Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computer-based assessment in mathematics

Computer-based assessments is becoming more and more common in mathematics education, and because the digital media entails other demands than paper-based tests, potential threats against validity must be considered. In this study we investigate how preparatory instructions and digital familiarity, may be of importance for test validity. 77 lower secondary students participated in the study and were divided into two groups that received different instructions about five different types of dynamic and/or interactive functions in digital mathematics items. One group received a verbal and visual instruction, whereas the other group also got the opportunity to try using the functions themselves. The students were monitored using eye-tracking equipment during their work with mathematics items with the five types of functions. The result revealed differences in how the students undertook the dynamic functions due to the students’ preparatory instructions. One conclusion is that students need to be very familiar with dynamic and interactive functions in tests, if validity is to be ensured. The validity also depends on the type of dynamic function used.
Vibrotactile Stimulation for Emotional Elicitation During Audiovisual Events

Audiovisual media are an essential source of information and leisure in our lives, but people with hearing disabilities lose the emotional content that is intended to be transmitted through this channel. Some previous studies have tried to find alternative ways to elicit these emotions using other sensory channels, and some attempts have been made with haptic systems synchronized with rhythms of music and action in movies, but they fail in studying deeply the provoked neural response. In this article, we propose the tactile channel as the alternative to the auditory channel to convey the emotions generated by audiovisual events, measuring the effect of a proprietary system in the emotions by monitoring neural response. We have developed a low-cost system consisting of an Arduino Uno, a pair of gloves with micromotors and a driver. Using EEG, we have measured brain activity generated during audiovisual stimulation of a short film with clearly negative emotional content, with and without synchronized tactile stimuli, in two groups of people, one without hearing impairment and the other with hearing impairment. We have used the Hotelling’s T2 test as a multivariate statistical analysis of EEG measurements. Comparing the difference in brain activation generated in the conditions with and without vibration in both groups, we have found that multimodal stimulation by touch and associated with audiovisual stimuli enhances in a 30% the emotional, attentional, and auditory circuits activation, due to brain reorganization around frontal and parietal structures (all related to emotional responses) in the hearing-impaired group.
Cationized Lignin Loaded Alginate Beads for Efficient Cr(VI)
 Removal

In this study, lignin, a lignocellulosic biomass, was chemically modified to produce polyethyleneimine-grafted lignin (PKL) with maximum hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] adsorption capacity. Changes in the physicochemical properties due to the cationization of lignin were confirmed through elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and moisture stability evaluation. Alginate (Alg) beads containing PKL (Alg/PKL) were prepared by incorporating cationic lignin into the Alg matrix to apply the prepared PKL in a batch-type water treatment process. The optimal Alg/lignin mixing ratio was selected to increase the Cr(VI) adsorption capacity and minimize lignin elution from the aqueous system. The selected Alg/PKL beads exhibited an excellent Cr(VI) removal capacity of 478.98 mg/g. Isothermal adsorption and thermodynamic analysis revealed that the Cr(VI) removal behavior of the Alg/PKL beads was similar to that of heterogeneous chemical adsorption. In addition, the bulk adsorbent material in the form of beads exhibited adsorption behavior in three stages: surface adsorption, diffusion, and equilibrium.
Enhancing the Performance of 6LoWPAN-Based Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) with IEEE 802.11AH (Wi-Fi HaLow)

