Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reviewing the grades, activities and assessment in an engineering technology course with relation to the learning styles

There are generally eight (8) main categories of learning styles, namely sensing, intuitive, visual, verbal, active, reflective, sequential and global. However it remains uncertain which combination is most effective in the teaching and learning of an engineering technology course. Considering that the preference of learning style and technique could be dependent on individual temperament as well as the course contents and nature, it is not an easily resolved matter. The paper examines the activities and assessment conducted for the engineering technology undergraduate course of Soil Mechanics and Foundations with relation to the learning styles. Students were asked to complete an online evaluation exercise (“Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire” by Solomon and Felder, based on the Felder-Silverman model (Felder and Silverman, 1988) to determine their preferred ways of learning. Analysis was then performed to determine the match or mismatch between the most favoured learning approach and the activities / assessment embedded in the course. The results indicate certain levels of hit on the mark, though much room for improvement was also identified to make the course more deliverable in terms of effective learning. As the course was essentially a technical subject with emphasis on technology adoption and applicability for practical solutions, conventional lectures were found to be the least desirable by students. Problem-based learning with exposure to actual field conditions and challenges appeared to draw greater enthusiasm and interest among the students, leading to better delivery of the course contents where students were able to relate theoretical knowledge with field applications
Contract Farming as Business Model for Sustainable Rural-Urban Supply Chains: Sincere Efforts or Just Profit?

In the recent years significant population growth i ncreased food demand and the crisis stimulated commodity prices rise, thus putting the pressure on liberalised markets of developing countries whose efforts to escape indigence mainly remained unrealised. Agriculture is hugely important in Malawi and it is witnessing a relative change in fa rming practices, which underpins millions of livelihoods and contributes to the economy. However, much of the growth has emanated from the emergence of contract farming, an option that leads to increases in agricultural income for rural and urban farmers, which alleviates hunger and pove rty, and thus provides a promising business platform for the development of value chains. Contr acting represents the bridge that allows marginalised smallholder farmers access domestic and international markets. The paper examines contract farming as a business model that is intend ed to preserve and improve smallholder farmers' production and marketing activities and th us lead to socio-economic growth. It employs an exploration method to review, as well discusses the bias of contract compliance and its consequences for smallholders within a conceptual f ramework supporting contracting pathways for sustainable agricultural development. This stud y summarizes and analyses 25 scientific and expert papers on contract farming published since 2 007 to date. This will be done with the aim to evaluate the impact of contract farming on smallhol der producers in rural Malawi. Primary and secondary data on economic and social performance of contracts have been generated with a preliminary econometric analysis, whereas the resea rch is part of broader practical PhD project. Conducted study shows evidence that contract farming leads to more expanded markets but limited in farmers' direct access to influence mark et governance due to terms and conditions under which contract farming production, processing and distribution are organised. It also identifies and compares key policy levers that favo ur and support smallholder farmers' interests to
Propositional Satisfiability: Algorithms and Applications

In the first part of this paper we survey a number of algorithms for solving the propositional satisfiability problem (SAT). We dedicate a large amount of attention to the non-clausal SAT algorithms, that is, the algorithms that work on arbitrary propositional formulas, and to the circuit SAT algorithms that work on Boolean circuit representation of formulas. We also discuss some of the non-mainstream clausal SAT algorithms. The second part of this paper discusses some of the practical applications of SAT, particularly to Bounded Model Checking and to Satisfiability Modulo Theories.
Optimal disturbances in the supersonic boundary layer past a sharp cone

