Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Geography and Botany of Irreducible Symplectic 4-Manifolds with Abelian Fundamental Group

In this thesis the geography and botany of irreducible symplectic 4-manifolds with abelian fundamental group of small rank are studied. It resembles an anthology of the contribution obtained by the author during his infatuation with 4-dimensional topology by studying its recent developments. As such, each chapter is independent from each other and the reader is welcomed to start reading whichever one seems more appealing. We now give an outline for the sake of convenience. The first chapter of the thesis deals with the existence and (lack of) uniqueness of smooth irreducible symplectic non-spin 4-manifolds with cyclic fundamental group (both finite and infinite). Chapter 2 does the same for 4-manifolds with abelian, yet non-cyclic π 1 ; the use of the homeomorphism criteria on these manifolds due to I. Hambleton and M. Kreck is of interest. In Chapter 3, the Spin geography for abelian fundamental groups of small rank is studied. A couple of subtle relations between simply connected and non-simply connected exotic 4-manifolds are explored through out the fourth chapter. Chapter 5 gives closure to a question raised in Chapter 4, and describes current research projects pursued by the author. These projects came naturally through the results presented in previous chapters. The thesis ends by describing two research progress that are being pursued. Chapter 6 contains the current situation regarding the geography and botany of spin manifolds with zero signature. The current state of the joint work of the author with Jonathan Yazinski (at McMaster University at the time of writing) is described in the seventh and final chapter.
Existence results for a system of nonlinear integral equations in Banach algebras under weak topology

This paper is devoted to the study of a coupled system of nonlinear functional integral equations in suitable Banach algebras. This system is reduced to a fixed point problem for a 2 × 2 block operator matrix with nonlinear inputs. Hence, certain assumptions on its entries are given under a weak topology setting. These assumptions involve in particular the De Blasi measure of weak noncompactness in order to ensure the existence of solutions.
Meeting eye to eye: the power relations in triadic mentoring of the degree project in teacher education

ABSTRACT This study highlights and discusses power aspects within discourses discerned in articulations on triadic mentoring in degree projects in teacher education in Sweden. Each mentoring triad consisted of a pre-service teacher, a professional teacher acting as co-mentor, and a university mentor. As teacher education is to be based on a scientific foundation and proven experience, a symmetrical and complementary approach was to be implemented. Data from interviews, logbooks, and observations of mentoring were analysed discursively using CDA. Two main discourses were distinguished: The hegemony of science, and A gateway to the profession and science: The potential third space. The study shows that the academic paradigm tends to overshadow the symmetrical and complementary approach, but that the third space, the metaphorical meeting outside of the participants’ comfort zone, potentially balances up the mentoring triads through the pre-service teachers’ ownership of the process.
Designing Problem-Solving Module Based on Computational Thinking in Mathematics Education: Nominal Group Technique Approach

This article examines the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) as an alternative strategy for designing a module in problem-solving in mathematics education based on computational thinking for teachers. Researchers have used this strategy to address the issue of teaching methods for resolving issues in the area of measurement among teachers. The expert recommendations' summary results have determined 24 elements and three components that should be integrated into the module on solving problems teaching. Additionally, the study's results demonstrate how the NGT approach assisted researchers in obtaining element validation swiftly and effortlessly because the elements were created through literature reading, followed by discussion and expert consensus voting. It is recommended to conduct future research with specific model approach experts to solve problems with teaching methodologies.
Mycobiome Analysis of Tall Fescue Grass under Drought Stress Using the Illumina MiSeq and Oxford Nanopore Technology MinION

