Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal bandwidth selection for a kernel density with a location-scale property

Abstract This paper proposes a novel estimator of the bandwidth in kernel density estimation, built from an adaptive combination of the strengths of classical kernel smoothing and the desirable properties inherent in adjusted kernel smoothing as studied under a variety location and scale family of functions. The optimal bandwidth exists as a function of density functionals derived as the minimizer of the mean square error. We provide a substantial computational assessment of the performance of our proposed estimator on both simulated and real data, and it is very encouraging to notice that our proposed method exhibits a lower variance than its previous counterparts, and also yields an overall smaller mean squared error.
Inadequate treatment of taxonomic information prevents replicability of most zoological research

We evaluated the quality of information about taxonomic identifications in 710 papers published in seven zoological journals in 2017. We found that only 10.7% of papers cited identification methods, 29.2% made available specimen-level material for later verification, and 6.9% indicated taxon concepts applied to studied animals. Only 4.0% provided details about all three practices, while almost two-thirds provided none. Invertebrate papers were more likely than vertebrate papers to provide identification methods and deposit vouchers, but taxon concepts were rarely provided, and none of the three practices were common in any category. In short, our data suggest that most zoological research is irreplicable. To address this problem, journals should require submitted manuscripts to meet the following guidelines: (1) methods used to identify studied taxa must be stated; (2) literature supporting these identifications must be cited; (3) taxon concept(s) applied to species-level taxa must be indicated; (4) specimen-level material should be available for later examination. We argue that research which falls short of these guidelines is not replicable. We provide recommendations for how authors can better document how studied animals are identified and permit others to verify their identifications, which is necessary for transparent, replicable, and ultimately scientific zoological research.
Optimation of Crawler Speeds Measurement Using Inductive Proximity for Autonomous Combine Harvester

This paper proposes an optimal method for measuring the crawler rotational speeds of an autonomous combine harvester by the inductive proximity sensor. It mounts an inductive sensor on each wheel so it can detect the metals and the holes on the crawler drive gear. Detection of metals and holes continuously forming a cycle with a particular frequency. The crawler speed is determined by counting the number of cycles at one second as a frequency. The crawler speeds are proportional to the frequency. However, there is another way of measuring crawler speed by counting the cycle period. This research compares measuring methods for the crawler speeds using frequency and period to determine the optimal method. The results of the experiment show that measuring crawler speeds by periods is more accurate than frequency.
Biochemical responses of water-stressed triticale (X Triticosecale wittmack) to humic acid and jasmonic acid

Abstract The efficacy of humic acid (HA) and jasmonic acid (JA) application to modulate the adverse effects of water stress on pigment content, relative water content (RWC), antioxidant enzyme activity, and ion balance of two triticale genotypes (ET-83-3 and ET-84-8) was investigated in a pot experiment under controlled conditions. Application of both HA and JA in ET-84-8, increased chlorophyll a and b content 19.9 and 21% under water stress, respectively. Carotenoid content was also increased from 7.7 mg/g fresh weight to 9.5 mg/g fresh weight under water stress. Furthermore, catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities and proline content were increased 34.8%, 13% and 99.5%, respectively when ET-84-8 genotype was exposed to HA and JA together. RWC of water-stressed plants was lowered in both genotypes however, the decreasing rate was greater in ET-84-8genotype. Higher K‏+ accumulation in water-stressed ET-84-8 genotype was accompanied by an increase in pigment content, CAT and POD activity as well as RWC. There was a negatively significant relationship between the main shoot grain yield and the malondialdehyde (MDA) activity. Significant and positive relationships were also found between the main shoot grain yield with CAT activity as well as RWC. Overall, it was found that concomitant foliar application of HA (1.0 mM) with JA (50 µM) was able to alleviate the inhibitory effects of water stress in the ET-84-8 genotype via enhancing proline content, CAT and POD activity, and lowering MDA.
Queer Farmers in the 2017 US Census of Agriculture

Abstract Research suggests queer farmers are both more prevalent than expected and different from other farmers in significant ways. Using 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture data, we investigate this premise using an innovative coding scheme to identify two-producer farms run by men married to men and women married to women. Our findings suggest a good deal of farms are run by queer farmers and are they significantly different in several ways from non-queer farms. We encourage further investigation of queer farmers using USDA Census of Agriculture data and provide the coding scheme needed to do so. We further call for a refinement of the USDA Census of Agriculture question regarding marital status making it easier to identify producers married to each other, and subsequently same-sex married producers.
A Comprehensive Review of Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Quercus Species