Optimal disturbances for the supersonic ∞ow past a sharp cone are computed in order to assess the efiects due to ∞ow divergence. This geometry is chosen because previously published studies on compressible optimal perturbations for ∞at plate and sphere did not allow to discriminate the in∞uence of divergence alone, as many factors characterized the growth of disturbances on the sphere (∞ow divergence, centrifugal forces and dependence of the edge parameters on the local Mach number). Flow-divergence efiects result in the presence of an optimal distance from the cone tip for which the optimal gain is the largest possible, showing that divergence efiects are stronger in the proximity of the cone tip. By properly rescaling the gain, wavenumber and streamwise coordinate due to the fact that the boundary layer on the sharp cone is p 3 thinner than the one over the ∞at plate, it is found that both the gain and the wavenumber compare fairly well. Moreover, results for the sharp cone collapse into those for the ∞at plate when the initial location for the computation tends to the flnal one and when the azimuthal wavenumber is very large. Results show also that a cold wall enhances transient growth.
Mechanical properties of polymer-modified porous concrete

In this research work, polymer-modified porous concretes (permeable concretes) using polymer latex and redispersible polymer powder with water-cement ratio of 30 %, polymer-cement ratios of 0 to 10 % and cement content of 300 kg/m3 are prepared. The porous concrete was tested for compressive strength, flexural strength, water permeability and void ratio. The cubes size of specimen is 100 mm ×100 mm × 100 mm and 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm while the beam size is 100 mm × 100 mm × 500 mm was prepared for particular tests. The tests results show that the addition of polymer as a binder to porous concrete gives an improvement on the strength properties and coefficient of water permeability of polymer-modified porous concrete. It is concluded from the test results that increase in compressive and flexural strengths and decrease in the coefficient of water permeability of the polymer-modified porous concrete are clearly observed with increasing of polymer-cement ratio.
Molecular typing of group A bovine rotavirus of calves in the provinces of Tehran, Alborz and Qazvin

BACKGROUND: Group A bovine rotavirus (BRV-A) is one of the most important causes of gastroenteritis and diarrhea in newborn calves. OBJECTIVES: Major types of BRV-A in Tehran, Alborz and Qazvin were detected in this study. METHODS: A total 125 fecal samples of calves showing clinical signs of diarrhea were collected from 26 industrial dairy farms located in the provinces of Tehran, Alborz and Qazvin, during two years. RESULTS: BRV-A was detected in 39.2 % (49/125) of total samples using a commercial ELISA kit. Thirty five positive samples were analyzed by seminested multiplex RT-PCR for P and G genotyping. G10 was the most prevalent genotype, accounting for 57.1% of samples, G6 accounted for 22.9% of samples and in 5.7% of samples (2/35), mixed infection of both genotypes G6 and G10 were detected. Also, the detected P types were P[11] and P[5], accounting for 71.4% and 14.2%, respectively. In our study, none of the genotypes G8 and P[1] were detected. The incidence of genotype combinations cor-responded to the B223-like strains (G10P[11]), UK-like strains (G6P[5]) and KN4-like strains (G6P[11]) were 51.4%,14.3% and 8.6%, respectively. Mixed infections G6/G10P[11] were detected in 2.85% of all samples analyzed with RT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about the determination of P genotypes of BRV-A and distribution of the most common BRV-A strains circulating in Iran. Our study also indicated that the incidence of the G genotypes of BRV-A in the provinces of Tehran, Alborz and Qazvin, which is one of the greatest husbandry centers in Iran, has changed in the past years. Furthermore, this finding could be valuable in rotavirus vaccine design.
Lidar-based wake tracking for closed-loop wind farm control

This work presents two advancements towards closed-loop wake redirecting of a wind turbine. First, a model-based estimation approach is presented which uses a nacelle-based lidar system facing downwind to obtain information about the wake. A reduced order wake model is described which is then used in the estimation to track the wake. The tracking is demonstrated with lidar measurement data from an offshore campaign and with simulated lidar data from a SOWFA simulation. Second, a controller for closed-loop wake steering is presented. It uses the wake tracking information to set the yaw actuator of the wind turbine to redirect the wake to a desired position. Altogether, this paper aims to present the concept of closed-loop wake redirecting and gives a possible solution to it.
Extragalactic large-scale structures behind the Southern Milky Way. II. Redshifts obtained at the SAAO in the Crux region