6LoWPAN allows IEEE 802.15. 4 standard-based wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to be connected to the Internet through the Internet protocol IPv6; however, its performance decreases as the network grows in size due to complications such as the bottleneck problem; therefore this paper aims to improve the performance of 6LoWPAN-based WSNs by using the IEEE 802.11AH standard as a backbone in these networks, since this emerging new technology is suitable for IoT applications, as it can provide a coverage range up to 1,000 m and data transmission rates up to 78 Mbps. The IEEE 802.11AH standard can be used as a backbone by utilizing its characteristics to improve some of the performance parameters of the 6LoWPAN networks such as end-to-end delay, frames delivery ratio, and the network throughput. This paper proposes a heterogeneous network infrastructure consisting of 6LoWPAN and the IEEE 802.11AH standard to enable bidirectional data transmission between the network components and the Internet via the Internet protocol IPv6 with two types of gateways, the edge gateways to connect the entire network to the Internet and the intermediate gateways to connect the 6LoWPAN clusters to the edge gateways. The simulation results demonstrate that the heterogeneous network approach can provide significant improvement gains compared to the 6LoWPAN homogeneous networks, since it shows clear improvements to the packets delivery ratio, the end-to-end delay mean value and the network throughput, subsequently leading to a distinct enhancement in the network’s overall reliability.
SPDT Switch Using λ/9-TL-Based-λ/4-TL and DTMOS With Floating R for 28-GHz 5G New Radio

We demonstrate an asymmetrical single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch with low insertion loss (IL) and high isolation and power linearity for 28-GHz 5G new radio. In the transmit (TX) path, a series equivalent quarter-wavelength ( $\lambda $ /4) transmission line (TL) (consisting of $\lambda $ /9 TL and transistors’ intrinsic parasitic C) and a parallel dynamic-threshold MOSFET (DTMOS) transistor with a body floating resistance (DTMOS-R) are included for low IL in the TX mode and good isolation in the receive (RX) mode. In the RX path, a parallel DTMOS-R and a series impedance (consisting of a TL and a DTMOS-R in parallel) are included for decent IL in the RX mode and isolation in the TX mode. In the TX mode, the SPDT switch achieves the measured IL of 0.75 dB at 28 GHz and 0.67–1 dB for 18.2–34.7 GHz (i.e., a bandwidth of 16.5 GHz) and the measured isolation (between TX and RX) of 60.7 dB at 26 GHz and 20–60.7 dB for 18.2–34.7 GHz, one of the best IL and isolation results ever reported for millimeter-wave CMOS SPDT switches. The measured input 1-dB compression point (P1dB) is 24.1 dBm at 28 GHz. Moreover, in the RX mode, the SPDT switch achieves the measured IL of 2.55 dB at 28 GHz and 1.89–2.69 dB for 26.5–58 GHz (i.e., bandwidth of 31.5 GHz) and isolation (between antenna and TX) of 19 dB at 28 GHz and 18.6–23.2 dB for 26.5–58 GHz. The measured P1dB is 28.5 dBm at 28 GHz.
EVOLUÇÃO GEOLÓGICA DOS GRUPOS CANASTRA E IBIÁ NA REGIÃO ENTRE COROMANDEL E GUARDA-MOR, MG

The stratigraphic column established for the Canastra Group, in the Alto Paranaiba region in the centralportion of the Brasilia Fold Belt, represents a regressive megasequence of sediments deposited on an openseacontinental platform. The following units occur from base to top: a turbiditic sequence with arenaceousand argillaceous intercalations; an arenaceous sequence containing storm beds; and a clay-rich arenaceoussequence with structures reflecting shallow marine and tidal flat environments. The Ibia Group overlies theCanastra Group on an erosional disconformity. Its base consists of a metadiamictite of glacial origin (CubataoFormation) while the uppermost unit (Rio Verde Formation) comprises an extensive and monotonous packageof banded calcareous phyllites. The contact between these two formations is gradational and both units havesimilar mineralogic composition. The Canastra and Ibia Groups were affected by a single event of progressivedeformation, E1, during the Brasiliano Cycle, manifested as two distinct compressional stages. The earliestand most compressive stage, D1, is represented by thrust tectonics, associated with greenschist faciesmetamorphism. The second stage of deformation, D2, is characterized by a dominant component of pureshear in a ductile-brittle regime. When compared with other similar units in the geochronological record, thecharacteristics of the studied units show that the Ibia Group metadiamictites are contemporaneous with theJequitai tillite, with a probable age of deposition between 900 and 1000 Ma and the Canastra Group istherefore older than 1000 Ma.
Effect of Ocular Dominance on Ocular Blood Flow Parameters

