Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Pedagogical Model for Immersive Virtual Reality Safety Training: Mixed-Methods Research

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has potential for increasing training engagement in many disciplines, including safety training. Nevertheless, its educational use remains detached from learning theory. We address this gap by asking what kind of pedagogical model supports IVR occupational safety training. The model we propose is theoretically based on simulation learning and IVR learning research. The model is being developed in design-based research and we have empirically tested it during training interventions. Data were collected from questionnaires, observations, video recordings and stimulated recall interviews, and were analysed using mixed methods. The results were used to develop the pedagogical model. They advance IVR learning theory and educational practise.
Earth Fire and Water: applying novel techniques to eradicate the invasive procumbent pearlwort Sagina procumbens, on Gough Island, a World Heritage Site in the South Atlantic

The Eurasian plant procumbent pearlwort (Sagina procumbens) was first reported in 1998 on Gough Island, a cool-temperate island and World Heritage Site in the central South Atlantic. The first population was discovered adjacent to a meteorological station, which is its assumed point of arrival. Despite numerous eradication attempts, the species has spread along a few hundred metres of coastal cliff, but has not as yet been found in the island’s sub-Antarctic-like mountainous interior. At South Africa’s sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands Sagina is spreading rapidly in vegetated and unvegetated habitats, and is considered beyond control. A similar situation could eventuate on Gough Island if the plant spreads inland, with deleterious effects on the island’s ecosystems. Eradication methods progressively used on Gough Island included mechanical removal and dumping of plants and seed-infested soil at sea well away from the island, application of herbicides to kill both growing plants and germinating seeds, gas flames to kill seeds and seedlings in rock cracks, near-boiling water to kill seeds in soil, high-pressure water jets to strip infested areas of soil and peat down to bedrock, and spraying with salt water. Germination trials have shown that spraying with sea water inhibits seedling production and a steady decline in seed load in infested areas over almost a decade. However, eradication has been hampered by the plant’s inconspicuous nature, fast growth rate, large seed production leading to an equally large seed bank, long-lived seeds, difficult terrain that requires qualified rope-access technicians to work in safety, and the island’s remote location. Although eradication has not yet been achieved, S. procumbens remains confined to its current restricted distribution on the island.
and in the Symbiotic Reef Coral, Acropora cervicornis

of a dissertation at the University of Miami. Dissertation supervised by Professor Chris Langdon. No. of pages in text. (164) Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) dissolves in the ocean, decreasing the calcium carbonate saturation state (Ωaragonite) and creating conditions unfavorable for calcification (G) in reef-building corals. Understanding the effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs requires a robust description of the relationship between Ω and calcification (Ω-G) at both the reef scale and at the organismal scale. To evaluate the Ω-G relationship on the reef, we conducted repeat surveys across 200 km of the Florida Reef Tract over a 2 year period. Results showed that net community calcification switches from positive in the summer to negative in the winter, indicating net dissolution and revealing that the reef tract is currently straddling the tipping point between reef growth and loss. To evaluate the Ω-G relationship at the organismal scale, we grew Acropora cervicornis under six CO2 levels, 2-3 times more than typically achieved in laboratory settings. The associated Ω stretched from current levels to highly undersaturated seawater, creating a robust test of linearity of the Ω-G relationship. Our results show that the Ω-G relationship is linear and maintained even in highly undersaturated seawater. The effect of pCO2 on calcification was also strongly mediated by heterotrophy, which significantly alleviated the effect of ocean acidification at all pCO2 levels. The obligate symbiont, Symbiodinium microadriacticum, also showed a significant response to increasing pCO2 and declined in density in both corals in the laboratory (A. cervicornis), and in corals at natural CO2 vents in the South Pacific (Acropora millepora and Pocillopora damicornis). This dissertation demonstrates that while heterotrophy can offset a significant portion of the negative effects of ocean acidification, coral calcification still declines in direct proportion to reductions in Ω. At the community level, evidence is presented that calcification on the Florida Reef Tract exists near the threshold for net carbonate accretion. Thus, while corals can utilize heterotrophic sources of nutrients to alleviate the effects of ocean acidification, it is unlikely to translate into net reef growth in the natural environment, where net annual dissolution is already occurring. This thesis is dedicated to my husband, Scott Alexander Smith. For being the one person who always believed I could do everything I said I could. To my parents: I am grateful for setting an example of strong work ethics balanced with perspective. To my children: I am grateful for making my life enjoyable, and reminding me how much I have left to learn.
The Use of FTIR Spectroscopy as a Tool for the Seasonal Variation Analysis and for the Quality Control of Polysaccharides from Seaweeds

