Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Moderating Effect of Environmental Turbulence on the Strategic Agility-Performance Relationship: Empirical Evidence from Lagos State, Nigeria

Scholars in strategic management argued that strategic agility measures do enhance firm performance and mitigate environmental turbulence risks. This study therefore examined the moderating effect of environmental turbulence on the relationship between strategic agility and performance of oil and gas marketing companies in Lagos State, Nigeria. Population of the study was 515 managers of major oil and gas marketing companies in Lagos State. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted with total enumeration. The research instrument was found reliable and valid with Cronbach’s alpha and KMO greater than 0.7 and 0.5 respectively. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple and hierarchical regression methods of analyses. Findings revealed that among oil and gas marketing companies in Lagos State, Nigeria, there was positive and significant relationship between strategic agility and performance; strategic agility had positive and significant effect on performance while environmental turbulence significantly moderated the relationship between strategic agility and performance. The study concluded that strategic agility affected and related with firm performance and also environmental turbulence moderated the relationship between strategic agility and performance of oil and gas marketing companies in Lagos State, Nigeria. Therefore, it is recommended that oil and gas marketing companies in Nigeria should fully and dynamically embrace strategic agility practices and continuously develop their capabilities for proper and timely sensing of and responding to changes in their business environment in order to improve their performance over their competitors. Limitations of the study and areas for future research were highlighted.
Faculty Perceptions and Usage of OER at Oregon Community Colleges

ABSTRACT Open Educational Resources (OER) are vital in transforming the student learning experience, whether it is through a social justice lens that seeks to remedy inequities by reducing student cost burden and supporting access to materials or, increasingly, the pedagogical changes faculty are making that enhance student learning. Community college students are more subject to potential debt load and a proportionally higher textbook cost burden based on student aid offered to them. Therefore understanding what motivates community faculty to adopt OER and what barriers exist is vital in expanding OER opportunities for these students. This study examined Oregon community college faculty’s experience with the OER process including a survey which sought information about faculty motivation, usage, implementation, barriers to implementation, both student and faculty perception, and administrative support. This study found that the majority of faculty modified the OER during the adoption process and changed their instructional practices after adoption. It found that sustained support structures for faculty were needed for OER adoption, including training on pedagogical best practices and technology associated with the OER and time for reflection on how to integrate these into their courses when adopting the OER. It also found that release time or funding for OER adoption, modification, or customization was needed, including ancillary materials. Overall, faculty believed that their efforts resulted in positive benefits for students, including student savings, increased access to higher education, and increased engagement while allowing faculty to have greater control over their own courses.
Characterisation of thin LPCVD silicon-rich oxide films

Thin silicon rich oxide (SiOx) films were deposited using the LPCVD (Low Pressure Chemical Vapour Deposition) method. Silane diluted in argon and oxygen were used as the reactant gasses, and the deposition temperature was kept constant at 570 °C. The films were deposited on silicon (111) and on fused silica substrates. Films with the different values of the oxygen content were deposited by varying the ratio of the flows of oxygen and silane in the horizontal tube reactor. The films were characterized in terms on the surface quality (by X-ray specular reflectivity and scanning electron microscopy) and in terms of the oxygen content x (by time of flight elastic recoil detection analysis). The films were found to have a very smooth, homogeneous surface and the oxygen content was found to vary from x=0 to x=2 in dependence on the deposition parameters. The refractive indices of the films were measured both in the visible (405 nm) and in the infrared (1319 nm and 1542 nm), compared to the values which the Bruggeman's effective medium theory predicts for such thin films, and were found to be in good agreement. The position of the Si-O stretching peak in the infrared absorption spectra was used to draw some conclusion about the distribution of the silicon and oxygen atoms inside the amorphous SiOx matrix. The atoms were found to be inhomogeneously distributed inside the amorphous matrix, with the average number of oxygen atoms in the vicinity of a given silicon atoms being lower than x.
Protein-Matrix Solvation Dynamics in the α Subunit of C-Phycocyanin

We have used femtosecond transient hole-burning (THB) spectroscopy to study single-chromophore dynamics at room temperature in the α subunit of C-phycocyanin, a cyanobacterial light-harvesting protein. The α subunit contains a single phycocyanobilin (open-chain tetrapyrrole) chromophore. A reasonable description of the THB spectra requires the presence of a broad excited-state absorption (ESA) line shape underlying the entire photobleaching/stimulated emission (PB/SE) region. The time evolution of the THB spectrum involves line broadening on the 100−200-fs time scale and a <100-fs time scale dynamic Stokes shift of the SE component. We suggest that the dynamic Stokes shift can be attributed to transient solvation by the protein matrix. The solvent correlation function, C(t), exhibits a sub-100-fs component that describes 90% of the total C(t) response, with the remaining 10% of response occurring on a much longer time scale than the longest delay employed in these experiments (10 ps). We assign the ultraf.
The Effect of Negative Bias Voltage on Porous Silica Films Photoluminescence