The Quercus genus provides a large amount of biomaterial with many applications in fields like pharmaceutics, cosmetics, and foodstuff areas. Due to the worldwide dissemination of the genus, many species were used for centuries in traditional healing methods or in the wine maturing process. This review aims to bring together the results about phytoconstituents from oak extracts and their biological applicability as antioxidants, antimicrobial, anticancer, etc. The literature data used in this paper were collected via PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct (2010–June 2020). The inclusion criteria were papers published in English, with information about phytoconstituents from Quercus species (leaves, bark and seeds/acorns) and biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antiobesity, anti-acne vulgaris, antifungal, anticancer, antiviral, antileishmanial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory. The exclusion criteria were the research of other parts of the Quercus species (e.g., galls, wood, and twigs); lack of information about phytochemistry and biological activities; non-existent Quercus species reported by the authors. The most studied Quercus species, in terms of identified biomolecules and biological activity, are Q. brantii, Q. infectoria and Q. robur. The Quercus species have been reported to contain several phytoconstituents. The main bioactive phytochemicals are phenolic compounds, volatile organic compounds, sterols, aliphatic alcohols and fatty acids. The, Quercus species are intensely studied due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities, provided by their phytochemical composition. The general conclusion is that oak extracts can be exploited for their biological activity and can be used in research fields, such as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and medical.
Training early childhood leaders: developing a new paradigm for professional development using a practice to theory approach

ABSTRACT Given the predictive nature of high-quality early childhood programs on children’s social and learning outcomes, effective leadership is critical to facilitate program improvement. Recognizing the need for cohesive conceptual frameworks that undergird research-based practice, a 5-year training institute for early childhood program directors was evaluated to assess training effectiveness. Moreover, we developed a model of early childhood leadership professional development grounded in our iterative analysis of data from this study and guided by theory-building methods. The findings show positive impacts on leaders’ self-reported facilitation and implementation of developmentally appropriate strategies in positive discipline and prosocial skills in early care and education settings. The practice-to-theory training model developed provides a theoretically cohesive framework to guide the professional development of early childhood program leaders that repositions the theory/practice binary by helping leaders problematize issues of practice and infuse theory as necessary tools and pragmatic anchors for solving real-world problems.
Control Analysis of a Real-World P2 Hybrid Electric Vehicle Based on Test Data

The control strategy of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is generally not disclosed to public because it is a significant factor in determining the performance of the system. However, engineers desiring to understand the control concept of real-world HEVs can gain knowledge in various ways. In this study, we used test data obtained from a bench dynamometer and real driving to analyze the supervisory control strategy of Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. This research can be described in three steps. First, an understanding of the mode control strategy is obtained by investigating the engine on/off behavior, which determines when the pure electric driving mode is used. Second, the shifting patterns are studied by observing the speed ratios according to the vehicle speed and the torque demand. Third, the strategy for distributing the torque between the engine and the motor is analyzed by studying the motor assistant operation. Based on the analyzed control concept, it is possible to understand the technical strategy for improving the fuel efficiency of the parallel hybrid system. This study would be useful for engineers who want to design controllers for HEVs, in that it provides the analyzed control concept and the real-world operating behaviors.
Employability Skills Needed in Hospitality Industry: A Scopious Review

