Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rangeland watershed study using the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender

Information on grazing land conservation practices and their effectiveness in controlling nonpoint source pollution and watershed health at the watershed/landscape scale is necessary for future planning and resource allocation. The objectives of this study were to test the ability of the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model to simulate hydrologic and soil processes at the watershed scale and utilize the model to evaluate the benefit of rangeland in reducing sediment loading and the benefit of potential conservation practices within a rangeland watershed. The model was calibrated and validated for stream flow and sediment yield for two watersheds within the Cowhouse Creek Watershed in north-central Texas: Cowhouse Creek Watershed upstream of Pidcoke (CCUP) Watershed (1,178 km2 [290,966 ac]) and Clear Creek (CC) Watershed (57.3 km2 [14,153 ac]). Nash-Sutcliffe efficiencies for the watersheds ranged from 0.62 to 0.71 and 0.71 to 0.81 for monthly and annual stream flow, and from 0.51 to 0.84 and 0.60 to 0.84 for monthly and annual sediment yields, respectively. The percent errors ranged from −9.3% to 12.7% for stream flow and from −22.6% to 11.5% for sediment yield. In addition to APEX model calibration/validation, various modeling scenarios (e.g., cropland expansion and brush control/reduced grazing rate conservation practices) were derived and analyzed for the CCUP watershed. The cropland expansion scenario analysis (less than 0.1% continuous corn to 39% continuous corn) indicated that the current rangeland has the benefit of reducing sediment loading by 65%. Rangeland conservation practice scenario modeling identified substantial reductions in overland sediment losses for conversion of range brush to range grass on Evant soil areas, with an average reduction of 58.8% from treated areas. However, the sediment loading to the CCUP watershed outlet at Pidcoke was only reduced by 7% due to the low treated area of 6%. The reducing stocking rate scenario was less effective compared with brush removal since the current 10 ha cattle−1 (24 ac cattle−1) was not considered a heavy stocking rate. Reducing the current stocking rate to 15 ha cattle−1 (37 ac cattle−1) reduced sediment loading by 5%. This study shows that the APEX model is able to replicate measured stream flow and sediment yields for rangeland watersheds with satisfactory performance based on well-accepted statistical criteria.
Ethical practices of controversial marketing strategy, Brand reputation, and Brand personality: a moderated mediation analysis

: Purpose – The main purpose of the article is to use controversial marketing strategy to build the brand personality through the mediation effect of brand reputation taking into consideration that the ethical practices is a must in the Egyptian market. additionally, studying the moderated-mediation role of both gender and age of Egyptian consumers. Design/methodology/approach – For a sample of 415 Egyptian consumers, a survey using a standardised questionnaire was undertaken using the electronic survey (google format). Additionally, descriptive analysis and a correlation analysis were carried out using SPSS V.28. Then, using Smart PLS V.3. 2.9, a Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed to assess the hypotheses driven from the study's research model. Theoretical support will enable deeper investigation into the idea of controversial marketing tactics that strengthen brand reputation and personality. The J. Aaker's brand personality scale was applied to meet these goals. Findings – Results revealed that ethical practices of controversial marketing strategy yielded a significant positive effect on brand reputation. Also, brand reputation yielded a significant positive effect on brand personality. On the contrast, ethical practices of controversial marketing strategy have no significant direct effect on brand personality. On the other hand, the mediation analysis yielded as significant positive indirect effect from ethical practices of controversial marketing strategy on brand personality by mediating brand reputation. Moreover, gender moderates the relationship from ethical practices of controversial marketing strategy to brand personality Also, gender moderates the relationship from ethical practices of controversial marketing strategy to brand reputation. Beside, age moderates the relationship from brand reputation to brand personality. Aside from, age moderates the relationship from ethical practices of controversial marketing strategy to brand personality. On the contrast, age does not moderate the relationship from ethical practices of controversial marketing strategy to brand reputation. Finally, these results confirm the moderated-mediation role of both
The Effect Of Role Play Strategy In Teaching Vocabulary At The Eighth Grade Of SMP Negeri 5 Pematang Siantar

