Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biophysical Validation of Intra-Abdominal Pressure andTransurethral Method

Biophysical Validation of Intra- Abdominal Pressure and Transurethral Method Objective: The increase in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is a well-documented phenomenon, directly associated with pathophysiological changes in all organic systems, increasing morbidity and mortality. The gold standard for its determination is the transurethral method (TM), which still today is surrounded by controversy. The purpose of the study is to, through physical principles, demonstrate IAP, validate TM and explain the variables that influence IAP. Materials and Methods: Development of a biophysical formulation, based on mechanics of fluids, to explain IAP, TM and its variables. Validation of the principles formulated in a non-living animal model, where all components that generate the IAP were determined. Determination of: IAP by TM, intragastric and direct method; gastric, bladder and abdominal areas and volumes; weight of all abdominal structures. Results: IAP values obtained by the several methods are within the limits described for the species with average values between 2.31 and 7.14 mmHg. Determination of the areas and strength of all anatomical structures allowed the replacement of values in the biophysical formulation and calculation of IAP. The mathematically calculation of IAP confirms the theoretical definition of IAP. This value when compared with the direct readings per sensor showed no statistical differences (P<0.05). IAP determination by direct method also showed no differences in the five body positions (P=0.765). Indirect methods revealed statistically significant differences from the direct method only in the Trendelenburg and reverse Trendelenburg. Breathing, muscle contraction, body position and water manometer position influence IAP measurement by indirect methods. Using digital treatment of images and using pixels analysis algorithms, it is also possible to determine bladder and gastric surface area, in average 6.17*10-3 ± 5.05*103 m2 and 3.55*10-2 ± 1.65*10-2 m2 respectively. Conclusion: This study improves the knowledge of the application of the direct and indirect methods to accesses IAP. The biophysical principles explain the formation of IAP and prove the accuracy of TM, explaining the variables which affect it.
Perceptual Organization within Temporal Displacement

The psychological present has an actual extension. When a sequence of instantaneous stimuli falls in this short interval of time, observers perceive a compresence of events in succession and the temporal order depends on the qualitative relationships between the perceptual properties of the events. Two experiments were carried out to study the influence of perceptual grouping, with and without temporal displacement, on the duration of auditory sequences. The psychophysical method of adjustment was adopted. The first experiment investigated the effect of temporal displacement of a white noise on sequence duration. The second experiment investigated the effect of temporal displacement, along the pitch dimension, on temporal shortening of sequence. The results suggest that the temporal order of sounds, in the case of temporal displacement, is organized along the pitch dimension. Keywords—Time perception, perceptual present, temporal displacement, gestalt laws of perceptual organization.
Tree light capture and spatial variability of understory light increase with species mixing and tree size heterogeneity

Mixed and multi-layered forest ecosystems are sometimes more productive than monospecific and single-layered ones. It has been suggested that trees of different species and sizes occupy complementary positions in space, which would act as a mechanism to increase canopy light interception and wood production. However, greater canopy light interception reduces the average amount and variability of transmitted radiation, offering fewer opportunities for all species to regenerate and to maintain forest heterogeneity in the long run. We investigated whether increasing overstory heterogeneity indeed results in greater canopy light interception and lower variability in transmittance. We modeled the three-dimensional structure of forest stands with three typical forest structures, 10 mixtures of four tree species, and three different basal areas. We used the forest light interception model SamsaraLight and performed three-way analyses of covariance to analyze the effects of the three varied components of forest h.
Examining the “Blanket of Protection” Conferred by Inoculation: The Effects of Inoculation Messages on the Cross-protection of Related Attitudes

Although the effectiveness of inoculation as a strategy for promoting resistance to attitude change is fairly well established, the potential of inoculation messages to offer cross-protection for related, but untreated, attitudes warrants additional attention from scholars. The reported study tested the “blanket of protection” conferred by inoculation. Participants (N = 118) were randomly assigned to read an inoculation message addressing a target topic and subsequently had their attitudes toward three related, but untreated, topics attacked. The results offer some evidence that inoculation messages can confer cross-protection for related attitudes. Participants in the inoculation condition reported greater perceptions of threat, greater counterarguing, and less attitude change in response to attacks than participants in the control condition for two of the three untreated topics. Counterarguing in response to attacks on untreated attitudes appears to be primarily responsible for cross-protection.
The identity (re)construction of nonnative English teachers stepping into native Turkish teachers’ shoes

