Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Supporting school leaders to become more effective in leading reading improvements

ABSTRACT This article discusses the impact of a professional learning activity called the Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALL) program on the capacity of school leaders to engage, involve, and support teachers and their school communities to develop a shared moral purpose for making their school more effective in assisting students to become more able readers. It uses data collected from participants in the PALL program together with case study data collected from five Tasmanian schools to analyse the actions by school leaders to develop a shared moral purpose related to facilitating higher levels of student learning in reading. The study shows that school leaders felt more capable in their ability to lead their schools after completing the program and that the development of a shared moral purpose led to improved teaching practices and higher levels of student engagement, students’ ability to talk about their learning, and better achievement in reading.
Incorporating visual analytics with knowledge construction in problem-based learning: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT Visual analytics (VA) technology has become a significant tool for business decision-makers to explore novel insights. One of its key features is analytical reasoning through interactive visualization that users have direct sensemaking in problem-solving processes. Few studies have examined how VA can be applied in business education for improving educational purpose. Social cognitive theory grounded in the current study as a framework to guide a qualitative exploration. The investigation was guided by two research questions: (1) What are the benefits and challenges of VA used in business education? (2). How do students interact with VA to improve knowledge construction in problem-solving? In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted to derive data for thematic analysis from 25 informants. Three researchers conducted coding and data analysis through Nvivo 11.0. Five themes were identified in the corpus of data: (1). Perceived benefits to learning, (2). Prerequisite conditions, (3). Application context, (4). Motivational engagement, and (5). Knowledge construction. The study suggests that incorporating VA technology with problem-solving facilitates students’ knowledge organisation and acquisition.
Impacto do El Niño oscilação sul (ENOS) e da El Niña no mercado da soja brasileira

The extreme climatic events associated with the atmospheric-oceanic phenomenon known as El Niño Oscilação Sul (ENOS) have significant socioeconomic impacts in different Brazilian regions. In the Northeast of Brazil, agricultural losses resulting from severe droughts can be observed in El Niño years, leading to a reduction in income from rural activities. On the other hand, the South region is affected by strong floods that cause human, infrastructure and compromised agricultural production losses. In La Niña years, the droughts that affect the South region cause crop failures, generating strong pressure on food prices, while in the Northeast there is a greater volume of rainfall. The soy production chain stands out in Brazilian agribusiness, both for the value of production, and for occupying the first place in the list of agricultural exports. In view of this, Brazil, a major world producer, any change in the quantity offered would cause several effects on the international soybean market. In this context, this article aims to assess the economic impact of climatic events associated with ENOS on production, exports and the real price of Brazilian soybeans. The database used consists of monthly data from September 2006 to June 2019, totaling 154 observations. In the construction of the model, the technique of Structural Autoregressive Vectors (structural VAR) was used, thus, it was possible to estimate the impulse response functions and the decomposition of the variance of the considered variables. The results showed that El Niño (that is, positive shocks to ENOS) is beneficial for production and export and decreases the real price of soybeans in grains. On the contrary, La Niña (ie negative shocks to ENOS) depresses production and exports and raises the real price. However, the general impact of the changes occurred by the ENOS phenomenon is small, both in the short and medium term, changes in international demand are more relevant than the supply side shocks in explaining the dynamics of the Brazilian soy market. Finally, the political actions to the studied phenomenon must be elaborated considering the causes of these shocks.
Nutrient Trapping by Sediment Deposition in a Seasonally Flooded Lakeside Wetland

Sediment and nutrient retention was studied in a seasonally flooded lakeside wetland as a natural mechanism for preventing water quality deterioration. Both wetland and upland soils in the watershed had comparable concentrations of inorganic P on a per-volume basis, while NH₄⁺-N and organic forms of N and P were much higher in the wetland soils. Nitrate concentrations expressed in a per-volume basis were lower in the wetland soils than in the upland soils. The distribution of sediment and nutrients in the wetland was correlated with distance from a small stream flowing through the wetland. Deposition patterns were affected by recent stream channel migrations. The accumulation of nutrients and sediment delivered from the upland to wetland soils was estimated in two ways: (i) by calculating the volume of alluvium deposited in low natural levees adjacent to the stream; and (ii) by estimating nutrient and ash enrichment of histic surface soils farther away from the stream. Although the levees constituted only about 20% of the wetland surface area, they accounted for 81% of the sediment, 84% of the N, and 67% of the P retained by the wetland. The depth of Cs-137 in the soil was used to estimate net sedimentation rates. Average annual accumulations over the wetland as a whole were: 2.0 kg sediment m⁻² yr⁻¹, 2.6 g P m⁻² yr⁻¹, and 12.8 N g m⁻² yr⁻¹. Since these values exceed those published for average annual storage by wetland plants, soil mechanisms are more important than vegetative uptake for long-term nutrient and sediment retention in the White Clay Lake wetland.
End-to-End Performance Evaluation of MEC Deployments in 5G Scenarios