Purpose: In binocular vision, there is a dominant eye and a nondominant eye, a phenomenon termed ocular dominance. This study determined the differences and associations of the ocular blood flow parameters between dominant and nondominant eyes in healthy Japanese subjects. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 128 eyes of 64 subjects (13 male and 51 female) aged ≥ 20 years. The ocular blood flow parameters were assessed using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG), and software was used to calculate the mean blur rate (MBR), which reflects the blood flow velocity. Results: There were no significant differences in axial length (AL), spherical equivalent (SE), intraocular pressure (IOP), uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), or ocular blood flow parameters between the dominant and nondominant eyes. The ocular blood flow parameters of the dominant eye were significantly and positively correlated with those of the nondominant eye (all P < 0.001). Conclusions: No significant differences in ocular blood flow parameters exist between the dominant and nondominant eyes in healthy subjects. The ocular blood flow parameters in the dominant eye are associated with those in the nondominant eye.
Highly parameterized inverse estimation of hydraulic conductivity and porosity in a three‐dimensional, heterogeneous transport experiment

Assessing the impact of parameter estimation accuracy in models of heterogeneous, three‐dimensional (3‐D) groundwater systems is critical for predictions of solute transport. A unique experimental data set provides concentration breakthrough curves (BTCs) measured at a 0.253 cm3 scale over the 13 × 8 × 8 cm3 domain (∼53,000 measurement locations). Advective transport is used to match the first temporal moments of BTCs (or mean arrival times, m1) averaged at 0.253 and 1.0 cm3 scales through simultaneous inversion of highly parameterized heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity (K) and porosity (φ) fields. Pilot points parameterize the fields within eight layers of the 3‐D medium, and estimations are completed with six different models of the K–φ relationship. Parameter estimation through advective transport shows accurate estimation of the observed m1 values. Results across the six different K–φ relationships have statistically similar fits to the observed m1 values and similar spatial estimates of m1 along the main flow direction. The resulting fields provide the basis for forward transport modeling of the advection‐dispersion equation (ADE). Using the estimated K and φ fields demonstrates that advective transport coupled with inversion using dense spatial field parameterization provides an efficient surrogate for the ADE. These results indicate that there is not a single set of model parameters, or a single K–φ relationship, that leads to a best representation of the actual experimental sand packing pattern (i.e., nonuniqueness). Additionally, knowledge of the individual sand K and φ values along with their arrangement in the 3‐D experiment does not reproduce the observed transport results at small scales. Small‐scale variation in the packing and mixing of the sands causes large deviations from the expected transport results as highlighted in forward ADE simulations. Highly parameterized inverse estimation is able to identify those regions where variations in mixing and packing alter the expected property values and significantly improve results relative to the naïve application of the experimentally derived property values. Impacts of the observation scale, the scale over which results are averaged and the number of observations and parameters on the final estimations are also examined. Results indicate existence of a representative element volume (REV) at 0.25 cm3, the existence of subgrid scale heterogeneity that impacts transport and the accuracy of highly parameterized models with even relatively small amounts of observations. Finally, this work suggests that local‐heterogeneity features below the REV scale are difficult to incorporate into parameterized models, highlighting the importance of addressing prediction uncertainty for small‐scale variability (i.e., uncaptured variability) in modeling practice.
Principal oscillation patterns: a review