ABSTRACT The present study explored the identity (re)construction of five nonnative English teachers who went to the USA on a prestigious scholarship for one year to teach their native language, Turkish. In that sense, it investigated how this shift from being a nonnative English teacher to a native Turkish teacher influenced their self-image, self-efficacy, and beliefs about teaching/learning. The data were collected mainly through three different instruments: a personal data questionnaire, ongoing controlled journals along with follow-up questions, and interviews. All the qualitative data were first analyzed according to Boyatzis’ [(1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Sage) thematic analysis, and then the emerging themes were related to three sensitizing concepts, which were (a) self-image, (b) self-efficacy, and (c) beliefs about teaching and learning. The findings revealed that (a) the participating teachers in this study had high(er) self-efficacy but low(er) self-image when teaching English compared to Turkish because of their idealization of native speaker norms; (b) their multiple identities were interacting with each other, and shifting from being a native to a nonnative, and a language teacher to a language user; and (c) their beliefs about teaching and learning coming from their core identity as an English language teacher worked as a catalyst in this process.
Methane Feedbacks to the Global Climate System in a Warmer World

Methane (CH4) is produced in many natural systems that are vulnerable to change under a warming climate, yet current CH4 budgets, as well as future shifts in CH4 emissions, have high uncertainties. Climate change has the potential to increase CH4 emissions from critical systems such as wetlands, marine and freshwater systems, permafrost, and methane hydrates, through shifts in temperature, hydrology, vegetation, landscape disturbance, and sea level rise. Increased CH4 emissions from these systems would in turn induce further climate change, resulting in a positive climate feedback. Here we synthesize biological, geochemical, and physically focused CH4 climate feedback literature, bringing together the key findings of these disciplines. We discuss environment‐specific feedback processes, including the microbial, physical, and geochemical interlinkages and the timescales on which they operate, and present the current state of knowledge of CH4 climate feedbacks in the immediate and distant future. The important linkages between microbial activity and climate warming are discussed with the aim to better constrain the sensitivity of the CH4 cycle to future climate predictions. We determine that wetlands will form the majority of the CH4 climate feedback up to 2100. Beyond this timescale, CH4 emissions from marine and freshwater systems and permafrost environments could become more important. Significant CH4 emissions to the atmosphere from the dissociation of methane hydrates are not expected in the near future. Our key findings highlight the importance of quantifying whether CH4 consumption can counterbalance CH4 production under future climate scenarios.
Addressing Gender-Based Violence: A Critical Review of Interventions

This article highlights the progress in building a knowledge base on effective ways to increase access to justice for women who have experienced gender-based violence, offer quality services to survivors, and reduce levels of gender-based violence. While recognizing the limited number of high-quality studies on program effectiveness, this review of the literature highlights emerging good practices. Much progress has recently been made in measuring gender-based violence, most notably through a world health organization multi country study and demographic and health surveys. Even so, country coverage is still limited, and much of the information from other data sources cannot be meaningfully compared because of differences in how intimate partner violence is measured and reported. The dearth of high-quality evaluations means that policy recommendations in the short run must be based on emerging evidence in developing economies (process evaluations, qualitative evaluations, and imperfectly designed impact evaluations) and on more rigorous impact evaluations from developed countries.
Operational Efficiency in Islamic Banking : The Sudanese Experience

In this paper, we estimate the operational efficiency in 17 Sudanese (Islamic) banks between 1990-2000. We adopt the stochastic cost frontier approach. Our findings show that Islamic banks do not create inefficiency per se. Furthermore, although the average efficiency is almost stable between 1990-2000, there are wide efficiency differences across Sudanese banks. Despite the small size of the foreign banks, they are more efficient than state-owned and joint-ownership banks. Sudanese banks are not ready yet to confront the globalisation challenges. We also examine the sources of inefficiency by estimating a second stage inefficiency regression. Several interesting findings emerged. First, the increase in the level of foreign and private shares in Sudanese banks should enhance the cost efficiency in the banking sector. Second, in order to improve efficiency, Sudanese banks should increase their (low) paid-up capital ratio but not through merger and acquisition activities. Third, Sudanese banks have an advantage in murabaha and musharaka modes of finance which are not fully utilised yet. Fourth, Sudanese banks should implement serious programmes for human capital development in order to reduce the current level of cost inefficiency. JEL Classification: G21
The SLUGGS Survey: stellar kinematics, kinemetry and trends at large radii in 25 early-type galaxies

