Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation and Application of Thallium Isotope Fractionation

This contribution summarizes the current state of understanding and recent advances made in the field of stable thallium (Tl) isotope geochemistry. High precision measurements of Tl isotope compositions were developed in the late 1990s with the advent of multiple collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) and subsequent studies revealed that Tl, despite the small relative mass difference of the two isotopes, exhibits substantial stable isotope fractionation, especially in the marine environment. The most fractionated reservoirs identified are ferromanganese sediments with ɛ 205 Tl ≈ +15 and low temperature altered oceanic crust with ɛ 205 Tl ≈ −20. The total isotopic variability of more than 35 ɛ 205 Tl-units hence exceeds the current analytical reproducibility of the measurement technique by more than a factor of 70. This isotopic variation can be explained by invoking a combination of conventional mass dependent equilibrium isotope effects and nuclear field shift isotope fractionation, but the specific mechanisms are still largely unaccounted for. Thallium isotopes have been applied to investigate paleoceanographic processes in the Cenozoic and there is evidence to suggest that Tl isotopes may be utilized as a monitor of the marine manganese oxide burial flux over million year time scales. In addition, Tl isotopes can be used to calculate the magnitude of hydrothermal fluid circulation through ocean crust. It has also been shown that the subduction of marine ferromanganese sediments can be detected with Tl isotopes in lavas erupted in subduction zone settings as well as in ocean island basalts. Meteorite samples display Tl isotope variations that exceed the terrestrial range with a total variability of about 50 ɛ 205 Tl. The large isotopic diversity, however, is generated by both stable Tl isotope fractionations, which reflect the highly volatile and labile cosmochemical nature of the element, and radiogenic decay of extinct 205 Pb to 205 Tl with a half-life of about 15 Ma. The difficulty of deconvolving these two sources of isotopic variability restricts the utility of both the 205 Pb– 205 Tl chronometer and the Tl stable isotope system to inform on early solar system processes.
Estimation of Cronbach reliability based on sample size, gender, and the grades

The study tries to see the effect of different sample sizes on the reliability of creativity tests using Cronbach’s alpha. In addition, the background of the sample (gender and grade) is also detected. The study has a practical significance for designing a sample for estimating reliability using Cronbach alpha. The secondary data are used for analysis. The sample of creativity test is determined purposively, that is, has been administered to 1,960 students. The α-coefficient calculation uses the SPSS program. The result proves in the total sample, the creativity test is reliable (α=0.852). In small sample sizes, the α-coefficients values vary greatly in the different test groups. In the larger sample size, the α-coefficients are closer to constant in the different test groups. For a polytomous scale test with a length of 20 items, the α-coefficients obtained close to constant on the sample size of more than 80 testees. This result indicates for the optimum result the sample size is at least four times larger than the number of test items in reliability analysis, especially Cronbach alpha. Based on the gender aspect, descriptively the α-coefficient in the male group (0.846) was almost equal to the female group (0.851). By grouping the testees based on the grades, there are slight differences in α-coefficients in class IV (0.850), class V (0.841), and class VI (0.809). Regarding the results of this study, in the reliability estimation of test development, it is suggested to consider the adequacy and the characteristic of samples.
Mobile augmented reality in learning chemistry subject: an evaluation of science exploration

Various technologies have been used in making teaching and learning sessions more effective, fun, and enjoyable. One of the ways to make teaching and learning interactive is by emphasizing the use of mobile augmented reality (MAR). Thus, this study has proposed using MAR for a chemistry subject, namely science exploration (SCIENEX). This study adopted design and development research (DDR) by employing the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model. The phases involved in DDR are ADDIE. SCIENEX was evaluated based on its validity, usability, and effectiveness. Five experts validated SCIENEX after it had been completely developed. The samples for usability testing and effectiveness of SCIENEX were 30 secondary school students who were studying chemistry. The results of the evaluation of the experts’ validation revealed that SCIENEX is a valid and appropriate MAR application for the learning of topics in chemistry. The result also revealed that the majority of students strongly agreed that SCIENEX is appropriate for the usage of MAR in learning chemistry, as it is fun, easy to use, and helps students to understand their learning. Interestingly, SCIENEX could increase students’ performance in their learning (t=21.754; p=0.000). Thus, it can be concluded that SCIENEX is valid, can be used for learning chemistry, and can help students in their learning. The limitations of this study and future suggestions for research are also discussed.
Water on the Moon