Macroalgae are a potentially novel source of nutrition and biologically active molecules. Proliferative species such as Eucheuma denticulatum, Solieria chordalis (red algae) and Sargassum muticum (brown alga) constitute a huge biomass that can be exploited. In this study, we focus on the extraction of polysaccharides from these three macroalgae species and the characterization of cell wall polysaccharides such as carrageenans, fucoidans and alginates by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy with Attenuated Reflectance Module (FTIR-ATR). The comparison of purified extracts with commercial solutions of fucoidans, alginates or carrageenans shows a strong similarity between the spectra. It demonstrates that the methods of extraction that have been used are also suitable purifying technics. Moreover, it validates infrared spectroscopy as a quick, simple and non-destructive method for the accurate analysis of polysaccharides. The FTIR technique applied to samples collected at different periods of the year allowed us to highlight differences in the composition of fucoidans, alginates and carrageenans. Different classes corresponding to the season can be distinguished by statistical multidimensionnal analysis (Principal Component Analysis) showing that the structure of algal polysaccharides, related to bioactivity, depends on the period of harvest. FTIR results showed that S. chordalis and E. denticulatum possess a dominant type of carrageenan called iota-carrageenan. This type of carrageenan is in the majority when the alga is at maturity in its development cycle. During its growth phase, iota-carrageenan precursors can be detected by FTIR spectra, enabling a better control of the extraction and an application of these compounds in various economic sectors. When the alga E. denticulatum is in its juvenile stage, we found traces of kappa-carrageenan and nu-carrageenan polysaccharides in some extracts.
Factors associated with academic motivation in nursing students: A cross-sectional study

Academic motivation encourages people to participate in learning activities and directs, maintains, and determines the intensity of learning behaviors. Therefore, nursing students require high-quality academic motivation to continuously and effectively improve their medical knowledge and skills continuously and effectively. This study measures nursing students' academic motivation and identifies the associated factors. A cross-sectional study design was used. The total sample included 237 undergraduate nursing students. The data were collected from October to November 2022 in a public university located in Southwestern Vietnam. The level of academic motivation was measured using the Vietnamese version of the Academic Motivation Scale. The data were analyzed using the independent Student's t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and regression analysis. The study showed that nursing students had high academic motivation. However, there were still more than one-third of students (39.3%) whose quality of academic motivation was not good. Through simple linear regression analysis, it showed that appropriate training regulations of the school; getting support/questions answers or good examples in learning from lecturers/medical staff at the clinical practice site; joining a club about learning; intending to teach in the field of nursing, ability to deal with difficulties were the factors that affect nursing students' academic motivation. Many associated factors influence the academic motivation of nursing students. Further effective interventions are needed to address this issue.
Numerical Simulation of PFOA in Tokyo Bay using EMT-3D

A three-dimensional ecological model (EMT-3D) was applied to Tokyo Bay for the simulation of PFOA. EMT-3D was calibrated with seawater analysis data obtained from the study area in 2004. The simulated results of dissolved PFOA were in good agreement with the observed values, with a correlation coefficient(R) of 0.71150. 8759 and a coefficient of determination of 0.50620. 7672. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that partition rate, adsorption rate and settling rate were important factors for PFOA in particulate organic matter. In the case of PFOA in phytoplankton, bioconcentration factor, uptake rate and partition rate were important factors. Therefore, the parameters must be carefully considered in the modeling. In the case of 50% and 80% total loads reduction, concentration of dissolved PFOA was shown to be lower than 20ng/L and 10ng/L, respectively. In the case of reduction of loads from rivers in each prefecture, Tokyo prefecture was found to have the most influence on the change of dissolved PFOA in surface water while Chiba prefecture was found to have the most influnce on the change of dissolved PFOA in bottom water.
BIT ERROR PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT FOR UNDERWATER ACOUSTIC NOISE CHANNEL BY USING CHANNEL CODING

The harm that underwater noise pollution poses to aquatic ecosystems and the resources that support it are being acknowledged on a worldwide scale. Fisheries and ecotourism are only two of the important businesses that are impacted by noise pollution. Reducing underwater impact noise is a major challenge for underwater acoustic communication systems. However, the implementation of noise reduction measures (noise abatement) remains limited. Most communication systems assume that the noise is both additive and Gaussian. Underwater Acoustic Noise (UWAN) systems generally perform poorly because of the often large non-Gaussian components in intermittent noise in the ocean. This study presents an experimental model (Dolphin-EAR DE200 Series) sound channel noise underwater at Lake Diyala Hamrin, Iraq, using a hydrophone model. Low data volume, multipath propagation, low bandwidth, and higher bit error rate (BER) of received data are major issues for underwater communication systems. In this paper, the Underwater Acoustic Channel (UWAC) aspect is evaluated and an error performance term is determined from the noise in the Student's t-distribution. In addition, Signals using binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) are used to generate error power analysis.
Studies on the Effect of the Addition of Nano-Spherical Particles of Aluminum on the Thermal, Mechanical, and Morphological Properties of PBT–PET Blend Composites