Due to longer dynamical time-scales, the outskirts of early-type galaxies retain the footprint of their formation and assembly. Under the popular two-phase galaxy formation scenario, an initial in situ phase of star formation is followed by minor merging and accretion of ex situ stars leading to the expectation of observable transitions in the kinematics and stellar populations on large scales. However, observing the faint galactic outskirts is challenging, often leaving the transition unexplored. The large-scale, spatially resolved stellar kinematic data from the SAGES Legacy Unifying Galaxies and GlobularS (SLUGGS) survey are ideal for detecting kinematic transitions. We present kinematic maps out to 2.6 effective radii on average, kinemetry profiles, measurement of kinematic twists and misalignments, and the average outer intrinsic shape of 25 SLUGGS galaxies. We find good overall agreement in the kinematic maps and kinemetry radial profiles with literature. We are able to confirm significant radial modulations in rotational versus pressure support of galaxies with radius so that the central and outer rotational properties may be quite different. We also test the suggestion that galaxies may be more triaxial in their outskirts and find that while fast rotating galaxies were already shown to be axisymmetric in their inner regions, we are unable to rule out triaxiality in their outskirts.We compare our derived outer kinematic information to model predictions from a two-phase galaxy formation scenario. We find that the theoretical range of local outer angular momentum agrees well with our observations, but that radial modulations are much smaller than predicted.
The occurrence of högbomite and taaffeite in a spinel-phlogopite schist from the Mount Painter Province of South Australia

Summary A spinel-phlogopite schist from the Mount Painter Province of South Australia forms part of a highly magnesium- and aluminium-rich unit and contains the minerals högbomite and taaffeite. Taaffeite nucleated in spinel during upper amphibolite facies metamorphism. During a subsequent upper amphibolite facies metamorphic event both spinel and taaffeite were partially replaced by högbomite. Chemical analyses of högbomite, taaffeite, and spinel are presented.
Trichogramma for plant protection : Pangenomics , Traits , and establIshment Capacities View project

To understand why and how species invade ecosystems, ecologists have made heavy use of observations of species colonization on islands. The theory of island biogeography, developed in the 1960s by R.H. MacArthur and E.O. Wilson, has had a tremendous impact on how ecologists understand the link between species diversity and characteristics of the habitat such as isolation and size. Recent developments have described how the inclusion of information on trophic interactions can further inform our understanding of island biogeography dynamics. Here, we extend the trophic theory of island biogeography to assess whether certain food web properties on the mainland affect colonization/extinction dynamics of species on islands. Our results highlight that both food web connectance and size on the mainland increase species diversity on islands. We also highlight that more heavily tailed degree distributions in the mainland food web correlate with less frequent but potentially more important extinction cascades on islands. The average shortest path to a basal species on islands follows a humpshaped curve as a function of realized species richness, with food chains slightly longer than on the mainland at intermediate species richness. More modular mainland webs are also less persistent on islands. We discuss our results in the context of global changes and from the viewpoint of community assembly rules, aiming at pinpointing further theoretical developments needed to make the trophic theory of island biogeography even more useful for fundamental and applied ecology.
Optimization of linear antenna array using genetic algorithm for reduction in side lobe levels and to improve directivity

Radiation pattern of antenna array is most important problem in communication applications. This paper describes the synthesis method of linear antenna array radiation pattern in adaptive beam forming using genetic algorithm. Unlike Simple GA (SGA), the Genetic algorithm solver from the optimization toolbox of MATLAB is used with adaptive feasible mutation, which enables search in broader space along randomly generated directions to produce new generations. This improves the performance greatly to achieve the maximum reduction in side lobe level with minimum function calls and provide the maximum directivity towards the direction. This technique proved its effectiveness in improving the performance of the antenna array.
Inheritance of Microsatellite Loci and Their Application for Pedigree Analysis of the Polyploid Persian Sturgeon Acipenser Persicus (Acipenseridae)

Identification of suitable molecular markers for correctly assigning progenies to their parents particularly during the early stages of development is vital for aquaculture breeding programs. Developing such markers in sturgeons, that have a polyploid ancestry, is particularly challenging because many markers exhibit polysomic inheritance. In the present study, 2 F1 families of 23 and 28 larvae were produced in 1 × 1 crosses of Persian sturgeon. Eleven microsatellite loci were used to genotype the parents and their offspring. An analysis of inheritance patterns demonstrated classical mendelian disomic inheritance in all but 2 of the markers tested in the offspring. Two loci exhibited inheritance patterns consistent with a parental null allele that was consistently inherited by approximately 1/2 of the offspring screened. Thus, the markers tested here can be used for parental assignment testing and for population genetic studies. They can also be used as reliable molecular markers for constructing a genetic linkage map for the target species that will be essential for future quantitative trait locus mapping purposes. This is the 1st report of mendelian segregation testing in Persian sturgeon for cross-species amplification of single-locus DNA microsatellite markers.
On Multi-Objective Optimization and Game Theory in Production Management