Abstract After years of thinking the Moon is dry, we now know there are three manifestations in which water appears on the Moon today: 1) Previously hypothesized buried deposits of volatiles at the lunar poles were found at Cabeus crater. There are questions about the origin of such volatiles (i.e., in-falling comets & meteorites, migration of recently formed surficial OH/H2O, and accumulated release from the interior), but there is no doubt the water is there. 2) Widespread, thinly-distributed, surficial OH (or H2O) has been clearly detected across all types of lunar terrain. The consensus is that the OH is derived from solar wind, but we do not know how quickly it forms, nor how mobile it is. 3) The amount of water present soon after the Moon formed is now documented in new analyses of lunar materials in volcanic glass beads, apatites and plagioclase feldspars. Apollo era sample analyses were not precise enough to distinguish between indigenous lunar water and terrestrial contamination. Measurements with modern equipment are more precise (both elemental and isotopic), and can better constrain a host of processes (e.g. diffusion, thermal cycling). Scientists around the world are studying lunar water. Ongoing analyses are informing a number of hypotheses and theories about the connection between the Earth and its wet Moon.
A Novel Deep Stacking-Based Ensemble Approach for Short-Term Traffic Speed Prediction

Advanced technologies, driven by extensive data analysis, support the concept of intelligent cities, which aim to enhance the quality of people’s lives, minimize the consumption of energy, reduce pollution, and promote economic growth. The transportation network is a crucial component of this vision in urbanized cities. However, a massive increase in road traffic poses a significant challenge to achieving this vision. Developing an intelligent transportation system requires accurately predicting the traffic speed. This paper proposes a novel deep stacking-based Ensemble model with a two-layer structure to address the problem of forecasting traffic speed in urbanized transportation networks to solve traffic congestion problems. Firstly, advanced machine learning such as eXtreme Gradient Boosting(XGB), Random Forest(RF), and Extra Tree(ET) as base learners are used to predict short-term traffic speed. In the next phase, the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) as a meta-learner technique, employing various combinations of the aforementioned approaches is used to enhance the accuracy of traffic speed prediction. The proposed stacking-based approach has the capability to analyze, extract, and aggregate various features from primary traffic speed data in order to generate more refined and accurate forecasts. This study used a publicly available dataset of Floating Cars Data collected from real transportation networks for evaluation. Mutual information regression is used as a feature selection technique to obtain the features from the dataset for the training of these models. The performance results are compared with state-of-the-art traffic prediction models. Results show that the proposed stacking-based ensemble strategy outperforms conventional approaches by a large margin such as HA, KNN, SVR, DT, T-GCN, and A3TGCN models. The results demonstrate a notable reduction of 9.71% in RMSE and 15.4% in MAE, indicating enhanced accuracy. Furthermore, our approach achieved a substantial improvement of 13.80% in $\mathbb {R}^{2}$ and 11.64% in EV for the 15-minute prediction horizon.
Hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic liver : Accuracy of pretransplantation ultrasonography

Results: Hepatocellular carcinoma was detected in the explanted liver in 88 (17,8%) patients. The hepatomas ranged in size from 0.1 to 11cm. One or more solid focal lesions were reported in the pretransplant ultrasonography examination in 58 of these patients. In 16 patients, with a focal lesion reported in the pretransplant US examination, no hepatocellular carcinoma was detected in the histopathologic examination. The patient detection sensitivity of ultrasonography for hepatocellular carcinoma was 66%, specificity was 96%, the positive predictive value was 78% and negative predictive value was 93%.
Characteristics and Antimicrobial Activities of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Obtained via Mixed-Mode Chemical/Biogenic Synthesis Using Spent Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) Extracts