To obtain porous silica films emitting adjustable blue light at room temperature, the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system at atmosphere pressure was. modulated by direct current negative bias voltage. During the variation of bias voltage from −200 V to −850 V, photoluminescence (PL) spectrum expressed the continuous increase of the peak at 410 nm.This PL peak was resolved with four Gaussian bands, which responded respective possible mechanism. Microstructure of the films exhibited higher porosity at −850 V bias voltage and the size of silica particles decreased Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) showed Si-O-Si groups grew in quantity and Si-H chemical bonds disappeared with the increase of bias voltage. All of these indicated that Si-H bonds under low bias voltage quenched PL, and while Si–O bonds and high porosity under high bias voltage strengthened the intensity of PL.
Thermo and pH Dual-Responsive Micelles of N-phthaloylchitosan-g-Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and Poly(acrylic acid-co-tert-butyl acrylate) for Drug Delivery

A novel amphiphilic copolymer N-phthaloylchitosan graft poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(acrylic acid-co-tert-butyl acrylate) (PHCS-g-PNIPAAm&P(AA-co-tBA)) was synthesized. The graft copolymer could form micelles in aqueous medium, and the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the copolymer was 7.5 × 10− 3mg/mL. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the micelles was measured to be 30°C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image showed that the micelles exhibited a regular spherical shape, and the mean diameter of the micelles was 94.1 ± 0.8 nm as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The potential usefulness of the micelles as drug delivery systems was investigated using anti-inflammation drug prednisone acetate as the model. The drug loading capacity of the micelles was measured to be 22.86 wt%, and the DLS results showed that the mean diameter of the drug-loaded micelles was 133.3 ± 2.4 nm. In vitro drug release studies indicated that the micelles exhibited thermo and pH dual-responsive release profiles.
Intensification of arsenic toxicity to paddy rice by hydrogen sulfide and ferrous iron, 1: Induction of bronzing and iron accumulation in rice by arsenic

Abstract The phytotoxicity of arsenic to paddy rice was examined by the pot culture method using Utsunomiya grey lowland soil which had received nutrient salts including ammonium sulfate with or without additional rice straw powder as a reducing agent. By treatment with 50 ppm of arsenic and straw, plant growth was retarded from the beginning of culture, and about 6 weeks later, at the middle of July, small reddish black spots emerged near the tips of expanded green leaves. The spots then increased and spread over the whole leaves resulting in bronzing and final dieback in about the mid-August. On treatment with higher concentrations of arsenic and straw, the plants were more severely injured and died through bronzing at earlier stages. All such dead plants were found to have accumulated abnormally high iron in their leaf tissues. On treatment with lower concentrations of arsenic and straw or in the case of higher arsenic without straw, plant growth and grain yield were reduced with the occurrence of part.
Color Change Kinetics of Microwave-Dried Basil

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of microwave output power and sample amount on color change kinetics of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) during microwave drying. The color parameters for the color change of the materials were quantified by Hunter L (whiteness/darkness), a (redness/greenness), and b (yellowness/blueness) system. These values were also used for calculation of the total color change (ΔE), chroma, hue angle, and browning index. The microwave-drying process changed color parameters of L, a, and b, causing a color shift toward the darker region. The mathematical modeling study of color change kinetics showed that a and b fitted to a first-order kinetic model, while L and total color change (ΔE) followed a zero-order kinetic model. However, chroma and browning index (BI) followed a first-order kinetic model, whereas hue angle followed a zero-order kinetic model. For calculation of the activation energy for colour change kinetic parameters, the exponential expression based on Arrhenius equation was used.
Why the effectiveness of a face mask is not limited to infection control

Copyright: ©2020 The Authors. Published by Archetype Health Pty Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. SUMMARY Wearing a face mask when in a public space or at work is now mandatory in Melbourne, Australia. In this editorial, we frame the adoption of masks as a trigger for behaviour change supported by theories that suggest that the mask has significant potential in this regard. The effectiveness of the mandated use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic may have benefits beyond the simple preventative effects—it could be the measure that turns the tide in a pandemic that looks set to reverse the benefits of a previous lockdown in this state.
Determination and Origin of the Aroma Impact Compounds of Yogurt Flavor