In previous works, we had found that the addition of micron-sized, irregular-shaped aluminum (Al) powder, or Al nano platelets (flakes), improved the mechanical properties of polyesters, and that, additionally, the flakes led to an increase in electrical conductivity. The aim of this work was to examine the effect of nano-spherical particles of aluminum in a 60/40 PBT/PET polyester blend. A blend was used because it can help with the formation of a segregated network of metal particles that allows electrical conductivity at low loading. The notched Izod impact of Al nano-spherical composites increased with nano Al content up to an addition level of 2 vol.%. However, the tensile strength and flexural strength decreased gradually with increasing filler loading. Thus, the spherical shape and nano size of the Al particle caused it to be less effective than the micron-sized, irregular-shaped Al powder, or the Al flakes. The reason for this is that, while nano spherical particles have high surface area for bonding with the matrix, the Al–Al aggregation stands in the way of wetting by the polymer melt, whereas aggregation in flakes does not cause as much of a problem. The segregated network structure to enhance electrical conductivity did not form in this blend system with nano spherical particles. The nano-spherical Al acted as a nucleating agent but did not cause transesterification between the two polyesters or make it more susceptible to degradation.
Assessing the potential benefits of methane oxidation technologies using a concentration-based framework

Lowering the atmospheric methane concentration is critical to reducing short-term global warming because of methane’s high radiative forcing and relatively short lifetime. Methane could be destroyed at its emissions sources or removed from the atmosphere by oxidizing it to carbon dioxide and water vapor, greatly lowering the warming effect. Here we provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first estimate of the amount of methane that is emitted at a given concentration. We use this to assess the potential benefits (global temperature, air quality, and economic) of various technologies that could oxidize methane above specific concentration thresholds. We estimate that global mean surface temperature could be reduced by 0.2 °C ± 0.1 °C by continuously oxidizing all anthropogenic methane emitted above 1000 parts per million (the lowest concentration addressable with current commercial technologies). Continuously oxidizing all methane currently emitted above ten parts per million could cause 0.4 °C ± 0.2 °C of cooling. For the economic benefit of removing atmospheric methane to outweigh the associated energy cost, we show that reactors that use heat to oxidize methane must operate at most 3 °C ± 2 °C above ambient temperature while those that use light must convert at least 9% ± 8% of photons into oxidized methane molecules. Our framework can be used by scientists, engineers, and policymakers to better understand the connections between methane sources, including their emission rates and concentrations, and the technologies that can oxidize those emissions.
A critical review of multiple alternative pathways for the production of a high-value bioproduct from sugarcane mill byproducts: the case of adipic acid

Biobased fuels, chemicals, and materials can replace fossil fuel products and mitigate climate change. Sugarcane mills have the potential to produce a wider range of biobased chemicals in a similar approach to bioethanol production, including adipic acid. Multiple alternative pathways for converting simple sugars into adipic acid have been described, with the potential for integration into a sugar mill. The economics and expected greenhouse gas emissions reductions compared to fossil-based adipic acid were investigated in the present study to identify preferred pathways for implementation in sugarcane biorefineries. Nine biobased pathways for adipic acid production were screened for technical performances, resulting in the selection of four preferred options for rigorous comparison, i.e., direct microbial conversion of sugars, and production via cis,cis-muconic acid, glucaric acid, and glycerol as intermediate, obtained from sugars. The minimum selling prices of adipic acid for an attractive return on investment were determined for these pathways, using either A-molasses or a combination of A-molasses and pretreated sugarcane lignocelluloses in biorefineries designed to be energy-self-sufficient. Adipic acid production from A-molasses via cis,cis-muconic acid was the best overall performing scenario with the lowest minimum selling price of USD 2,538/Mt and lowered greenhouse gas emissions (2,325 g CO2 eq/kg wet) compared to fossil-based adipic acid production. The scenarios with combined A-molasses and lignocellulosic feedstock had increased minimum selling prices by 29 to 101% compared to adipic acid production from A molasses via cis,cis-muconic acid.
Improvement of Methods of Analysis
and Forecasting of Industrial Injuries
in the Electric Workshop of the Mining
and Processing Plant

