility of reusing nutrients recovered from human excreta in agriculture, there is still limited knowledge of its social acceptability. This study examined whether indigenous knowledge can be leveraged to increase the acceptability of human-excreta-derived plant nutrient sources such as treated effluent in agriculture. A qualitative research design comprising seven focus group interviews (five in rural areas and two in peri-urban areas) was conducted in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Findings from the focus groups reveal a willingness to grow and consume food using treated effluent. Additionally, participants made references to indigenous practices that encourage recycling and reuse of human excreta. Given the potential to simultaneously address issues of food insecurity and sanitation that characterize many peri-urban and rural areas in South Africa, we recommend further studies in this area.
Significant Post-Chemotherapy Decrease of Ovarian Reserve in Iranian Women With Breast Cancer

Fertility preservation counseling has a high priority in young breast cancer (BC) patients. Cytotoxic chemicals used for chemotherapy in these patients increased the risk of premature ovarian failure. This study evaluated the anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) level at the time of diagnosis and within a month after the end of chemotherapy, while predicting the time of the return of ovarian function in BC cases (n=46) younger than 46 years for the first time in Iran. Cases were selected from those attending the breast oncology clinic of the two hospitals with a newly diagnosed in situ or invasive BC. The present study results showed AMH levels were significantly decreased in almost all women within a month after chemotherapy. It seems that the need for fertility preservation depends on patient age and baseline AMH level, but counseling should be offered by the clinician in young breast cancer patients.
Elevation of Gut-Derived p-Cresol Molecular Networks in Astronauts During Spaceflight Informs Drug Metabolism and Performance

Metabolites produced by enteric microbes may have important effects on astronauts on long-duration missions. The NASA Twins Study provided the most comprehensive multi-scale omics data to date from which to extract molecular features of potential clinical significance to spaceflight. From the multivariate data, we identified an elevation of the uremic toxin p-cresol, which is produced by gut microbial fermentation of dietary tyrosine. p-Cresol has adverse metabolic effects via depletion of the hepatic sulfur pool, which impacts metabolism of drugs, endogenous metabolites, and xenobiotics. Moreover, p-cresol reshapes gut microbial community structure by facilitating survival of species such as clostridia and inhibition of butyrate producers. Spaceflight may also impact the genes responsible for the metabolism of p-cresol (e.g. SULT) and for the safe metabolism of common drugs used in space, such as acetaminophen (e.g. SULT, CYP4502E1, GST). Understanding p-cresol production and its related molecular networks in astronauts may lead to precision medicine advances that enhance astronaut safety and performance on long-duration missions.
Regional Scale Temperature Rather than Precipitation Determines Vessel Features in Earlywood of Manchurian Ash in Temperate Forests

The earlywood vessels (EWVs) of ring‐porous species are formed in the outermost tree ring to guarantee efficient water transport before bud break. At present, it is unclear which climatic factors influence the formation of EWV traits of trees in temperate forests, which limits the accuracy of predicting forest response to climate change. We investigated the EWV traits of Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.) in a network of 19 sites in northeast China. Ring width (RW) was significantly negatively correlated with vessel density (VD) and positively correlated with other EWV traits, including mean vessel area (MVA), hydraulic diameter (Dh), vessel number (VN), and total vessel area (TVA). The climate signals recorded by RW and EWV traits were consistent in almost all sites. Temperature was the most important climate factor limiting xylem formation that influences RW and EWV of Manchurian ash. The minimum temperature, especially in the previous growing season, was positively correlated with RW and EWV traits but negatively correlated with VD at almost all sites. In the drier northern sites, temperature and moisture in nongrowing season also had a positive effect on RW and EWV traits. The rapid warming around 1980 significantly promotes hydraulic efficiency (Dh, VN, MVA, and TVA) and carbon assimilation (RW), which provided a potential physiological mechanisms of climate warming leading to growth increase of ring‐porous broadleaf species. It is worth noting that continuous climate warming has brought great benefits to tree growth, but it also increases the risk of hydraulic failure, especially in the south.
Green With Fear: Fear Appeals and Temporal Framing in Eco-Friendly Clothing Advertising

This study examines how fear appeals (moderate vs. high) and temporal frames (proximal vs. distal) interactively influenced consumers' attitude and purchase intention in the framework of eco-friendly clothing advertising in China. For that purpose, empirical analyses were performed by collecting data from 640 consumers across Mainland China. Results revealed that consumers who perceived eco-friendly clothing as highly relevant to themselves expressed more favorable attitude toward the advertising that employed moderate-level fear appeals than the advertising that employed high-level fear appeals. As for consumers with a low level of perceived personal relevance, they showed the most favorable attitude toward the brand when being exposed to high-level fear appeals with a distal frame, and the least favorable attitude toward the brand when being exposed to moderate-level fear appeals with a distal frame. These research results provide significant theoretical and practical implications for scholars and eco-friendly marketing professionals.
Photoassociative laser induced fluorescence of XeCl