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have many practical applications, ranging from environmental protection to biomedicine. IONPs are being investigated due to their high potential for antimicrobial activity and lack of toxicity to humans. However, the biological activity of IONPs is not uniform and depends on the synthesis conditions, which affect the shape, size and surface modification. The aim of this work is to synthesise IONPs using a mixed method, i.e., chemical co-precipitation combined with biogenic surface modification, using extracts from spent hops (Humulus lupulus L.) obtained as waste product from supercritical carbon dioxide hop extraction. Different extracts (water, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 80% ethanol, acetone, water) were further evaluated for antioxidant activity based on the silver nanoparticle antioxidant capacity (SNPAC), total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The IONPs were characterised via UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Spent hop extracts showed a high number of flavonoid compounds. The efficiency of the solvents used for the extraction can be classified as follows: DMSO > 80% ethanol > acetone > water. FT-IR/ATR spectra revealed the involvement of flavonoids such as xanthohumol and/or isoxanthohumol, bitter acids (i.e., humulones, lupulones) and proteins in the surface modification of the IONPs. SEM images showed a granular, spherical structure of the IONPs with diameters ranging from 81.16 to 142.5 nm. Surface modification with extracts generally weakened the activity of the IONPs against the tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts by half. Only the modification of IONPs with DMSO extract improved their antibacterial properties against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus) from a MIC value of 2.5–10 mg/mL to 0.313–1.25 mg/mL.
Colossoma macropomum (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae) adapted to new climate regime: Differential gene expression from farmed tambaqui juveniles raised in subtropical and tropical regions

The Brazilian native fish species with the highest potential in fish farm is Colossoma macropomum . This work investigated whether two populations of farmed C. macropomum respond equally to their captive habitats. 20 tambaqui juveniles from the Brazilian fish farms Balbina and Brumado were selected. We examined genes of specific metabolic pathways: hsp70 , hif-1α , per-1 , cry-1 , acly , mstn , ube3a , ras and ogt . Expression of ras (p = 0.041), cry-1 (p = 0.001), per-1 (p = 0.001), ogt (p = 0.001) and acly (p = 0.025) were significantly lower in Brumado fish. Heatmaps showed extreme relative expression differences for some genes. Integrated biomarker response values for Balbina and Brumado populations were 42.7 and 6.79, respectively. In general, the Brumado population presented lower gene expression than Balbina fish. The differential genetic structure of the populations is likely the most impacting factor, suggesting local adaptation.
Genome‐wide based model predicting recovery from portosystemic shunting after liver shunt attenuation in dogs

Background In dogs with congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS), recovery after surgical CPSS attenuation is difficult to predict. Objectives Our aim was to build a model with plasma albumin concentration and mRNA expression levels of hepatic gene products as predictors of recovery from portosystemic shunting after surgery. Animals Seventy‐three client‐owned dogs referred for surgical attenuation of CPSS. Methods A prediction model was constructed using 2 case‐control studies of recovered and nonrecovered dogs after surgical CPSS attenuation. In the 1st study, a dog‐specific gene expression microarray analysis was used to compare mRNA expression in intraoperatively collected liver tissue between 23 recovered and 23 nonrecovered dogs. In the 2nd study, preoperative plasma albumin concentration and the expression of microarray‐selected genes were confirmed by RT‐qPCR in intraoperatively collected liver samples of 31 recovered and 31 nonrecovered dogs, including 35 dogs from the 1st study. Results In the 1st study, 43 genes were differently expressed in recovered and nonrecovered dogs. The mean preoperative plasma albumin concentration in recovered dogs was higher compared to nonrecovered dogs (23 and 19 g/L, respectively; P = .004). The best fitting prediction model in the 2nd study included preoperative plasma albumin concentration and intraoperative DHDH, ERLEC1, and LYSMD2 gene expression levels. Conclusion and Clinical Importance A preclinical model was constructed using preoperative plasma albumin concentration and intraoperative hepatic mRNA expression of 3 genes that were unbiasedly selected from the genome to predict recovery from portosystemic shunting after shunt ligation. Further development is essential for clinical application.
Enhancing the Production Performance and Nutrient Utilization of Laying Hens by Augmenting Energy, Phosphorous and Calcium Deficient Diets with Fungal Phytase (Trichoderma reesei) Supplementation