In our systematic optical galaxy search behind the southern Milky Way, 3760 (mostly unknown) galaxies with diameters were identified in the Crux region (, Woudt & Kraan-Korteweg 1997). Prior to this investigation, only 65 of these galaxies had known redshifts. In order to map the galaxy distribution in redshift space we obtained spectra for 226 bright () objects with the 1.9 m telescope of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). Redshifts could be determined for 209 objects, of which 173 have good signal-to-noise ratios. Of the 36 tentative redshifts, four are confirmed through independent values in the literature. The redshifts of three objects indicate them to be galactic in origin. One of these confirms a suspected Planetary Nebula. For 17 of the galaxies, no redshift could be determined due to poor signal-to-noise ratios. In addition, 26 redshifts have have been measured in the Hydra-Antlia region investigated earlier (Kraan-Korteweg et al. 1995), of which one is a tentative estimate. Two main structures crossing the Galactic Plane in the Crux region have now become clear. A narrow, nearby filament from ( to the Centaurus cluster can be traced. This filament runs almost parallel to the extension of the Hydra–Antlia clusters found earlier and is part of what we have earlier termed the "Centaurus Wall” extending in redshift-space between 6000 km s-1 (Fairall & Paverd 1995). The main outcome of this survey however, is the recognition of another massive extended structure between km s-1 . This broad structure, dubbed the Norma Supercluster (Woudt et al. 1997), runs nearly parallel to the Galactic Plane from Vela to ACO 3627 (its centre) from where it continues to the Pavo cluster. This massive structure is believed to be associated with the Great Attractor. The survey has furthermore revealed a set of cellular structures, similar to those seen in redshift space at higher galactic latitudes, but never before seen so clearly behind the Milky Way.
LEAF: Leave-one-out Forward Selection Method for Informative Gene Discovery in DNA Microarray Data

Preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease is greatly facilitated by the availability of biomarkers. Recent im- provements in bioinformatics technology have facilitated large- scale screening of DNA microarrays for candidate biomarkers. Here we discuss a gene selection method, which is called LEAve- one-out Forward selection method (LEAF), for discovering infor- mative genes embedded in gene expression data, and propose an additional algorithm for extending LEAF's capabilities. LEAF is an iterative forward selection method incorporating the concept of leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) and provides a discrimination power score (DPS) for genes, which is a criterion for selecting the candidate of informative genes. We show that LEAF identifies genes that are practically used as biomarkers. Our method should be useful bioinformatics tool for biomedical, clinical, and pharmaceutical researchers.
Molecular Characterization of the Perilla frutescens Limonene Gene (PFLS) by Agroinfiltration into Nicotiana benthamiana

The full-length cDNA encoding Perilla frutescens limonene synthase (PFLS) (603 amino acids, GenBank accession no. D49368) was cloned. To elucidate the role of PFLS in gene regulation, we transiently transformed full-length PFLS into tobacco plants. PFLS mRNA was first detected in the intact leaves of the plants at 6 h, and the LS transcript level increased after 12 h in leaves treated with oxidative stress-related chemicals. The transient overexpression of PFLS resulted in increased transcription of NbPR1 and NbSIP in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Thus, our result confirmed that the infiltration of PFLS gene act as a transcriptional regulator of NbPR1 or NbSIP genes in the tobacco.
What are the Key Drivers Used to Promote Employee Motivation and Engagement in a Manufacturing Environment

Employee engagement is vital for company success. However, working in the manufacturing environment can often be repetitive and mind-numbing. Repetitive work, if not addressed correctly, can have negative impacts on individuals and society. It can cause stress-related mental and physical health problems, employee dissatisfaction and turnover, dysfunctional union/management relationships, and large social class differences in wealth. Managers must rely on human potential in order to improve their employees’ overall performance. When an employee withdraws from his or her task, engagement levels decrease and this leads to burnout. Job Characteristics Theory, “provides a framework for a better implementation of the job by working through the interaction between the main aspects of the job with the mentalliving states of a person. ”
Author response to comment on “An inversion approach for determining production depth and temperature sensitivity of soil respiration” by R. N. C. Latimer and D. A. Risk