The aim of this research is to look at The Effect Of Role Play Strategy In Teaching Vocabulary At The Eighth Grade Of Smp Negeri 5 Pematang Siantar. This research would employ a quasi-experimental design with a quantitative research and a "pre-test and post-test" methodology. The objective of the research was to determine whether or not eighth grade children learn vocabulary well through role-playing. The researcher used just two classes as samples. The experimental group is VIII-3, whereas the control group is VIII-4. The mean achievement of these two groups is comparable. Where each class has 31 students. The VIII-3 class was designated as the experimental group, and they would teach through Role Play Strategy, while the VIII-4 class was designated as the control group, and they would not be employing any Role Play Strategy. From the results of the data analysis in the previous study, it can be concluded that Role Play Strategy plays a key role in helping students improve their vocabulary. The use of the Role Play Strategy can help students become more proficient in vocabulary. During the vocabulary lesson in the classroom, the students are more engaged and exhibit greater creativity and innovation. T-test > T-table (3.9 > 1.671), based on the analysis results at the 5% significance level. It also shows that (Ho) was rejected but (Ha) was accepted. The novelty of this research is that students are more active and interested in the learning process, students understand the material more easily, and students have a greater curiosity.
Deep Learning-Based Hybrid Beamforming Design for IRS-Aided MIMO Communication

In this letter, we study an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-aided multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system in which a transmitter equipped with hybrid precoding architecture communicates to a receiver with hybrid combining architecture via an IRS. We propose a deep learning (DL) based approach to jointly learn and predict the features of the IRS reflection matrix and the hybrid beamformers while maximizing the spectral efficiency. To accomplish this, we first propose the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) algorithm to design the IRS matrix. This matrix is then used to form an effective channel that serves as input to a two-stage neural network. The neural networks are trained sequentially to estimate the IRS matrix, as well as the hybrid precoding and combining matrices. Simulation results verify that our proposed model achieves a performance that is close to the full-digital based scheme; achieves comparable performance to some state-of-the-art algorithms while with reduced computational complexity; and outperforms the scheme implemented without an IRS.
Cytokine polymorphisms in patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is due to autoantibodies with or without complement activation and involves cellular and cytokine dysregulation. Here, we investigated cytokine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-10, IL-6, and IFN-γ, along with their serum levels. The former were related to hematological parameters, therapy, and clinical outcome. The study included 123 consecutive patients with primary AIHA [77 warm AIHA and 46 cold agglutinin disease (CAD)], followed up for a median of 49 months. Results show that the allelic frequency of TNF-α -308 G/A polymorphisms was significantly lower in patients versus controls. Moreover, the genotypic frequency of TNF-α -308G/A and TGF-β gene codon 25 G/C genotypes was significantly lower in patients versus controls. Considering cytokine SNP genotypes associated with different gene expression levels, TNF-α high gene expression was significantly more frequent in patients, TGF-β and IL-10 high gene expression was higher in patients with more severe anemia, and TGF-β high gene expression was higher in patients with active disease. Considering treatment, TNF-α and TGF-β high gene expression was more frequent in multitreated patients and particularly in CAD. It may be speculated that this genetic predisposition to a stronger inflammatory response may result in a greater immune dysregulation and in a relapsed/refractory disease. Regarding cytokine serum levels, TNF-α and TGF-β were significantly lower, and IL-10 and IL-6 were significantly higher in patients versus controls, underlying the complex interplay between genetic background and disease features.
Therapeutic aspects of dietary fibre and glycemic index: a brief review

Simple sugars, complex polysaccharides, and dietary fibres are all examples of dietary carbohydrates. A healthy diet should consist of more complex and less added carbohydrates. Dietary fibre is a non-digestible carbohydrate that is not digested and absorbed by the body but is required for satiety and bowel motility. Dietary fibre contains cellulose, hemicellulose, pectins, gums, mucilages, and lignin, which are resistant to enzymatic digestion. Various components of dietary fibre include arabinoxylan, inulin, β-glucan, pectin, bran, and resistant starches. Dietary fibre is a carbohydrate that resists digestion and absorption in the large intestine and may or may not be fermented by bacteria. Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced in the gut by the breakdown of fibre by intestinal microorganisms and offer energy calories (2 kcal/g). Dietary guidelines recommend increasing the dietary fibre intake since a high fibre intake provides health benefits and prevents dietary and life-style diseases. The aim of the present review article is to understand and suggest better dietary carbohydrates containing high fibre with low glycemic index for the prevention of diabetes, obesity and lifestyle diseases. The different types of carbohydrates in the diet need further recommendation to elucidate its function in health and diseases.
The Relationship between Machiavellianism and Organizational Citizenship Behavior “An applied study on Mansoura University Employees”

This study examined the relationship between Machiavellianism and Organizational Citizenship Behavior. The research adopted the philosophy of positivism, the deductive approach, and the method of quantitative analysis as the research methodology. Based on established measurement scales, a questionnaire-based deductive approach was used to collect data from a quota sample of 379 employees from Mansoura University. The proposed model and hypotheses were analyzed using the structural equation modelling employing the PLS-SEM. The results indicated that Machiavellianism is negatively related to Organizational Citizenship Behavior and also showed that Machiavellianism is negatively related to Organizational Citizenship Behavior dimensions (Obedience, Loyalty, and Participation). Theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations and venues for future research are presented.
Optimizing Dental Bond Strength: Insights from Comprehensive Literature Review and Future Implications for Clinical Practice

