Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An empirical study of the behavioral factors affecting students’ perception on adopting electronic assessment system

Electronic assessment (e-assessment) system inevitably plays a role in the educational environment as one of the means available to measure students learning outcomes. There are large numbers of cases that prove the establishment of an e-assessment system did not bring the promised benefits for students. Meanwhile, many studies focused on technical difficulties of development rather than incorporating the behavioral aspects. This all amounted to create a gap in understanding of e-assessment system adoption from student's point of view. Thus, the main concern in this research would be to identify all the behavioral issues of adopting an e-assessment system from students’ point of view. Alas, encapsulate identified constructs into one model that resolve all the behavioral problems, and at last, investigating the existence of statistical relationship among the proposed constructs. In that sense, the first step would be to recognize real-world problems that students are facing in their practices. The behavioral model has been proposed on the basis of the behavioral essence of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. For the model evaluation, the research conducts a survey on 380 students from Open University Malaysia (OUM) who had prior experience with e-assessment system. The results show that the entireties of hypothesis were significantly validated except in the case of habit toward usage intention. Moreover, the statistical findings of this research can create a well-established ground for future research, as well as, developing of e-assessment system for university level students.
The trophic role of the macrophyte Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch. in a Mediterranean saltworks: Evidence from carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios

A multiple stable isotope analysis (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) was used to determine the trophic role of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Asch. for consumers in a Mediterranean saltworks. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios performed on primary producers and consumers in February and July 1999 showed that C. nodosa is not a direct dietary source via grazing. No animal presented carbon values as enriched as the seagrass (-7.8%o). The trophic role of Cymodocea occurs through the detritus route via SOM. Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) (δ 13 C = -16.5‰) seems to be a mixture of particulate organic matter (δ 13 C = -19.0‰), algae (δ 13 C = -18.6‰) and seagrass detritus (δ 13 C = -7.7‰). The results of a mixing model suggest that Cymodocea detritus contribution to SOM varied temporally, a greater role in February than in July. In July the enriched values of both stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of several primary producers and consumers in comparison with February (about +2‰ for primary producers, +3.5‰ for invertebrates and +1‰ for fish) suggest that less depleted carbon and nitrogen (probably from seagrass detritus) influence food web structure. Cymodocea has an important structuring role as seagrass blades are extensively colonised by a complex vegetal community which provides food and habitats for invertebrates. The δ 13 C of the animals suggests that epiphytes may represent an important ultimate organic matter source together with SOM.
Dietary sugars intake and micronutrient adequacy: a systematic review of the evidence

Guidelines for sugars intake range from a population mean of less than 10 % energy from free sugars, to a maximum for individuals of 25 % energy from added sugars. The aim of the present review was to examine the evidence for micronutrient dilution by sugars and evaluate its nutritional significance. From a web-based search of MEDLINE and hand search of linked papers, forty-eight relevant publications were identified on sugars (total sugars, non-milk extrinsic sugars, or added sugars) or sugar-containing drinks. These included five reports from expert committees, six reviews, thirty-three observational studies and four small-scale interventions. There was inconsistency between studies as to the relationship between sugars intake (however expressed) and micronutrients. The statistical patterns varied between nutrients and population groups. Curvilinear associations were found in some analyses, with lower nutrient intakes at both extremes of sugar intake; however, factors such as dieting and under-reporting may confound the associations observed. Some studies found statistically significant inverse associations but these were weak, with sugars explaining less than 5 % of the variance. Mean intakes of most micronutrients were above the RDA or reference nutrient intake except among very high consumers of sugars. The available evidence does not allow for firm conclusions on an optimal level of added sugars intake for micronutrient adequacy and the trends that exist may have little biological significance except for a few nutrients (for example, Fe). It is established that energy intake is the prime predictor of micronutrient adequacy. A better understanding of valid approaches to energy adjustment, misreporting and the assessment of micronutrient adequacy is crucial to further progress in this area.
Quantifying the global atmospheric power budget