Physical soil properties create lags between temperature change and corresponding soil responses, which obscure true Q10 values and other biophysical parameters such as depth of production. This study examines an inversion approach for estimating Q10 and depth of production (Zp) using physically based soil models, constrained by observed high-frequency surface fluxes and/or concentrations. Our inversion strategy uses a 1-D multi-layered soil model that simulates realistic 5 temperature and gas diffusion. We tested inversion scenarios on synthetic data using a range of constraining parameters, time averaging techniques, mechanisms to improve computational efficiency, and various methods of incorporating real data into the model. Overall, we have found that with carefully constrained data, inversion was possible. While inversions using exclusively surface flux measurements could succeed, constraining the inversion using multiple shallow subsurface CO2 10 measurements proved to be most successful. Inversions constrained by these shallow measurements returned Q10 and Zp values with average errors of 1.85% and 0.16% respectively. This work is a first step toward building a reliable framework for removing physical effects from high frequency soil CO2 data. Ultimately, we hope that this process will lead to better estimates of biophysical soil parameters and their variability on short timescales. 15
Cell to cell signaling via AKT causes T cell differentiation and collapse of tumour stroma

Adoptive Cell Therapy of cancer using T cells is entering mainstream practice after years as a research method. Central to the efficacy of this “living therapy” is the function of the T cells transferred. T-cells, like other primary tissue cells, undergo differentiation and death. Clinical and preclinical data shows that lesser differentiated, less glycolytic, and more proliferative-capable cells used for the adoptive transfer yield superior tumor responses. This introductory section will describe discoveries which elucidate and control T-cell differentiation and function for the improvement of adoptive cell therapy. Namely by use of inhibition of the PI3k/AKT pathways, and through the discovery of a dual function of death and differentiation by the canonical death receptor Fas, which can be parsed apart with a mutation from valine to cysteine at the 194 position (C194V), differentiation can be withheld while leaving cell proliferation unhindered during T-cell stimulation and expansion. The data also reveals that the differentiation signal caused by extracellular Fas ligation passes through AKT, revealing both Fas and AKT as points of intervention for targeting differentiation along the same pathway. From further investigation, this introduction will describe the effect of AKT inhibition on T-cell differentiation on a transciptional and metabolic level. The data reveals AKT inhibition promoted FOXO1 intranuclear organization, which creates a more naive-like phenotype to the cells, and lower glycolytic status, another phenotype associated with persistent and long-lived cells. Furthermore, this control of AKT and Fas in T-cells yields benefits in several modalities of pre-clinical models of adoptive T-cell immunotherapy of cancer, in both use of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and with use of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL). Finally, the real-world applicability of the finding including the use of AKT inhibition in current approved Adoptive T-cell immunotherapies will be discussed.
Role of surface profiles in surface plasmon-polariton-mediated emission of light through a thin metal film

We show that the emission of light mediated by surface plasmon-polaritons through a thin metal film depends sensitively on the profile of the grating structure used to couple the surface plasmon-polariton modes to light. In particular, we show that when the emission of light takes place through a metal film, a non-conformal geometry for the two surfaces of the metal film is to be preferred. Our results may be important in the design of devices such as organic light-emitting diodes.
Signaling pathways influencing tumor microenvironment and their exploitation for targeted drug delivery