Abstract The principal oscillation pattern (POP) analysis is a technique used to simultaneously infer the characteristic patterns and timescales of a vector time series. The POPs may be seen as the normal modes of a linearized system whose system matrix is estimated from data. The concept of POP analysis is reviewed. Examples are used to illustrate the potential of the POP technique. The best defined POPs of tropospheric day-to-day variability coincide with the most unstable modes derived from linearized theory. POPs can be derived even from a space-time subset of data. POPs are successful in identifying two independent modes with similar timescales in the same dataset. The POP method can also produce forecasts that may potentially be used as a reference for other forecast models. The conventional POP analysis technique has been generalized in various ways. In the cyclostationary POP analysis, the estimated system matrix is allowed to vary deterministically with an externally forced cycle. In the complex .
Using partial site aggregation to reduce bias in random utility travel cost models

We propose a “partial aggregation” strategy for defining the recreation sites that enter choice sets in random utility models. Under the proposal, the most popular sites and sites that will be the subject of policy analysis enter choice sets as individual sites while remaining sites are aggregated into groups of similar sites. The scheme balances the desire to include all potential substitute sites in the choice sets with practical data and modeling constraints. Unlike fully aggregate models, our analysis and empirical applications suggest that the partial aggregation approach reasonably approximates the results of a disaggregate model. The partial aggregation approach offers all of the data and computational advantages of models with aggregate sites but does not suffer from the same degree of bias as fully aggregate models.
Extracting Financial Data From Unstructured Sources: Leveraging Large Language Models

This research addresses the challenge of extracting financial data from unstructured sources, a persistent issue for accounting researchers, investors, and regulators. Leveraging large language models (LLMs), this study develops a framework for automated financial data extraction from PDF-formatted files. Following the design science methodology, this research develops the framework through a series of text mining and prompt engineering techniques and further applies it to governmental annual reports in PDF format. Pilot test results indicate that the framework achieves a 100% accuracy rate within a short period of time when extracting key financial indicators. This study contributes to the evolving literature on applying LLMs in accounting and finance, while also providing a practical tool for both academic and industry applications.
Effects of herbal choline as a replacement for choline chloride on myopathy, locomotor system, and hepatic health of broilers

- The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing choline chloride with a plant source of choline on the locomotor system, liver health, and development of breast myopathies in broilers aged 1-42 days of age. We allocated 1,120 one-day-old Cobb broilers to four treatment groups and fed them commercial diets based on corn and soybean meal. The treatments included choline in the form of 1,800.00 mg/kg choline chloride; 1,350.00 mg/kg choline chloride + 450.00 mg/kg herbal choline; 900.00 mg/kg choline chloride + 900.00 mg/kg herbal choline; and 1,000.00 mg/kg herbal choline. Each treatment group had eight replications. Throughout the experiment, gait score, footpad dermatitis, hock burn, and leg deformities (valgus and varus) were evaluated in the birds at 28 and 35 days of age. After slaughter, parameters such as breast myopathies, tibial dyschondroplasia score, and histological slides of the pectoral muscle, liver, and proximal tibial epiphysis were assessed. The results demonstrated good hepatic and locomotor health in the broilers, as no classical signs of choline deficiency were observed. Statistical analyses indicated no significant differences between treatments in terms of liver and locomotor health, suggesting that broilers fed diets supplemented with the plant source did not experience choline deficiency. Additionally, no statistically significant differences were found between treatments regarding breast myopathies. Overall, the tested choline plant source can effectively replace choline chloride in broiler diets.
Stages of Mathematics Anxiety in Primary Pupils of Bangladesh: Investigating Influence of Leading Causative Factors

The presence and impact of mathematics anxiety (MA) among school children cannot be ignored. The preliminary purpose of this study was to assess the level of MA among primary pupils in Bangladesh. Additionally, four causative factors of math anxiety - which have already been identified as dominant in global context-were also investigated in the study to explore what causes MA among this age-group in Bangladesh. The current study involved 120 students from Class 3, 4 and 5 who were randomly selected from two primary schools in Dhaka. The study also purposively involved 15 math teachers of these respondents and also 20 parents - whose children were assessed as math anxious in this study. The findings of the study indicate that a significant number of primary pupils in each of these grades are at moderate stage of math anxiety. In addition to this, students suffering at high level of math anxiety gradually increases in higher grades. Teaching approach is identified as the key factor that causes fear of mathematics which is then followed by students’ difficulties in understanding mathematics textbook. Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Research, Vol. 48(2), Dec 2022, p.10-26
Trends in Swiss Alpine snow days: The role of local‐ and large‐scale climate variability