Following a pulsed discharge in a Xe/Cl2 mixture, free–bound absorption spectra were observed from analysis of the subsequent bound–free (and bound) emission of XeCl(B). In addition, the expected bound–bound XeCl(X–B) absorption followed by bound–free (and bound) emission was observed. The time resolved emission gives ∼10 and ∼150 ns for the radiative lifetimes of the XeCl(B) and XeCl(C) states.
Positive Leadership in Organizations

Positive leadership is a major domain of positive organizational scholarship. The adjective “positive” applies to any leader behavioral pattern (style) that creates the conditions by which organizational members can self-actualize, grow, and flourish at work. Some examples of style are authentic, transformational, servant, ethical, leader–member exchange, identity leadership, and the leader character model. Despite the myriad constructive outcomes that relate to said positive leadership styles, positive leadership it is not without its critics. The three main criticisms are that (a) the field is fragmented and might suffer from conceptual redundancy, (b) extant research focuses on the individual level of analysis and neglects reciprocal and cross-level effects, and (c) positive leadership is naïve and not useful for managing organizations. Our multilevel model of positive leadership in organizations proposes that leaders rely on internalization and integration to incorporate meaningful life experiences and functional social norms into their core self. Further, through self-awareness and introspection, leaders discover and exercise their latent character strengths. In turn, positive leaders influence followers through exemplary role modeling and in turn followers validate leaders by adopting their attributes and self-determined behaviors. At the team level of analysis, positive team leaders elevate workgroups into teams by four mechanisms that shape a shared “sense of we,” and workgroup members legitimize positive leaders by granting them a leader role identity and assuming follower role identities. Finally, at the organizational level, organizational leaders can shape a virtuous culture by anchoring it on universal virtues and through corporate social responsibility actions improve their context. Alternatively, organizations can shape a virtuous culture through organizational learning.
A Novel Simple, Adaptive, and Versatile Soft-Robotic Compliant Two-Finger Gripper With an Inherently Gentle Touch

In soft robotics, there is still a great need for a universal but simple gripper that realizes a high level of adaptability as well as a gentle touch to a wide variety of unknown objects of different size, shape, stiffness, and weight without the use of sensors or vision. Various, mostly complex grippers already exist based on certain actuation concepts. However, each solution has specific limitations, especially regarding gripping different soft and delicate objects. Therefore, this paper introduces a new approach to design a simple, adaptive, and versatile soft robotic two-finger gripper that is based on compliant mechanisms. More specifically, an inherently gentle touch is realized by utilizing an optimally synthesized mechanism with distributed compliance in combination with a conventional linear actuator. It is shown by finite elements method (FEM) simulations that the gripper realizes a high force and motion transmission at the same time. Furthermore, it is demonstrated by tests with a gripper prototype that reliable, safe, and fast grasping as well as manipulation are possible for a wide variety of objects. It is shown that beside regular and stiff objects also very challenging objects can be easily gripped, e.g., small, irregular, soft, and squeezable objects like fruits, berries, and vegetables. Moreover, it is confirmed that the developed compliant two-finger gripper can be used beneficially without sensors and control for differently sized and shaped objects with a comparable weight.
Adsorptive Removal of Arsenic by Mesoporous Iron Oxide in Aquatic Systems

In an effort to explore the potential for the removal of arsenic from water, mesoporous iron oxide (MI) was prepared using a sonochemical method. The surface area and average pore size of the MI sample were determined using a Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) analysis to be 269 m2/g and 6.9 nm, respectively. Kinetic experiments revealed that more than 90% of the As(III) and As(V) were adsorbed onto the MI sample within 5 min at 0.1 g/L of MI dosage. The Langmuir equation model suited As(V), whereas As(III) related better to the Freundlich equation model due to different adsorption mechanisms. The predominant mechanism of As(V) adsorption onto MI is thought to be the electrostatic force between As(V) and MI, whereas As(III) in the solution bound to the adsorbed As(III) on the MI in a way consistent with van der Waals attraction. The removal rate of As(III) and As(V) has the highest adsorption efficiency in the pH 5–9 range. The adsorption of As(III) and As(V) was little affected by ionic strength, however the presence of H4SiO40 and PO43− significantly reduced the arsenic adsorption capacity. Furthermore, the adsorption and regeneration efficiency of MI was maintained at around 100% for given adsorption–regeneration cycles.