Aim: The purposes of the study were to explain the concept of employability, define employability skills in the context of the hospitality industry, Identify the various employability skills needed in the hospitality industry and to examine the most important employability skills needed by the recruiters’ from various studies conducted in the field of the hospitality industry. Methodology: In this study, only such studies were incorporated which were conducted in the field of the hospitality industry across the globe and empirical in nature. The published papers were selected from the duration between 1983 to 2018, which were related to the skills needed by the hospitality industry. Results: The most commonly needed skills by the hospitality industry were: leadership, communication, problem-solving, interpersonal, oral and written communication, personality development, teamwork, positive attitude, customer service, professional and ethical standards, personnel management, professionalism or professional attitude, hard and soft skills, time management, decision-making and information technology. Conclusion: The study conducted from the industry perspective; hence the academic institutions while designing curricula, create such academic ambiance where the skills reported by the study Review Article Dhaliwal and Misra; AJESS, 10(1): 18-34, 2020; Article no.AJESS. 59241 19 can be inculcated among their students through theoretical as well as practical knowledge, and develop them by developing employability skills and attributes required globally. The study also conferred about moderate and least reported skills also must be focused by the institutions. The study was confined to the most preferred employability skills by the hospitality industry and in the future, the studies may be carried from the other stakeholders i.e. students and academic view
TAX BASE EROSION AND CORPORATE PROFIT SHIFTING: AFRICA IN INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Each year, base erosion and profit shifting cost governments worldwide between US$100bn and US$600bn, which undermines financing for development and deepens inequality. This article examines how African nations in comparison to other countries contribute to and counter base erosion and profit shifting by multinational companies through analysis of the lowest available corporate income tax rates, tax exemptions, transparency provisions, anti-avoidance measures, and double tax treaty networks. To do this, the article draws on the ≥’/Corporate Tax Haven Index dataset produced by the Tax Justice Network in 2019, in which the legal framework and practices of 64 jurisdictions including nine African countries are assessed to measure the risks of tax avoidance, base erosion and profit shifting, profit misalignment, and the race to the bottom in corporate income taxation. The findings show that, on average, African countries contribute much less to the problem of tax avoidance than EU and OECD member states and their dependencies. In contrast, however, African countries offer more profit-based tax incentives, including tax holidays and economic zones, in a bid to attract foreign direct investment but often with unintended consequences. Further, transparency and anti-avoidance measures are not as robust in African countries as in the EU and OECD, which signals space for policy improvements to curb corporate tax abuse. The Corporate Tax Haven Index also reveals the distortions introduced in academic studies and development policy that rely on the highest statutory corporate tax rates and disregard reductions that may be extended to a company based on the business size, sector, location, or other factors.
Loss-of-function of Fbxo10, encoding a post-translational regulator of BCL2 in lymphomas, has no discernible effect on BCL2 or B lymphocyte accumulation in mice

Regulation of the anti-apoptotic BCL2 protein determines cell survival and is frequently abnormal in B cell lymphomas. An evolutionarily conserved post-translational mechanism for over-expression of BCL2 in human B cell lymphomas and the BCL2 paralogue CED-9 in Caenorhabditis elegans results from loss-of-function mutations in human FBXO10 and its C.elegans paralogue DRE-1, a BCL2/CED-9-binding subunit of the SKP-CULLIN-FBOX (SCF) ubiquitin ligase. Here, we tested the role of FBXO10 in BCL2 regulation by producing mice with two different CRISPR/Cas9-engineered Fbxo10 mutations: an Asp54Lys (E54K) missense mutation in the FBOX domain and a Cys55SerfsTer55 frameshift (fs) truncating mutation. Mice homozygous for either mutant allele were born at the expected Mendelian frequency and appeared normal in body weight and appearance as adults. Spleen B cells from homozygous mutant mice did not have increased BCL2 protein, nor were the numbers of mature B cells or germinal centre B cells increased as would be expected if BCL2 was increased. Other lymphocyte subsets that are also regulated by BCL2 levels also displayed no difference in frequency in homozygous Fbxo10 mutant mice. These results support one of two conclusions: either FBXO10 does not regulate BCL2 in mice, or it does so redundantly with other ubiquitin ligase complexes. Possible candidates for the latter include FBXO11 or ARTS-XIAP. The difference between the role of FBXO10 in regulating BCL2 protein levels in C. elegans and in human DLBCL, relative to single-gene deficient mouse leukocytes, should be further investigated.
Water treatment processes. III. Removing dissolved inorganic contaminants from water

This article describes the physicochemical treatment processes typically used to remove the more common inorganic contaminants from water and wastewater. These are precipitation, coprecipitation, adsorption, ion exchange, membrane separations by reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, and combinations of these processes. The general criteria for process selection are discussed, and the processes and their typical applications are described.
Relationship between tree height and landslide characteristics obtained by GIS assessment