The power of atmospheric circulation is a key measure of the Earth's climate system. The mismatch between predictions and observations under a warming climate calls for a reassessment of how atmospheric power $W$ is defined, estimated and constrained. Here we review published formulations for $W$ and show how they differ when applied to a moist atmosphere. Three factors, a non-zero source/sink in the continuity equation, the difference between velocities of gaseous air and condensate, and interaction between the gas and condensate modifying the equations of motion, affect the formulation of $W$. Starting from the thermodynamic definition of mechanical work, we derive an expression for $W$ from an explicit consideration of the equations of motion and continuity. Our analyses clarify how some past formulations are incomplete or invalid. Three caveats are identified. First, $W$ critically depends on the boundary condition for gaseous air velocity at the Earth's surface. Second, confusion between gaseous air velocity and mean velocity of air and condensate in the expression for $W$ results in gross errors despite the observed magnitudes of these velocities are very close. Third, $W$ expressed in terms of measurable atmospheric parameters, air pressure and velocity, is scale-specific; this must be taken into account when adding contributions to $W$ from different processes. We present a formulation of the atmospheric power budget, which distinguishes three components of $W$: the kinetic power associated with horizontal pressure gradients ($W_K$), the gravitational power of precipitation ($W_P$) and the condensate loading ($W_c$). We use MERRA and NCAR/NCEP re-analyses to evaluate the atmospheric power budget at different scales: $W_K$ increases with temporal resolution approaching our theoretical estimate for condensation-induced circulation when all convective motion is resolved.
Land-use dynamics influence estimates of carbon sequestration potential in tropical second-growth forest

Many countries have made major commitments to carbon sequestration through reforestation under the Paris Climate Agreement, and recent studies have illustrated the potential for large amounts of carbon sequestration in tropical second-growth forests. However, carbon gains in second-growth forests are threatened by non-permanence, i.e. release of carbon into the atmosphere from clearing or disturbance. The benefits of second-growth forests require long-term persistence on the landscape, but estimates of carbon potential rarely consider the spatio-temporal landscape dynamics of second-growth forests. In this study, we used remotely sensed imagery from a landscape in the Peruvian Amazon to examine patterns of second-growth forest regrowth and permanence over 28 years (1985–2013). By 2013, 44% of all forest cover in the study area was second growth and more than 50% of second-growth forest pixels were less than 5 years old. We modeled probabilities of forest regrowth and clearing as a function of landscape factors. The amount of neighboring forest and variables related to pixel position (i.e. distance to edge) were important for predicting both clearing and regrowth. Forest age was the strongest predictor of clearing probability and suggests a threshold response of clearing probability to age. Finally, we simulated future trajectories of carbon sequestration using the parameters from our models. We compared this with the amount of biomass that would accumulate under the assumption of second-growth permanence. Estimates differed by 900 000 tonnes, equivalent to over 80% of Peru’s commitment to carbon sequestration through ‘community reforestation’ under the Paris Agreement. Though the study area has more than 40 000 hectares of second-growth forest, only a small proportion is likely to accumulate significant carbon. Instead, cycles between forest and non-forest are common. Our results illustrate the importance of considering landscape dynamics when assessing the carbon sequestration potential of second-growth forests.
The Impact of Service Failure Controllability and Relationship Strength on Post-Complaint Consumer Behavior - An Empirical Analysis

The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of service failure controllability on consumer purchase behavior and to clarify the moderating role of relationship strength. Our conceptual model posits that high levels of firm controllability are associated with negative customer reactions. In addition, we examine two opposing hypotheses discussed in literature: the “love becomes hate” and the “love is blind” effect. We base our analysis on an extensive data set provided by a leading European online retailer that includes more than 14,000 complaints and 165,000 orders. Our research emphasizes the relevance of attribution theory in the context of actual consumer behavior and confirms that high levels of firm controllability are associated with negative consumer reactions. The empirical results further show that a strong customerorganization relationship mitigates the negative effects of service failures independently of the level of firm controllability. Therefore, the “love is blind” effect is strongly supported.
Chapter 2 CREB at the Crossroads of Activity-Dependent Regulation of Nervous System Development and Function

The central nervous system is a highly plastic network of cells that constantly adjusts its functions to environmental stimuli throughout life. Transcriptiondependent mechanisms modify neuronal properties to respond to external stimuli regulating numerous developmental functions, such as cell survival and differentiation, and physiological functions such as learning, memory, and circadian rhythmicity. The discovery and cloning of the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) responsive element binding protein (CREB) constituted a big step toward deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity. CREB was first discovered in learning and memory studies as a crucial mediator of activity-dependent changes in target gene expression that in turn impose long-lasting modifications of the structure and function of neurons. In this chapter, we review the molecular and signaling mechanisms of neural activity-dependent recruitment of CREB and its cofactors. We discuss the crosstalk between signaling pathways that imprints diverse spatiotemporal patterns of CREB activation allowing for the integration of a wide variety of stimuli.
Multisite Study of Cryptosporidiosis in Children with Diarrhea in India

ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium spp. , a common cause of diarrhea in children, were investigated in the first multisite study in India. Diarrheal stools from hospitalized children aged <5 years from Delhi, Trichy, and Vellore were analyzed by microscopy, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), and/or sequencing at the small-subunit (SSU) rRNA and Cpgp40/15 loci for species determination and subgenotyping, respectively. Seventy of 2,579 (2.7%) children, 75% of whom were <2 years old, had cryptosporidial diarrhea as determined by microscopy. Genotyping and subgenotyping showed that Cryptosporidiumhominis was the most commonly identified species (59/67 children), and subgenotypes Ie, Ia, Ib, and Id were common in all centers. A novel C. parvum subgenotype, IIn, was identified in Vellore. Meteorological analysis revealed a higher rate of cryptosporidial positivity during hotter and drier weather in Delhi.
Pose estimation of mobile microrobots in a scanning electron microscope - a cross-correlation based approach using ROI's

In this paper, current research towards an automated micro/nano handling station using mobile microrobots is presented. Mobile microrobots with piezo slip-stick actuation and more than one degree of freedom mostly don't have internal pose sensors; therefore a global sensor is needed. This paper focuses on the pose estimation of the mobile microrobots. One possibility for fast pose estimation is the application of video cameras as global sensors. For pose estimation with accuracy even in the nanometer range high resolution sensors are necessary. In consideration of resolution, image acquisition time and depth of focus a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) is a powerful sensor for high resolution pose estimation. But the use of a SEM makes high demands on the image processing. High update rates of the pose data for the robot control enforce a short image acquisition time of the SEM images. Hence the image noise increases, because frame averaging or averaging of the detector signal is time consuming. This paper presents a method to calculate the x,y position and the orientation of a micro object in a strongly noised SEM image stream with crosscorrelation in real-time. To make real-time pose estimation possible, only a region-of-interest (ROI) is correlated with the target pattern. The SEM is almost predestined to work with ROI’s, because the scan area of the electron beam can be chosen arbitrarily.
Association Study of Common Genetic Variants and HIV-1 Acquisition in 6,300 Infected Cases and 7,200 Controls

Multiple genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed in HIV-1 infected individuals, identifying common genetic influences on viral control and disease course. Similarly, common genetic correlates of acquisition of HIV-1 after exposure have been interrogated using GWAS, although in generally small samples. Under the auspices of the International Collaboration for the Genomics of HIV, we have combined the genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data collected by 25 cohorts, studies, or institutions on HIV-1 infected individuals and compared them to carefully matched population-level data sets (a list of all collaborators appears in Note S1 in Text S1). After imputation using the 1,000 Genomes Project reference panel, we tested approximately 8 million common DNA variants (SNPs and indels) for association with HIV-1 acquisition in 6,334 infected patients and 7,247 population samples of European ancestry. Initial association testing identified the SNP rs4418214, the C allele of which is known to tag the HLA-B*57:01 and B*27:05 alleles, as genome-wide significant (p = 3.6×10−11). However, restricting analysis to individuals with a known date of seroconversion suggested that this association was due to the frailty bias in studies of lethal diseases. Further analyses including testing recessive genetic models, testing for bulk effects of non-genome-wide significant variants, stratifying by sexual or parenteral transmission risk and testing previously reported associations showed no evidence for genetic influence on HIV-1 acquisition (with the exception of CCR5Δ32 homozygosity). Thus, these data suggest that genetic influences on HIV acquisition are either rare or have smaller effects than can be detected by this sample size.
Modeling and Control of Piezoceramic Actuators for Nanopositioning

ZHONG, JINGHUA. Modeling and Control of Piezoceramic Actuators for Nanopositioning. (Under the direction of Stefan Seelecke.) Actuators from piezoceramic materials have established themselves in a large number of applications, especially nano-scale positioning tasks because of their high-frequency response behavior and their essentially infinite resolution. However, the potential of these actuators has been impaired by the lack of adequate hysteresis models and control methods to compensate the undesirable non-linear, hysteretic and rate-dependent behavior of piezoceramic materials. In this thesis, representative actuation experiments are conducted on a typical commercially available piezoceramic stack actuator to characterize the rate-dependence of its hysteretic behavior over a large stroke under different loading rates. A strongly physics oriented energy model is implemented to verify its ability in modeling dynamic hysteretic behaviors. By extending this model, a computationally efficient implementation is developed with a drastic improvement in speed. Finally, a preliminary version of the energy model for the piezoceramic material is implemented in an optimal control program to illustrate the features and potential of the method. The implementations constitute the basis for future development of advanced realtime control algorithms for piezoceramic actuators. MODELING AND CONTROL OF PIEZOCERAMIC ACTUATORS FOR NANOPOSITIONING
Comparison of Outcomes in Immediate Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction Versus Mastectomy Alone