Simple Summary Supplementing laying hen diets with fungal phytase derived from Trichoderma reesei can be a beneficial strategy for improving production and nutrient utilization, particularly in cases where hen diets are deficient in energy, phosphorus, and calcium. The phytase enzyme enhances the birds’ ability to digest and absorb essential nutrients, particularly phosphorus and calcium, which are crucial for eggshell formation and overall health. This supplementation addresses deficiencies in conventional diets, promoting optimal egg production and quality. By revealing the nutritional potential of feed through fungal phytase, this approach not only benefits laying hens’ performance but also contributes to more sustainable and cost-effective poultry farming practices. Abstract A ten-week trial was conducted to evaluate the enhancement of production performance and nutrient utilization of laying hens through augmenting energy, phosphorous, and calcium deficient diets with fungal phytase (Trichoderma reesei) supplementation. 720 Hy-line Brown hens aged 28 weeks were randomly divided into 5 groups; each group had 8 replicates of 18 hens. Five experimental diets were prepared and fed to corresponding groups. A positive control (PC) diet contained 3.50% of calcium (Ca), 0.32% of non-phytate phosphorus (NPP), and apparent metabolic energy (AME) of 11.29MJ/kg, while a negative control (NC) diet contained 3.30% of Ca, 0.12% of NPP, and lower AME of 300 kJ/kg. The other three diets were supplemented with 250 FTU/kg phytase (PHY-250), 1000 FTU/kg phytase (PHY-1000), and 2000 FTU/kg phytase (PHY-2000) in addition to a regular NC diet. Results indicated that the positive control (PC) diet group had higher body weight gain, egg weight, and average daily feed intake. However, laying rate, egg mass, and FCR were most improved in the PHY-2000 group, followed by the PHY-1000 and PHY-250 groups (p < 0.05). Improved yolk color was most notable in laying hens fed the diet with PHY-1000 as opposed to the PC and NC groups (p < 0.05), but no overall difference was found among all of the phytase treated groups. The apparent availability of dry matter, energy, phosphorus, and phytate P was significantly higher in the PHY-2000 group than in the PC and NC groups (p < 0.05). Compared to the PC group, nitrogen retention was significantly higher in the PHY-1000 group, while calcium availability was higher in the PHY-250 group. The results suggested that the addition of phytase to diets with low P, Ca, and AME improved laying performance and apparent availability of dietary nutrients. Thus, it was concluded that the laying hen diet could be supplemented with 1000–2000 FTU/kg phytase for improving laying production and nutrient availability and mitigating the negative impact of reduced nutrient density in laying hen diets.
Comparative improvement in soil nitrogen by five leguminous cover crops at Uyole agricultural research institute, Mbeya, Tanzania