Swiss Alpine snow cover is varying substantially on interannual to decadal time scales. In the late 20th century decreases in snow days (SD) have been observed for stations below 1300 m asl. A regression model is used in this work to quantify the importance of mean temperature and precipitation as well as large‐scale climate variability in order to explain the observed trends. Both, local‐ and large‐scale models account for a modest fraction of the observed seasonal variability. Results suggest that the recent decrease in low altitude snow cover can mainly be attributed to an increase in temperature. Differences are found for northern and southern Switzerland concerning the influence of large‐scale climate patterns. In contrast to southern Alpine regions, northern Alpine interannual SD variability is almost unaffected by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Decadal trends, however, can be explained via temperature only by a model that includes the explanatory variable NAO.
Landsliding and the evolution of normal‐fault‐bounded mountains

Much of the tectonic and climatic history in high-relief regions, such as the mountains of the western U.S. Basin and Range province, is contained in the morphology of hillslopes, drainage networks, and other landforms that range in scale from 10−1 to 101km. To understand how these landforms evolve, we have developed a numerical landscape evolution model that combines a detailed tectonic displacement field with a set of physically based geomorphic rules. Bedrock landsliding, long recognized as a significant geomorphic process in mountainous topography, is for the first time explicitly included in the rule set. In a series of numerical experiments, we generate synthetic landscapes that closely resemble mountainous topography observed in the Basin and Range. The production of realistic landscapes depends critically on the presence of bedrock landslides, and landsliding yields rates of long-term erosion that are comparable in magnitude to those of fluvial erosion. The erosive efficiency of bedrock landsliding implies that hillslopes may respond very quickly to changes in local base level and that fluvial erosion is the rate-limiting process in steady state experimental landscapes, Our experiments generate power law distributions of landslide sizes, somewhat similar to both field and laboratory observations. Thus even a simple model of bedrock landsliding is capable of quantitatively reproducing mountainous topography and landslide distributions and represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the evolution of normal-fault-bounded ranges.
The dual effect of background music on creativity: perspectives of music preference and cognitive interference

Music, an influential environmental factor, significantly shapes cognitive processing and everyday experiences, thus rendering its effects on creativity a dynamic topic within the field of cognitive science. However, debates continue about whether music bolsters, obstructs, or exerts a dual influence on individual creativity. Among the points of contention is the impact of contrasting musical emotions–both positive and negative–on creative tasks. In this study, we focused on traditional Chinese music, drawn from a culture known for its ‘preference for sadness,’ as our selected emotional stimulus and background music. This choice, underrepresented in previous research, was based on its uniqueness. We examined the effects of differing music genres (including vocal and instrumental), each characterized by a distinct emotional valence (positive or negative), on performance in the Alternative Uses Task (AUT). To conduct this study, we utilized an affective arousal paradigm, with a quiet background serving as a neutral control setting. A total of 114 participants were randomly assigned to three distinct groups after completing a music preference questionnaire: instrumental, vocal, and silent. Our findings showed that when compared to a quiet environment, both instrumental and vocal music as background stimuli significantly affected AUT performance. Notably, music with a negative emotional charge bolstered individual originality in creative performance. These results lend support to the dual role of background music in creativity, with instrumental music appearing to enhance creativity through factors such as emotional arousal, cognitive interference, music preference, and psychological restoration. This study challenges conventional understanding that only positive background music boosts creativity and provides empirical validation for the two-path model (positive and negative) of emotional influence on creativity.