Objectives: Immediate implant-based techniques are common practice in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. Previous studies have shown an increased complication rate in the setting of immediate versus delayed, MD reconstruction. We aimed to quantify any additional risk in complications when implant-based immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is performed versus mastectomy alone. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all IBR cases and all mastectomies without reconstruction from 2007 to 2011. Patient characteristics, operative details, and complication rates were reviewed and analyzed. Results: IBR was performed in 315 consecutive women; mastectomy alone was performed in 401 women. Patients undergoing mastectomy alone were more often older, diabetic, and more frequently underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy or radiation. Overall complications were higher in the IBR group, most commonly reoperation and delayed wound healing. In a multivariate analysis, IBR, increasing age, body mass index, history of radiation therapy, smoking, and nipple-sparing mastectomy were independently associated with increased risk of complications. However, IBR was only independently associated with increased risk of major complications such as reoperation or readmission for intravenous antibiotics, not minor complications. Conclusion: Patients selected for IBR are inherently different than those undergoing mastectomy alone. After adjusting for these differences, the increased risk of complications seen in IBR is moderately increased over the risk of complications in mastectomy alone. The observed increased risk of major complications after IBR is largely due to the aggressive management of complications in the setting of a prosthetic implant. IBR is a safe reconstructive strategy with only a slightly increased risk over mastectomy alone.
Doppler-Resilient Orthogonal Signal-Division Multiplexing for Underwater Acoustic Communication

Underwater acoustic (UWA) channels are characterized by a severe spread in time and frequency, and are usually labeled as “doubly spread channels. ” In this paper, we propose Doppler-resilient orthogonal signal-division multiplexing (D-OSDM), to provide a highly reliable communication environment in doubly spread channels for UWA communication. D-OSDM multiplexes several data vectors in addition to a pilot vector, and preserves orthogonality among them even after propagation through doubly spread channels, under the assumption that the channel can be modeled by a basis expansion model (BEM). We describe the signal processing steps at the transmitter and the receiver for D-OSDM, and evaluate its performance by both simulations and experiments. To generate a doubly spread channel, a test tank with a wave generator is employed. The obtained results suggest that D-OSDM can provide low-power and high-quality UWA communications in channels with large delay and Doppler spreads; for example, D-OSDM succeeds to achieve a block error rate (BLER) of 10 -3 while BEM-based orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) has a BLER floor of 10 -2 in the experiments. Equivalently, D-OSDM can reduce the signal power required for communications to achieve the same BER significantly. Overall, it was found that D-OSDM can become a powerful communication tool for underwater operations.
Reason and Emotion: How They Drive Students to Play a Color Game

Chromatics has been an important subject in design education since colors can make significant differences in the meanings and values of designed objects. However, only a few studies sought to assist students in learning chromatics, let alone to investigate their views on mobile game-based learning of this subject. To remedy these deficiencies, we firstly developed a color game to help students learn chromatics through color mixing. Then, drawing on reasonable and emotional factors, we designed a research model to investigate the students’ decision-making about the game. After analyzing the feedbacks from a total of 205 students, this study showed that (1) perceived attractiveness was the most significant emotional factor behind the subjects’ intention to play the game; (2) perceived usefulness was a reasonable factor that indirectly influenced the subjects’ intention; (3) perceived enjoyment, as another emotional factor, exerted a significant and direct influence on the subjects’ perceived usefulness. These findings indicated that emotional factors played not only a pivotal role in the subjects’ intention to play the color game but also a leading one in their reasonable response to the game.
Lagged Coherence of Photon Emissions and Spectral Power Densities between the Cerebral Hemispheres of Human Subjects during Rest Conditions: Phase Shift and Quantum Possibilities

Photon counts about 15 cm from the left and right sides of the head while subjects sat quietly during baseline conditions within a hyper-dark chamber were measured by photomultiplier units. Lag/lead analyses for photon emissions between the two hemispheres indicated a weak but statistically significant correlation between the amplitude fluctuations that were separated by about 800 to 900 ms. Analyses of the spectral power densities of photon amplitude variations from the left and right hemispheres revealed peak values between 2 and 3 Hz which were equivalent to a difference of about 900 ms. The radiant flux densities were estimated to be in the order of 10? 12 W? m? 2 and to include the equivalence of about 107 neurons. Our calculations, which accounted for the small magnitude of the strength of the interhemispheric coefficients, suggest that the coherence could be strongly correlated with processes associated with the unmyelinated axons with diameters between 400 to 800 nm, the visible wavelengths, within the corpus callosum. When the ratio of the phase shift was applied to the Aharanov-Bohm equation, the time required for a photon-related electron to be within a cerebral magnetic field was the same duration as a single orbit of an electron and a photon’s traversal latency across a neuronal plasma membrane. We suggest that the peak photon decoherence between the two cerebral hemispheres may reveal a neuronal-quanta substrate to the conditions associated with consciousness.