This review examines the modifying factors affecting bond strength in various bonding scenarios, particularly their relevance to the longevity of dental restorations. Understanding these factors is crucial for improving clinical outcomes in dentistry. Data were gathered from the PubMed database, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar resources, covering studies from 1992 to 2022. The findings suggest that for dentin-resin bonds, minimizing smear layers and utilizing MMP inhibitors to prevent hybrid layer degradation are essential. In the case of resin-resin bonds, reversing blood contamination is possible, but preventing saliva contamination is more challenging, underscoring its critical importance during clinical procedures. Additionally, while pretreatment on ceramics has minimal impact on bond strength, the influence of specific colorings should be carefully considered in treatment planning. This comprehensive review highlights that although established practices recognize significant bond strength factors, ongoing research provides valuable insights to enhance the clinical experience for patients. Once confirmed through rigorous experimentation, these emerging findings should be swiftly integrated into dental practice to improve patient outcomes.
Energy dissipation, runoff production, and the three-dimensional structure of river basins

Three principles of optimal energy expenditure are used to derive the most important structural characteristics observed in drainage networks: (1) the principle of minimum energy expenditure in any link of the network, (2) the principle of equal energy expenditure per unit area of channel anywhere in the network, and (3) the principle of minimum total energy expenditure in the network as a whole. Their joint application results in a unified picture of the most important empirical facts which have been observed in the dynamics of the network and its three-dimensional structure. They also link the process of runoff production in the basin with the characteristics of the network.
Past and present biomass consumption by herbivores and fire across productivity gradients in North America

Herbivores and fire are important consumers of plant biomass that influence vegetation structure, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity globally. Departures from historic biomass consumption patterns due to wild herbivore losses, livestock proliferation, and altered fire regimes can have critical ecological consequences. We set out to (i) understand how consumer dominance and prevalence responded to spatial and temporal moisture gradients in Holocene North America and (ii) examine how past and present consumer dominance patterns in North America compare to less altered consumer regimes of modern Sub-Saharan Africa. We developed long-term records of bison abundance and biomass burning in Holocene midcontinent North America and compared these records to reconstructions of moisture availability and vegetation structure. We used these reconstructions to characterize bison and fire prevalence across associated moisture and vegetation gradients. We found that bison herbivory dominated biomass consumption in dry settings whereas fire dominated in wetter environments. Historical distributions of herbivory and burning in midcontinent North America resemble those of contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa, suggesting disturbance feedbacks and interactions regulate long-term consumer dynamics. Comparisons of consumer dynamics in contemporary North America with Holocene North America and Sub-Saharan Africa also reveal that fire is functionally absent from regions where it was once common, with profound ecological implications.
Design of a GSM 900 Energy Harvesting Model for a Remote-Control Device

— This paper deals with designing and simulation of an efficient RF-DC energy harvesting system for a remote control device. GSM down-link frequency of 935MHz to 960MHz and uplink frequency of 890MHz to 915MHz is taken as the RF source with centre frequency as 950MHz and 900MHz respectively. The simulation model has been created by using Advanced Design System (ADS) software. Performance of the circuit has been tested with matching and without matching circuits. The output voltage obtained was 0.372V DC and maximum efficiency up to 35.73% was achieved for the downlink GSM frequency by the lumped method for -10dB input source power. By considering more number of rectifier stages, output DC voltage can be increased and it can be utilized for replacing DC battery of the remote control device.
End-to-End Planner for Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robots Collaborative Objects Manipulation, Transport and Handover to Human Application

Collaborative object manipulation and transport with self-reconfigurable modular robots can take a major role in improving modularity and adaptability of smart-home and factory-like environments. Controlling modules to achieve efficient behaviours is challenging due to the high number of degrees of freedom in the system and the physical constraints. We present an end-to-end planner that discovers collaborative behaviours for modules to manipulate and transport objects to bring them to a human defined place. Our approach is based on a centralized planner using stochastic best-first search with a custom heuristic and pruning strategy. We use Quadratic Programming to define multi-robot controller to evaluate action feasibility for transitions between the search tree nodes with respect to important constraints of the system (collisions, joint and torque limits). The controller can be design to be aware of human reachable space for object handover and use it as a measure to asses closeness to the goal node. Results show that the proposed method can effectively coordinate the actions of multiple robots, leading to an emerging efficient manipulation and transport of objects with variable shapes and weight to within human reachable space. This work brings self-reconfigurable modular robots one step closer to assistive human-robot interaction applications or smart logistics.
Genomic Characterization of an Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variant During the Early Second Wave of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic in Maharashtra, India