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) promises to deliver localized computing power and storage. Coupled with low-latency 5G radio access, this enables the creation of high added-value services for mobile users, such as in-vehicle infotainment or remote driving. The performance of these services as well as their scalability will however depend on how MEC will be deployed in 5G systems. This paper evaluates different MEC deployment options, coherent with the respective 5G migration phases, using an accurate and comprehensive end-to-end (E2E) system simulation model (exploiting Simu5G for radio access and Intel CoFluent for core network and MEC), taking into account user-related metrics, such as response time or MEC latency. Our results show that 4G radio access is going to be a bottleneck, preventing MEC services from scaling up. On the other hand, the introduction of 5G will allow a considerable higher penetration of MEC services.
Structural, electrical and optical properties of sol–gel derived yttrium doped ZnO films

Undoped and yttrium doped zinc oxide thin films have been deposited on corning glass by dip coating technique. The effect of doping (0–4 wt%) and annealing temperature (300–500 °C) on the structural, optical and electrical properties of the produced films have been investigated. All the films show polycrystalline nature at an annealing temperature of 350 °C. The preferential c‐axis growth with lowest full width at half maximum of (002) reflection peak is seen only up to an optimum annealing temperature. A blue shift in the absorption edge is observed both, with increase in dopant concentration and annealing temperature. The electrical resistivity of the films decreases by doping with yttrium. The lowest resistivity of 3.5 × 10–2 Ω cm and an average transmittance of 86% in the visible range has been obtained in YZO films doped with 3 wt% of yttrium and annealed at 450 °C. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Designing trials of Universal Basic Income for health impact: identifying interdisciplinary questions to address.

BACKGROUND A large body of evidence indicates the importance of upstream determinants to health. Universal Basic Income (UBI) has been suggested as an upstream intervention capable of promoting health by affecting material, biopsychosocial and behavioural determinants. Calls are emerging across the political spectrum to introduce an emergency UBI to address socioeconomic insecurity. However, although existing studies indicate effects on health through cash transfers, UBI schemes have not previously been designed specifically to promote health. METHODS In this article, we scope the existing literature to set out a set of interdisciplinary research challenges to address in designing a trial of the effectiveness of UBI as a population health measure. RESULTS We present a theoretical model of impact that identifies three pathways to health impact, before identifying open questions related to regularity, size of payment, needs-based supplements, personality and behaviour, conditionality and duration. CONCLUSIONS These results set, for the first time, a set of research activities required in order to maximize health impact in UBI programmes.
Online and social media resilience in young people in vulnerable contexts

ABSTRACT This Australian study explored the resilience to online abusive activity and enticements to violence amongst a cohort of young people in vulnerable contexts. The vulnerable contexts were defined as those where family disruption, domestic violence and subsequent geographical dislocation were present in the young person’s environment. The young people, aged 12 to 19 years, were interviewed to elicit the prevalence of abusive or violent online and social media behaviours and were invited to discuss the resilience strategies they used to deal with such behaviours. Whilst resilience to online abusive activity has been studied in some depth, the prevalence of such activity and its effect upon young people in domestic violence or other abusive contexts has not. This study which examined the first-hand responses of a small number of young people in domestic violence contexts, found that the resilience strategies were dependent upon the maturity of the individual, the perceived support mechanisms available to the young person, the peer group attitude and the emotional attachment to the peer group. The results broadly match resilience strategies evident in the existing literature but add new knowledge about the significance of the maturation process and its effect upon resilience strategies for vulnerable youth. The study provides new insights into the development of resilience in online or social media contexts for young people in vulnerable contexts.
Plant Assemblage of the Phoenician Sacrificial Pit by the Temple of Melqart/Herakles (Motya, Sicily, Italy)