The effects mycobiomes have on physiological traits in turfgrasses are poorly understood. Drought tolerance, an economically and ecologically important trait, can be influenced by symbiotic fungi. In this two-year study, we evaluated the mycobiome associated with tall fescue exposed to prolonged periods of drought stress in a rainout shelter. Twelve plants, comprised of six sets of half-sibs (progenies having one parent in common), one exhibiting a drought tolerant phenotype and the other a susceptible phenotype were selected for analysis each year. The mycobiomes associated with the shoot, root, and rhizosphere soil was evaluated for each tall fescue half-sib pair using both short-read Illumina MiSeq and long-read Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) MinION sequencing pipelines. Both platforms sequenced portions of the fungal nuclear ribosomal RNA genes. The Illumina MiSeq sequenced the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS, 600 bp), while the ONT MinION covered the small subunit, ITS, and partial large subunit (4,600 bp). Both sequencing pipelines revealed that the mycobiomes associated with the roots, shoots, and soil were significantly different. The ONT MinION pipeline identified more diverse fungal lineages and had higher taxonomic resolution compared to the Illumina pipeline. Our results also indicated that root pathogens may play a more important role than the endophytic or mycorrhizal symbionts in tall fescue drought stress tolerance.
Radar Observation of Rainfall System Modified by Orographic Effects

Modification of rainfall system by orographic effects was studied on the basis of the echo structure observed quantitatively by the use of a RHI radar which was set in Owase in the southeastern side of Kii peninsula during the period of June to July in 1977. Four cases of rainfalls were analyzed (cases A, B, C and D). In cases A, B and D continuous rain originated from middle-level clouds occurred over the broad area in Kii peninsula, and in case C convective rain was found out only in the limited area along the sea shore. In case C easterly wind was prevalent at low levels and a precipitating convective cloud system, which had the size of about 4 km in height and about 15 km in width of E to W, was formed around the sea shore. It existed for more than two hours over the nearly same region. This long-lasting system was maintained as the group of small precipitating convective clouds which were formed successively in the same area over the sea and which travelled to the mountain side showing the same evolution. It can be inferred that the horizontal convergence caused by orographic effect in the windward side of mountains and by a downdraft in a previously developed cloud would have played an important role in the successive formation of new convective clouds. In case A easterly wind was prevalent in the lower layer and a low-level cloud system which seemed to be the same type as case C was formed around the sea shore below middlelevel precipitating clouds. Precipitation originated from middle-level clouds increased remarkably in low-level clouds. However, in case B in which westerly wind was prevalent in the lower layer, a low-level cloud system was not detected and precipitation from middlelevel clouds was not observed to increase at low-levels. In case D the "seeding effect" of precipitation particles of middle-level clouds on low-level clouds was suggested.
The Latest Advancements in Diagnostic Role of Endosonography of Pancreatic Lesions

Endosonography, a minimally invasive imaging technique, has revolutionized the diagnosis and management of pancreatic diseases. This comprehensive review highlights the latest advancements in endosonography of the pancreas, focusing on key technological developments, procedural techniques, clinical applications and additional techniques, which include real-time elastography endoscopic ultrasound, contrast-enhanced-EUS, EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration or EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy. EUS is well established for T-staging and N-staging of pancreaticobiliary malignancies, for pancreatic cyst discovery, for identifying subepithelial lesions (SEL), for differentiation of benign pancreaticobiliary disorders or for acquisition of tissue by EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration or EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy. This review briefly describes principles and application of EUS and its related techniques.
Unsteady two-dimensional laminar flow of a viscous fluid between two parallel porous plates in presence of a transverse magnetic field

The unsteady magnetohydrodynamic flow between two parallel porous plates is a classical problem whose solution has many applications in Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generators, cooling system, aerodynamics heating, polymer technology, petroleum industry, centrifugal separation of matter from fluid, purification of crude oil and fluid droplets and sprays.
Solving Mathematics Word Problems through Reflection

This paper offers a model for mathematics word problem solving. This integrated model consists of 4 main steps namely Entry, Analyze, Attack and Review. The author will demonstrate how the reflection in the step of “Analyze” will help the pupils to make judgment on their chosen mathematical operations for solving the non-routine mathematics word problem. We stress that in order to be successful in mathematics word problem solving, we need to reflect on three perspectives namely personal experiences, meanings of mathematical operations or symbols and the problem itself. We conjecture that these three perspectives are the main factors for pupils to be able to solve the mathematics word problem correctly. In this study, nine Year 6 pupils were involved. They are required to answer five mathematics word problems in a task then a follow-up interview will be conducted on a voluntary basis in order to explore why they have solved those problems in a particular way.
Malus-Law Models for Aspect-Type Experiments