The study was carried out on station at Agricultural Research InstituteUyole and onfarm at Mwandobela during the 2011/12 cropping season. The objective of this study was to improve crop productivity and soil fertility of smallholder farmers through use of five different leguminous cover crops. The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase was aimed at determining biological nitrogen fixation of the cover crops. The second phase was aimed at determining the rate and pattern of nitrogen release from decomposed cover crops under field condition. The field experimental design was a Latin square applying six treatments with six rows and columns. The treatments included Canavalia ensiformis, Mucuna pruriens, Vigna unguiculata, Dolichos lablab, Glycine max and Zea mays as reference crops. The decomposition experiment was conducted in a split split plot with three replications. The main-plot factor were aboveground and underground incubation position; while the cover crops as sub-plot factor and the six sampling periods as sub–subplot. Data for field experiment were plant stand at emergence, plant height, ground coverage, days to 80% flowering, dry matter and nodulation. The results revealed that different legume cover crops have different potential of fixing N2 and accumulating dry matter. Velvet bean had high N2 fixing potential (101.9 kg N ha -1 ) and accumulated high dry matter (19.5 t ha -1 ) followed by cowpea (50.3 kg N ha -1 and 10.5 t ha -1 ). There was an increasing trend of soil N with time of decomposition. However, faster rates of increasing soil N were observed at 12-15 weeks of decomposition for jack bean (0.09 0.13 % N), velvet bean (0.08 – 0.12 % N) and cowpea (0.11 – 0.12 % N) when placed both above and underground position.
Inverted-E Type Phase Shifter Using Fixed Stub-Loaded Main Line: Enhanced Bandwidth and Phase Shift Range

With the aim to enhance the phase shift range and bandwidth of the novel Inverted-E topology for single-bit and multi-bit phase shifters, this work proposes a new structure, wherein the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$50~\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> Main Transmission Line (MTL) in the Inverted-E topology is replaced by a tunable transmission line with a fixed open circuited stub loaded at its center point. Therefore, offering four design freedoms, precisely the characteristic impedances and electrical lengths of the transmission line and the fixed open circuited stub, that provides it the flexibility to achieve much smaller susceptance values for large phase shifts up to 180°. The required susceptances are realized using three symmetric open or short-circuited stubs, which are loaded to the tunable transmission line using switching p-i-n diodes. The fixed open circuited stubs ensure excellent circuit matching to the port impedance of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$50~\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula> in the OFF-state, without the need of any additional matching network. Whereas, the enhanced design flexibility enables the realization of compact dimensions and lower insertion loss. A systematic design procedure is developed, supported by detailed design theory and mathematical formulations, followed by validation through analysis and simulations of typical 22.5°, 45°, 90° and 180° digital phase shifters. For experimental verifications, 90° and 180° designs are manufactured at center frequency of 2.4 GHz and a good agreement is observed with theory and simulations. The results indicate compact dimensions of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.36\lambda \text{g}\,\,\times 0.14\lambda \text{g}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.33\lambda \text{g}\,\,\times 0.27\lambda \text{g}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, corresponding insertion losses of 1.7 dB and 2.85 dB with phase error less than 1° at center frequency. Moreover, the phase variation is observed to be 2° and 5°, in bandwidths of 400 MHz and 100 MHz respectively.
Addition of hematite as a sintering aid in alumina: effect of concentration on physical, microstructural and mechanical properties

Hematite (Fe 2 O 3 ), or ferric oxide, is a ceramic oxide that, despite being recognized in the field of science and materials engineering, finds limited use as a sintering additive. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the incorporation of hematite as a sintering additive in alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), employing conventional sintering at 1400 °C. Seven compositions were processed, with Fe 2 O 3 content varying from 0 to 8 wt. %. The samples underwent conventional ceramic processing steps (homogenization, drying, deagglomeration, sieving, and cold uniaxial pressing), followed by sintering at 1400 °C. The physical and mechanical properties of the produced samples were assessed through dilatometry, density measurement using the Archimedes’ method, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/ EDS), and flexural and compression tests. The results revealed that the addition of 4 and 6 wt. % of Fe 2 O 3 resulted in reduced shrinkage of the ceramics, leading to low densification, highly porous surfaces, and diminished flexural strength. On the other hand, lower additions (0.5, 1, and 2 wt.%) of Fe 2 O 3 improved the sintering of Al 2 O 3 , yielding samples with increased flexural and compressive strength, linear shrinkage, and densification.