ABSTRACT Archaeobotanical remains from the Phoenician – Punic site of Motya, set in the Marsala Lagoon in Western Sicily (Italy), were collected through flotation and sieving during the excavation campaigns of 2017–2019. Analyses focused on a sacrificial favissa, on the SW side of the Temple of Cappiddazzu, dedicated to Melqart/Herakles, where the buried remains of seven bovines were also found. Plant remains, preserved mostly by mineralisation, provide information about ritual practices. The retrieval of toxic plants to livestock (some Boraginaceae and Euphorbiaceae, and Anagallis arvensis) suggests their use to stun animals before sacrificing them. Additionally, remains referable to fruit (Vitis vinifera) and flower offerings (Verbena officinalis), as well as ornamental (Cupressus cf. sempervirens) and officinal plants (Borago officinalis) were also found.
Stability and Numerical Investigation of modified SEIR model with Vaccination and Life-long Immunity

In understanding the spread and control of infectious diseases, mathematical modelling has become an important instrument The epidemic disease COVID-19 caused by SARSCoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) has affected the population of almost all the countries This disease is highly contagious and spreads through one to one contact (physical closeness)[5] It spreads through the air in the form of tiny droplets transmitted by the breath, cough, sneezing, or even verbal contact of an infected person [19] Being highly contagious and mortality rate, the number of confirmed cases and deaths are alarmingly rising By routinely washing hands, keeping unwashed hands away from the face, avoiding public areas, and maintaining social distance, the various strategies to curb the spread include ensuring adequate hygiene As a consequence, aggressive measures are required to control the spread of infectious diseases, particularly those for which both vaccines and treatments are available Besides, combating the occurrence of a disease is always easier than treating it This paper formulates and solves numerically the modified SEIR model with vital dynamics includes an additional compartment called Vaccination with an assumption that the vaccination will provide lifelong immunity This assumption is feasible as the immunity can be extended through booster vaccinations in due course The basic reproduction number is calculated and the stability of the model is discussed using the Lyapunov method The importance of the various epidemiological parameters related to the Vaccination compartment model is discussed numerically also © 2020 Ubiquity Press All rights reserved
The Earth is Sick: Environmentalism and the Politics of Age and Gender in Children’s Musical Culture

Anthropogenic climate change is among the most widely debated topics of our time, and recent years have seen the growing impact of children’s involvement in environmental issues. While Greta Thunberg and the School Strike for Climate movement are key examples in this regard, there is another tendency deserving of attention that involves the increased prominence of environmentalism in children’s music and culture. This article investigates the song and music video Kloden er syk (“The Earth is Sick”) by Anna & Emma, which won the 2019 edition of the Norwegian music competition Melodi Grand Prix Junior. I explore how the audiovisual aesthetics of Kloden er syk encourage solidarity for environmentalist causes, and also discuss disparaging responses to the song and video in order to explicate how age and gender are politicized for the purpose of discrediting young activists and musicians. Ultimately, the article aims to shed light on the distinctly musical (and sociopolitical) ways in which children and young people are implicated in environmental debates.
Avaliação de jatos descarepadores utilizando Técnicas de Processamento Digital de Imagens

Computer Vision Systems are used to optimize the process on a large scale in industries. However, the ability to accurate recognize real-world objects still poses great challenges. The goals of this paper are to detect, to extract and to analyze the features of spray jets used in rolling mills. Images were acquired from the test bench, and Haarcascade was used to detect interest points. Features were analyzed by hand-built image processing algorithm. Haarcascade performed with 81% accuracy while the developed algorithm performed with 92% accuracy. Resumo: Sistemas de Visão Computacional podem ser utilizados para otimizar o processo em larga escala nas indústrias. Porém, fazer com que o computador seja capaz de reconhecer objetos do mundo real ainda é um dos grandes desafios da computação. O objetivo desse trabalho é detectar, extrair e analisar as caracteŕısticas de jatos descarepadores utilizados no processo siderúrgico. As imagens foram obtidas a partir da bancada de teste e submetidas ao algoritmo Haarcascade para a detecção da região de interesse e a um algoritmo, utilizando técnicas de Processamento Digital de Imagens para análise das caracteŕısticas. Nos testes realizados o Haarcascade apresentou uma taxa de acerto de aproximadamente 81% e o algoritmo desenvolvido de aproximadamente 92%.
Linear semidefinite programming problems: regularisation and strong dual formulations

Regularisation consists in reducing a given optimisation problem to an equivalent form where certain regularity conditions, which guarantee the strong duality, are fulfilled. In this paper, for linear problems of semidefinite programming (SDP), we propose a regularisation procedure which is based on the concept of an immobile index set and its properties. This procedure is described in the form of a finite algorithm which converts any linear semidefinite problem to a form that satisfies the Slater condition. Using the properties of the immobile indices and the described regularization procedure, we obtained new dual SDP problems in implicit and explicit forms. It is proven that for the constructed dual problems and the original problem the strong duality property holds true.
Development and implementation of evaluation resources for a green outdoor educational program