Service management includes two basic concepts: competition and multi-objective optimization. In this paper, a dynamic model for multi-objective optimization Cournot game where there are two objectives is introduced. The two objectives to be simultaneously optimized in this model are profit and risk. Here, the profit is to be maximized and, at the same time, the risk is to be minimized.
IMPACT OF A SIMULATION / RANDOMIZATION-BASED CURRICULUM ON STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OF P-VALUES AND CONFIDENCE INTERVALS

This paper describes how changes in course sequencing and pedagogy have impacted students’ understanding of p-values and confidence intervals in introductory algebra-based and calculusbased tertiary-level courses. Using assessment data (for example CAOS, common exam questions, and a transfer problem) across several institutions in various stages of implementation, this paper focuses on how the use of simulation and randomization-based inference has developed, what have been found to be the main student gains, and potential cautions with the approach.
A Data-Driven Method for Reconstructing a Distribution from a Truncated Sample with an Application to Inferring Car-Sharing Demand

This paper proposes a method to recover an unknown probability distribution given a censored or truncated sample from that distribution. The proposed method is a novel and conceptually simple detruncation method based on sampling the observed data according to weights learned by solving a simulation-based optimization problem; this method is especially appropriate in cases where little analytic information is available but the truncation process can be simulated. The proposed method is compared with the ubiquitous maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method in a variety of synthetic validation experiments, where it is found that the proposed method performs slightly worse than perfectly specified MLE and competitively with slightly misspecified MLE. The practical application of this method is then demonstrated via a pair of case studies in which the proposed detruncation method is used alongside a car-sharing service simulator to estimate demand for round-trip car-sharing services in the Boston and New York metropolitan areas.
Efficient estimation and inference in cointegrating regressions with structural change

Abstract. This paper investigates an efficient estimation method for a cointegrating regression model with structural change. Our proposal is that we first estimate the break point by minimizing the sum of squared residuals and then, by replacing the break fraction with the estimated one, we estimate the regression model by the canonical cointegrating regression (CCR) method proposed by Park [ Econometrica (1992 ) Vol. 60, pp. 119–143]. We show that the estimator of the break fraction has the same convergence rate as obtained in Bai, Lumsdaine and Stock [ Review of Economic Studies (1998 ) Vol. 65, pp. 395–432] and that the CCR estimator with the estimated break fraction has the same asymptotic property as the estimator with the known break point. However, we also show that our method breaks down when the magnitude of structural change is very small. Simulation experiments reveal how the finite sample distribution approaches the limiting distribution as the magnitude of the break and or the sample size increases.
Experimental evidence of thermal fluctuations on the x-ray absorption near-edge structure at the aluminumKedge

After a review of temperature-dependent experimental x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and related theoretical developments, we present the Al K-edge XANES spectra of corundum and beryl for temperature ranging from 300K to 930K. These experimental results provide a first evidence of the role of thermal fluctuation in XANES at the Al K-edge especially in the pre-edge region. The study is carried out by polarized XANES measurements of single crystals. For any orientation of the sample with respect to the x-ray beam, the pre-edge peak grows and shifts to lower energy with temperature. In addition temperature induces modifications in the position and intensities of the main XANES features. First-principles DFT calculations are performed for both compounds. They show that the pre-edge peak originates from forbidden 1s to 3s transitions induced by vibrations. Three existing theoretical models are used to take vibrations into account in the absorption cross section calculations: i) an average of the XANES spectra over the thermal displacements of the absorbing atom around its equilibrium position, ii) a method based on the crude Born-Oppenheimer approximation where only the initial state is averaged over thermal displacements, iii) a convolution of the spectra obtained for the atoms at the equilibrium positions with an approximate phonon spectral function. The theoretical spectra so obtained permit to qualitatively understand the origin of the spectral modifications induced by temperature. However the correct treatment of thermal fluctuation in XANES spectroscopy requires more sophisticated theoretical tools.
Transmission of the Ocular Media

The spectral transmittance of ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared light through the ocular media of humans has been measured. Using freshly enucleated eyes, the transmittances of each component part (cornea, aqueous humor, lens, vitreous humor) were determined for the wavelength range from 0.22 to 2.8 fi. To date, 9 eyes have been measured, from persons ranging in age from 4 weeks to 75 years. Two types of measurements were made, the first to measure the total light transmitted (direct and scattered) at each wavelength, and the second to measure the per cent transmittance of that light passing directly through the various media tuithout absorption or scattering. The results show that: (a) The transmission of ultraviolet radiation decreases with the age of the eye. (b) The transmission of infrared radiation appears to be independent of the age. (c) The maximum total transmittance of the whole eye, which is about 84 per cent, is obtained in the region from 650 to 850 mfi.