Abstract In the recent years, the “tumor microenvironment” has been receiving growing attention due to its involvement in neoplastic transformation, tumor growth, invasion, and protection of tumor cells from host immune response. All these events are facilitated by chemical signals produced by the tumor as well as the surrounding stromal cells. This review is divided into two main parts in which the first part discusses the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-mediated growth factor signaling, steroid hormone (SH) signaling, ancient signaling pathways, and other molecules that are involved in tumorigenesis and how they interact with each other to create a complex tumor microenvironment. In the second part, we bring together the recent nanocarrier-mediated drug delivery approaches to target the signaling pathways/molecules present in the tumor microenvironment.
COMPARISON AND ASSESSMENT OF 3D REGISTRATION AND GEOREFERENCING APPROACHES OF POINT CLOUDS IN THE CASE OF EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR HERITAGE BUILDING RECORDING

Abstract. In the field of 3D heritage documentation, point cloud registration is a relatively common issue. With rising needs for Historic Building Information Models (HBIMs), this issue has become more important as it determines the quality of the data to be used for HBIM modelling. Furthermore, in the context of historical buildings, it is often interesting to document both the exterior façades as well as the interior. This paper will discuss two approaches of the registration and georeferencing of building exterior and interior point clouds coming from different sensors, namely the independent georeferencing method and the free-network registration and georeferencing. Building openings (mainly windows) were used to establish common points between the systems. These two methods will be compared in terms of geometrical quality, while technical problems in performing them will also be discussed. Furthermore, an attempt to automate some parts of the workflow using automatic 3D keypoints and features detection and matching will also be described in the paper. Results show that while both approaches give similar results, the independent approach requires less work to perform. However, the free-network method has the advantage of being able to compensate for any systematic georeferencing error on either system. As regards to the automation attempt, the use of 3D keypoints and features may reduce processing time; however correct tie point correspondence filtering remains difficult in the presence of heavy point cloud noise.
Monetary Impacts and Overshooting of Agricultural Prices in a Transition Economy

The paper focus on the time adjustment paths of the exchange rate and prices in response to unanticipated monetary shocks following model developed by Saghaian et al. (2002). We employ Johansen's cointegration test along with a vector error correction model to investigate whether agricultural prices overshoot in a transition economy. The empirical results indicate that agricultural prices adjust faster than industrial prices to innovations in the money supply, affecting relative prices in the short run, but strict long-run money neutrality does not hold.
Conditional Conservatism and Economic and Financial Measures of Performance Assessment

The continuity of a firm can be determined by it ، s performance in finally, because the financial performance of firm has impact on decision making in capital market. So, the study about this field can be useful in economic decisions. This research examine the relationship between conservatism in preparation financial information whit economic and financial proxies in performance assessment of 80 listed firms on Tehran Stock Exchange during fourteen years (1998- 2011). According to performance assessment measures) , the rate of return on assets and rate of return on equity as financial measures and Tobin ، Q ratio and market value added as economic measures of performance assessment is used as independent variable. The model of Khan and Watts (2010) was used to assess post-event or conditional conservatism. Regression analysis based on combined data was used to test hypotheses. Our findings show there is a negative significantly relationship between accrual conservatism and economic and financial measures of performance.
Proximate, Vitamins and Mineral Composition of Vitex doniana (black plum) Fruit Pulp

Samples of Vitex doniana fruit (black plum) were collected from Vunchi village in Bida metropolis. The dried endocarp was washed, ground into powder and analysed for the proximate, vitamins and mineral compositions. The values (%DW) of moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fibre, crude fat and carbohydrate available were 16.66, 11.50, 8.24, 0.58, 34.62 and 28.40, respectively. Levels of Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and C were 0.27, 18.33, 4.80, 20.45 and 35.58 (mg/100g DW) respectively. Mineral (mg/100g DW) were: potassium (16.5), sodium (10.40), calcium (30.27), iron (5.20), Copper (2.70), magnesium (20.10) and phosphorus (16.50). The result indicates that Vitex doniana fruit pulp could be promoted as: carbohydrate and lipid supplements for cereal-based diets in rural communities, another cheaper source of raw material for juice production, fortified into feed of ruminants, while its moderate calcium value could be used for the management of oesteomalacia.