Landslides in forested landscapes have far‐reaching implications, beyond that of just destroying the forest itself, sometimes initiating large‐scale sediment disasters. Although vegetation increases slope stability through its root network, it is hard to evaluate its contribution to slope stability over a wide area. In this study, the relationship between tree height and landslide characteristics in the Ikawa catchment, central Japan, was investigated to develop a method for evaluating the effects of forest cover on slope stability over a regional extent. Catchment‐wide tree height was obtained using airborne LiDAR point cloud data and used in conjunction with the root depth profile, measured for trees of various height by digging trenches. Root tensile strength per unit area of soil was calculated from individual root diameters and empirical power law equations on the relationship between root diameter and root tensile force in order to better understand the effect that tree height has on slope stability. Landslide density in the Ikawa catchment shows that landslides occur more frequently in forests with shorter trees, with occurrence decreasing as tree height increases. This is likely due to the stabilizing features of larger trees having a greater network of roots, which is supported by the general increase in total root area and the deeper penetration of root biomass into the soil as the height of trees surveyed increases. Landslide density was not solely affected by tree height, but also by slope gradient and plane curvature. Decreasing landslide occurrence and landslide area as tree height increases suggests that slope stability increases with tree height, while the random distribution of results when comparing landslide depth to tree height suggests that while tree height has an impact on relative slope stability, the landslide failure depth is independent of tree height, and thus controlled by other factors. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abnormal tone in management earnings forecast, media negative coverage, and insider trading

ABSTRACT Based on previous studies, we define the term abnormal language tone, used in management earnings forecasts, as the extent to which the language tone in the forecast deviates from the regular language tone that is used to describe business performance. We posit that the use of abnormal language tone is associated with insider trading. We specifically analyze a sample of Chinese listed firms during the period of 2010–2017. Our results indicate that, when managers intend to sell their shares, they release information in an abnormally optimistic tone. When they intend to buy shares, they release information in an abnormally pessimistic tone in order to bring down the stock price. However, we found that the media can exert supervision and corporate governance control on listed firms. If the media reports negative news prior to the earnings forecast, the relationship between abnormal language tone and insider trading will be weaker. Our findings complement prior studies in two ways. First, we provide evidence that the managers manipulate the tone of the language in earnings forecasts to facilitate insider trading. Second, we show that the media not only exposes the immoral behaviors of listed firm but can also prevent future manipulation of the tone in management earnings forecasts
Inverse material characterisation of human aortic tissue for traumatic injury in motor vehicle crashes

Abstract Traumatic aortic rupture (TAR) resulting due to motor vehicle crashes (MVC) accounts for about 10%–20% fatalities. This article presents the outcome of our findings of the non-linear stress–strain response and strain rate-dependent behaviour of the aortic tissue under crash like impacts. This study uses both finite element (FE) modelling and experimental testing to enhance the understanding of injury mechanisms associated with TAR. Accurate material properties are essential for correct FE model predictions. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to experimentally characterise and identify a suitable constitutive model and model parameters for aortic tissue that can be incorporated into FE human body models for studying aortic rupture. Inverse characterisation and genetic algorithms (GA) were used to train the FE model to simulate real-life scenarios applying loading in multiple directions. A total of 32 uniaxial tensile tests were conducted on human aortic tissues along with the longitudinal and circumferential directions by loading at different strain rates ranging up to 200/s. The engineering stress–strain relationship obtained for human aorta in the longitudinal and circumferential directions via uniaxial tensile tests demonstrated an approximately bilinear behaviour and strain rate dependency in both directions. The higher stresses and modulus in the circumferential direction as compared to longitudinal direction demonstrates the anisotropic behaviour of the tissue. A constitutive model has been developed and implemented via user subroutine (UMAT) in LS-DYNA that accounts for the strain rate-dependent effects and bilinear behaviour observed in the aortic tissue. A FE model of the experimental set-up was developed, and the parameters of the model were estimated using a GA-based inverse mapping technique. The developed model enables investigation of the mechanical response of the aortic tissue under crashes and other high rate loading conditions. The work is based on the premise that a reliable constitutive model coupled with a FE model of the aorta shall help predict TARs.
Teachers’ views on learner-related variables impeding the integration of ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry

ABSTRACT A qualitative research design comprising of open-ended questionnaires and focus group discussions was used to investigate learner-related variables that impede the integration of ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry. Proportional stratified sampling and recruitment based sampling were used to select the 40 in-service teachers who took part in this study. The data was analysed inductively. The findings revealed that learners’ attitudes towards ethnomathematics approaches, learners’ lack of knowledge on cultural examples, cultural diversity, resistance to change by learners, lack of listening skills by learners and learners’ attitudes towards geometry impede the integration of ethnomathematics approaches into the teaching and learning of geometry. It is recommended that teachers should find ways to use cultural examples that accommodate all the learners from the varied cultural backgrounds. Teachers should also find ways of motivating the learners to learn geometry.