The study of the causes of injuries and ways to solve them at enterprises and industries of the mining, oil and gas and construction sectors has attracted a lot of attention of researchers in recent years. To study this issue, an analysis of injuries in the electric workshop of the Mining and Processing Plant. The methodological basis of the study was the modern provisions of the theory and practice on occupational safety and health, injuries at enterprises and industries of the mining, oil and gas and construction sectors, as well as at enterprises of the electric power industry. The statistical method, comparative analysis, content analysis of regulatory documentation, modeling are used in the work. Also, a statistical method was used to determine the most traumatic areas, and a quantitative assessment of the risk of danger was determined using the Kinney method. According to the results of the study, it was established that the most traumatic are workers with experience from 1 to 4 years, when a specialist is becoming and adapting to working conditions.
New Strong Constraints on the Central Behaviour of Spherical Galactic Models

First of all, we show that any spherically symmetric galactic model with integrated mass profile M(r)→0 as r→0 is physically correct close to the centre only provided that the circular velocity vc(r)→0 and the gravitational field g(r)→0 as r→0. Next, we apply this statement to a broad class of five-parameter spherical galactic models, including most of those used in astrophysics and cosmology. Specifically, we show that the Jaffe and Hernquist models can be trusted only for r≳0.2Re (Re being the effective radius), while the Navarro–Frank–White (NFW) model cannot describe galaxies in the central region of regular clusters. We also briefly discuss the relevance of our result for the NFW profile of pure dark matter halos. However, we are unable to tell at which central distance the NFW model breaks down in either case, and this is a challenge for future investigations.
Assessing spring-mass similarity in elite and recreational runners

The dynamic complexity and individualization of running biomechanics has challenged the development of objective and comparative gait measures. Here, we present and explore several novel biomechanical metrics for running that are informed by a canonical inter-species gait template–the spring-mass model. The measures assess running mechanics systemically against the template via quantifying characteristics of a runner’s kinetics relative to the energy-conserving elastic system–i.e., their “spring-mass similarity”. Applying these metrics in a retrospective cohort investigation, we studied the overground kinetics of two heterogenous populations of runners in two footwear conditions: elite and recreational athletes in shod and barefoot conditions. Across all measures and within foot strike types, the elite runners exhibited mechanics that were more similar to those of the ideally elastic spring-mass template. The elite runners had more symmetric bounces, less discrepancy (i.e., greater coordination) between horizontal and vertical kinetic changes, and better fit to a spring-mass vertical ground reaction force time series. Barefoot running elicited greater kinetic coordination in the recreational runners. At a faster speed, the elites further improved their similarity to the template. Overall, the more economical elite group exhibited greater likeness to the linearly elastic, energy-conserving spring-mass system than their recreational counterparts. This study introduces novel biomechanical measures related to performance in distance running. More broadly, it provides new, approachable metrics for systemic quantification of gait biomechanics in runners across all demographics. These metrics may be applied to assess a runner’s global biomechanical response to a variety of interventions, including training adaptations, rehabilitation programs, and footwear conditions.
Joint Optimal Dispatch of Complex Urban Raw Water Supply: A Case Study of Lanxi City, Zhejiang Province, China

Water resources play a vital role in supporting urban economic and social development and ecological and environmental protection. Water shortage is a key factor that restricts the high-quality development of cities, while the coordinated and optimized allocation of urban raw water is an important measure to alleviate the water supply–demand imbalance. The current research on urban water supply issues and their underlying causes still needs to be further strengthened. Similarly, the formulation of rules for multi-source and cross-district water supply should pay more attention. This paper proposes a general analytical process consisting of four main stages: problem identification, system generalization, rule formulation, and model construction and solution for the joint optimal scheduling of raw water in a complex urban water supply system. This study investigates the significant water resource wastage and structural water shortage in the reservoirs of Lanxi City. The optimal scheduling plan is proposed by formulating rational rules for inter-district water supply and establishing a multi-source and multi-objective joint optimization scheduling model. Compared to the current independent scheduling scheme and multi-water source joint dispatching scheme based on the current dispatch diagram, the optimal scheduling plan effectively reduced the cumulative water shortage by 68.04 million m3 and 29.72 million m3, respectively, and increased the urban water supply guarantee rate in all districts of the city to over 90%. This study offers valuable insights to urban water resource managers, empowering them to develop optimal multiple water source supply rules that align to the specific characteristics of other case studies.