Abstract The Green Spaces, Learning Places (GSLP) environmental education initiative runs schools-based and community-based sessions to create opportunities for children and young people to engage with green outdoor environments in London, England (including parks, heaths, and forests). Bespoke evaluation resources were developed by researchers in collaboration with the GSLP delivery teams. The evaluation was based on before and after survey responses from 504 school-aged children (5–10 years) and 54 young people (13–19 years), observation of 62 children, and interviews with 18 children and 8 young people. The mixed methods findings suggest the programs had a positive influence on increasing participants’ understanding, confidence, nature connection, wellbeing, and involvement in green outdoor environments.
Performance of Nanofiltration Membranes in the Treatment of Synthetic and Real Seawater

Abstract Nanofiltration membranes (NF) are being employed in pretreatment unit operations in both thermal and membrane seawater desalination processes and as partial demineralization to seawater. In order to predict NF membrane performance, a systematic study on the filtration performance of selected commercial NF membranes against seawater is presented in this paper. Two commercial nanofiltration membranes (NF90 and NF270) have been investigated in details to study their performance in filtering the salt mixture, synthetic and real seawater in a cross‐flow NF membrane process at a pressure range from 4 to 9 bars. The Spiegler‐Kedem model was used to fit the experimental data of rejection with the permeate flux in order to determine the fitting parameters of the reflection coefficient (σ) and the solute permeability (Ps). The results showed that the rejection increases with pressure for NF90 and slightly increases with pressure for NF270. Also, the NF90 membrane has shown to be able to reject both monovalent and divalent of all investigated mixtures and seawater with very reasonable values but at a relatively low flux. Moreover, it reduced the salinity of investigated seawater from 38 to 25.5 g/L using one stage of the NF membrane at 9 bars. This makes NF90 more suitable for the application in the pretreatment of desalination processes. On the other hand, NF270 can reject monovalent ions at relatively low values and divalent ions at reasonable values. It has also reduced the seawater salinity to 33.6 g/L, but at a very high permeate flux. The SKM model fitted the experimental data of divalent ions in salt mixture and seawater.
Becoming an in-field teacher in Israel: motivations and knowledge of out-of-field science teachers

ABSTRACT The present study focuses on forty out-of-field teachers who have been teaching science for a few years in primary or lower-secondary schools and entered a two-year professional development programme to qualify as in-field teachers. Our purpose was to uncover their reasons for teaching science without appropriate qualifications, their motivations to enrol in the programme, and the extent to which the programme enhanced their competencies as science teachers. Findings revealed two motivational profiles: an intrinsic one and a mixed one that combined intrinsic and extrinsic orientations. All the teachers admitted they had lacked the content knowledge and the pedagogical content knowledge required to teach science effectively. The programme contributed mainly to their disciplinary and pedagogical knowledge and to their self-efficacy. While some positive aspects of out-of-field teaching came up, measures should be taken to ensure that the limited knowledge of out-of-field teachers does not affect the quality of their teaching.
Modeling Diffusion and Reaction in Soils: II. Atmospheric Methane Diffusion and Consumption in a Forest Soil

A mixed hardwood forest with a maximum potential atmospheric methane consumption at 4 to 6 cm depth was investigated. Vertical variation of soil-water content, gas diffusivity and atmospheric methane uptake was measured with high spatial resolution in intact soil cores (2-5 cm depth intervals). Gas diffusivity increased rapidly with decreasing soil-water potential and a linear relationship between gas diffusivity, and the logarithm to the volumetric soil-water content was found (R 2 ≥ 0.98). Using this relationship in a simple, dynamic diffusion-reaction model, the vertical methane concentration profiles in intact soil cores were simulated. Only diffusion of methane in the soil air and variable methane consumption with depth was considered in the model. An excellent agreement between simulated and measured methane profiles indicated that a main control of methane consumption in non-waterlogged soils is methane diffusion in the soil air. Simulated methane uptake rates, calculated by summing up the methane oxidation at each 1-cm-depth interval, agreed well with measured methane fluxes into the soil cores. Model sensitivity analyses showed an accurate estimation of the effective gas diffusion coefficient at and above the zone of maximum methane consumption to be the most critical parameter for a realistic simulation of methane concentration profiles and total uptake rates.