Background The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a global health crisis, with various variants emerging over time. In India, particularly in Maharashtra, a resurgence of cases and distinct transmission patterns have been observed. This study aimed to identify and characterize the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants during the early second wave in Maharashtra, India. Materials and methods Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 24 RT-PCR-positive coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) cases across four districts of Maharashtra. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed using the ARTIC amplicon sequencing protocol, and the data were analyzed. Results A total of 189 amino-acid mutations were identified across the 24 samples. Compared to the Indian genomes, 44 amino-acid mutations were unique to 24 genomes. Clade 20A was the most prevalent (66.66%), followed by 20B and 21B. The lineage B.1. 36 (45.83%) was the most common, followed by B.1. 617.1 (16.67%). The D614G mutation was the most frequent spike mutation (95.83%). Four samples from the Amravati district clustered distinctly under Clade 21B with spike mutations E154K in the N-terminal domain (NTD), L452R and E484Q in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and P681R in proximity to the furin cleavage site. The temporal distribution of samples revealed the presence of Clade 21B in Maharashtra since the 31st of January 2021. Conclusion The study provides valuable insights into the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants during the early second wave in Maharashtra, highlighting specific clades and mutations. The unique clustering patterns and the high prevalence of immune-escape mutations emphasize the need for continuous monitoring and genomic surveillance.
Basal area increment trends across age classes for two long-lived tree species in the eastern U.S.

Introduction Basal area increment (BAI) is used in forest growth and modeling studies because it provides an accurate quantification of wood production due to the ever-increasing diameter of a growing tree (Rubino and McCarthy 2000). The BAI growth of individual trees typically follows a sigmoidal pattern: BAI increases rapidly from young to middle age, plateaus and remains level during a protracted period of middle age and then declines as trees become old age (Weiner and Thomas 2001). This BAI trend may be related to an increasing tree canopy during early age, a constant canopy volume during middle age, and then a physiological decline in old trees (Spiecker et al. 1996). The sigmoidal growth model using BAI may represent an excellent means for detecting post-European settlement changes in tree growth in eastern North America. BAI is often ignored in dendrochronological studies in lieu of raw or standardized ring width indices (Briffa et al. 1998). In this study, we take a unique approach of examining BAI changes over time across all age classes from young to old trees, rather than just studying the oldest individuals of each species where a sample bias may exist (Cherubini et al. 1998, Voelker et al. 2006). Two tree species were chosen for the study: hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica). The primary objectives of the study are to examine the following:
Estimation du rayonnement solaire global en Algérie pour différents types de ciel

The principal discipline that this program uses is the estimation of global solar radiation, direct and diffuse of different types of skies. Through the theoretical approach of Perrin Brichambaut, valid for a completely clear sky, solar irradiance incident on a horizontal surface was calculated. Regarding the estimation of illumination for different incident angles and directions and that for a completely clear sky, the model of Liu & Jordan has been selected. For determining the type of sky, we used the concept of cloud cover, which is the fraction of sky obscured by all visible clouds. Cloudy conditions are calculated mainly using the factor Kc 'Cloud Attenuation Factor', defined by Kasten et al., 1980. The equation Kc requires that values measured in units, Octas, as found in the meteorological stations. The work involves the determination of cloud cover based on the measured daily global radiation on a horizontal surface. Examples of different days of different types of skies for the sites of Ghardaia and Algiers-Bouzareah were studied and presented for the validation and the comparison of experimental results. Overall, the correlation of theoretical and experimental results are satisfactory. Therefore, this program can be coupled with a professional interface to be manipulated by user friendly design offices, and especially teachers and researchers.
Medellin's aerial cable-cars: Social inclusion and reduced emissions

In 2004, Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, implemented the world’s first modern urban aerial cablecar public transport system. As a relatively cheap, clean and highly visible response to urban transport problems, it has attracted widespread attention from city authorities throughout Latin America, Europe and Asia. The audacious application of proven ski-lift technology to densely populated and hilly low-income informal settlements was subsequently followed by major neighbourhood upgrading comprising new social housing, schools and other social infrastructure, as well as support to micro-enterprises. The combination of these two sets of interventions has helped upgrade and integrate into the city's fabric large areas marked for years by severe poverty and violence.