Yogurt exhibits a delicate and low intense flavor which requires mild sample isolation techniques and sensitive identification means. This paper decribes the application of two new flavor separation techniques: combined static and dynamic headspace, and preparative simultaneous distillation−extraction under vacuum. Of the 91 components identified by mass spectrometry, 21 were found to have a major impact on the aroma using a new method for the treatment of GC−sniffing data. One of these compounds, 1-nonen-3-one, was identified by spectral means for the first time in a flavor. Its odor detection threshold of 8 pg/kg appears to be one of the lowest among known flavor compounds. On the basis of the peak areas of yogurt and milk aromagrams, some compounds seem to be already present in milk, others appear to be generated by the strains. Keywords: Yogurt aroma; headspace; GC−olfactometry; impact-compound; composition
Mechanistic Study of Alcohol Dehydration on γ-Al2O3

The acid sites on γ-Al2O3 were characterized using FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of 2-propanamine, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, and 2-methyl-2-propanol, together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Following room-temperature adsorption and evacuation, the surface coverages of the adsorbed alcohols were between 2 and 3.2 × 1018 molecules/m2. For each of the adsorbed alcohols, reaction to olefin and water products occurred in a narrow peak that indicated reaction is a first-order process with a well-defined activation energy, which in turn depended strongly on the particular alcohol. DFT calculations on an Al8O12 cluster are in excellent agreement with the experimental observations and show that the transition states for dehydration had carbenium-ion character. The carbenium ion stability in terms of proton affinity (of alkenes) matches well with the activation energy of the dehydration reaction. Adsorption of water on the γ-Al2O3, foll.
Prognostic value of inflammatory and nutritional markers for hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Many clinical studies have demonstrated that the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and Onodera's prognostic nutritional index (OPNI) are visibly involved in the prognosis of a variety of tumors. In our research, we aim to determin the prognostic impact of NLR, PLR, and OPNI for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Data of hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing treatment in Changzhi People's Hospital between 2011 and 2017 were reviewed. 270 patients with HCC were under inclusion criteria. The optimal cut-off points of OPNI, NLR and PLR were determined by using the X-tile program. The overall survival (OS) was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox Proportional Hazard Regression model to determine independent prognostic indicators for HCC. As revealed by Univariate and multivariate analysis, OPNI, Treatment, PLR, and BCLC Stage can be used as independent prognostic indicators for HCC. Comparing the P values and hazard ratios, we found out that the OPNI has greatest influence on prognosis in these indexes. The appropriate cut-off points of NLR, PLR, and OPNI were 2.5, 133.3, and 39.5, respectively. High score OPNI group had a better OS. In the analysis between OPNI and clinicopathological characteristics, there were differences in treatment, postoperative therapy, AST, ALBI grade, NLR and PLR between the high OPNI group and the low OPNI group, while others did not. OPNI is a straightforward and effective independent prognostic indicator for HCC.
Who Believed Misinformation during the 2019 Indonesian Election?

We present findings from eight nationally representative surveys conducted during the 2019 Indonesian presidential campaign, in which we measured voters’ reported belief in prominent pieces of misinformation. Younger, better-educated, and wealthier voters were more likely to believe the misinformation. These results are true for stories about both the incumbent (Joko Widodo) and the challenger (Prabowo Subianto). These findings represent a significant departure from results in Western Europe and North America, where a surge in misinformation has disproportionately targeted older and less educated voters.
FKBPL Is a Potential Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated with Immune Infiltrates and T Cells Exhaustion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with high mortality and poor prognosis. And FKBPL plays a crucial role on the development of cancers. This study aims to explore the prognostic potential of FKBPL and comprehensively analyze the correlations between FKBPL, immune infiltration, and T cells function in HCC. GEO database, Oncomine databases, TIMER2.0 and GEPIA2 were used to analyze FKBPL expression, relationship between FKBPL expression and survival of HCC patients as well as immune infiltration, related gene marker sets and T cells exhaustion in HCC. We used STRING database to analysis PPI (protein-protein interaction) for FKBPL and visualization by Cytoscape. Metascape was used for enrichment analysis. FKBPL upregulates in most of the cancer types including HCC. Survival analysis demonstrated that FKBPL shows significant impact on survival of HCC patients with overall survival and disease-free survival. And survival rate of HCC patients with high FKBPL expression was significantly correlated with race, gender and tumor purity of HCC patients. Moreover, FKBPL expression positively correlates with high immune infiltration levels in most of the immune cells and functional T cells including exhausted T cells, Th1, Th2 and Tfh. Specifically, multiple key genes of exhausted T cells comprising PD-1, CTLA4, LAG3, TIM-3, and GZMB have remarkable interaction with FKBPL. At last, we found10 genes including PRRT1, ANKRD49, RBCK1, CSNK1D, HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1, GTSE1, CDKN1A, AVPR2, and EGFL8 were interacted with FKBPL. Enrichment analysis showed that apoptotic signaling pathway, regulation of myeloid cell differentiation, cell death in response to oxidative stress, PIP3 activates AKT signaling may involve in HCC tumor progression about FKBPL. In conclusion, FKBPL is a potential prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates and T cells exhaustion in HCC.
Direct Observation of Water−Oil Emulsion Systems in the Liquid State by Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy

Environmental scanning electron microscopy is a technique capable of imaging fluid systems in their natural state without prior specimen preparation. As such, it is potentially a very powerful tool for studying emulsion structures at a resolution significantly higher than that for conventional optical microscopy. We present data on several water−oil emulsions that demonstrate the capability of the instrument. Separate preparations of vegetable oil and polybutene were used, emulsified with nonionic polysaccharide surfactants. Rather large contrast variations were found between the oil and water phases, with water always appearing brighter whether it was in the dispersed or continuous phase. The observed contrast is attributed to variations in the secondary electron emission characteristics arising from the dielectric response function of water compared with hydrocarbons. We propose that delocalized electrons in π-bonds provide an energy-absorbing mechanism that leads to a reduction in secondary electron em.
The abundance of soil invertebrates in young and mature palm oil plot in relations to soil physical properties: A preliminary study

The soil biota is considered the biological engine of the earth and is associated with most of the critical functions of the soil in terms of ecosystem services. The knowledge on the impact of land management and agricultural activities on the abundance and diversity of soil invertebrates is still understudied especially in Malaysia. This study was conducted to investigate the relation of the abundance and diversity of soil invertebrates with the soil physical parameters from two different palm oil plots. Sampling methods of soil invertebrates include pitfall trap and Berlese-Tullgren funnel. Invertebrate’s abundance and diversity were measured and invertebrates were identified according to their morphological characteristics under the dissecting microscope concerning taxonomic keys. A total of 621 individuals were documented from both sites with 408 collected in mature palm oil farms whereas 213 individuals were documented in young palm oil farms. Hymenoptera (67.31 %) is the most dominant invertebrate followed by Orthoptera (12.40 %) and Arachnida (10.14 %). Morphospecies diversity, evenness, and richness are highest in mature palm oil plot with Shannon; 1.54, Evenness; 0.32, and Menhinick; 0.67 respectively. Well-developed canopy, plenty of shelters, and reduced agricultural activities in mature palm oil mainly contributed to ideal soil physical parameters (bulk density; 1.23 (g/cm) ± 0.02, porosity; 55.03 % ± 2.48, temperature; 35.65°C ± 0.30 and moisture; 34.05 % ± 0.60) produces a comparatively more balanced habitat for a diverse community of soil invertebrates. Because of the roles they play in soil biological processes, soil invertebrates may be used as bioindicators of soil health. This study can be used as a baseline for more extensive research that may be applied in future planning on land management in achieving the nation’s agricultural sustainability.
A New Mesomorphism of the Alkyl 4-(2-Perfluoroalkyl)ethoxybenzoate Derivatives

The liquid-crystalline properties of the homologous members of alkyl 4-(2-perfluorooctyl)ethoxy-3-R-benzoates (R = H (1), NO2 (3), Br (4)) show a new mesomorphic behavior. The lower alkyl (methyl–pentyl) esters of 1 exhibit a smectic A phase, and the smectic A-isotropic transition temperature tends to decrease with increasing the carbon number of the alkyl group, where the layer spacing of the smectic A phase tends to become short with increasing carbon chain length. The hexyl–decyl esters are non-mesogenic, and the after members again show a smectic A phase. The similar trend has been found for 3 and 4. Homologous members of alkyl 4-(2-perfluorodecyl)ethoxybenzoates (2) also show a similar thermal behavior. The smectic properties are strongly dependent on the relative constitution of the perfluoroalkyl group to the alkyl one within the molecule. The molecular arrangement of the smectic A phase is discussed.