The inequalities of Bell, Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) and others are shown to be inconsistent with the Fundamental (Universal) Model of probability theory when combined with physics laws of the Malus-type. This combination permits the modeling of all results of quantum theory related to CHSH-Aspect-type experiments, while respecting Einstein’s separation principle
Les modules de formes algébriques et la théorie générale des systèmes différentiels

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Experiences and coping strategies of women caring for their husbands with cancer at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia: a descriptive phenomenological approach

The Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH) 2019 annual report revealed an upsurge in the number of new cancer patients accessing services from 35 patients in 2006 to 3,008 in 2019. This study explored the experiences and coping strategies of women caring for their husbands with cancer attending the CDH. A phenomenological research design was used with stratified purposeful sampling. Data were collected using an interview schedule and analysed using thematic analysis. The women’s challenges included mobility difficulties and hospital admissions/problems; socio-economic problems, psychological and emotional distress; and caregiving liability and spiritual anguish. The benefits that female spouses experienced during caring for their loved ones included knowledge about cancer and infection prevention, a strong marital relationship, tolerance and perseverance, resilience and hope and good relationship with other caregivers. The women’s needs included financial support, physical needs, psychosocial counselling, caregiver accommodation, time off from caregiving, information needs and sexual intimacy and contact. Their coping strategies included spiritual support from spiritual carers, prayer and meditation, music and storytelling, social support and a good marital relationship. The findings demonstrate that wives of patients with cancer experience many challenges in their caring journey. Nurses must anticipate and/or intervene as part of their nursing practice to reduce the negative impact on female caretakers in this situation. Hospital standard operating procedures must be developed to put both the patients and their caregivers at the centre of oncology nursing care, particularly in settings with limited allied professional support, e.g., psychologists. Caretaker coping strategies highlighted in this study must be made available for both the patients and their wives, e.g., linking wives to trained spiritual carers upon their husband’s admission to the hospital, to aid a smooth caregiving experience.
Retrieval of leaf fuel moisture contents from hyperspectral indices developed from dehydration experiments

ABSTRACT Fuel moisture content (FMC) is a critical parameter in fire behavior prediction. Although remote sensing is an efficient way to estimate the spatial and temporal variations of FMC, most of the existing spectral indices are oriented to live fuels. Estimation of dead fuels is commonly done using weather indices instead. In this study, dehydration experiments were designed for both live and dead fallen litter leaves in order to determine the best hyperspectral indices for different fuel types by tracking the time-varying water contents of both fuel materials. The identified best index for FMC including both fuel types was a derivative spectra-based normalized index (dND) of dND(1900, 2095) with an R2 of 0.85 and an RMSE of 32%. Estimation of FMC in both fuel types were well separated by normalizing dND(1900, 2095) combined with NDVI ((dND-NDVI)/(dND+NDVI)). In addition, new indices were also identified for practical large scale applications when atmospheric water vapor absorption must be taken into account. All the recommend indices should be validated with more plant species in the future.
Estimation for the scaled half-logistic distribution under Type-I progressively hybrid censoring scheme

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the estimation for the unknown scale parameter of the half-logistic distribution based on a Type-I progressively hybrid censoring scheme. We evaluate the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) via numerical method, and EM algorithm, and also the approximate maximum likelihood estimate (AMLE). We use a modified acceptance rejection method to obtain the Bayes estimate and corresponding highest posterior confidence intervals. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to compare the performances of the different methods, and we analyze one dataset for illustrative purposes.
Factors Affecting the Share Price of Commercial Banks in Nepal

Background: The study intended to examine the factors affecting the share price of Nepalese commercial banks. Market price per share is selected as the dependent variable, while earning per share, price-earnings ratio, book value per share, return on assets, and size was chosen as firm-specific independent variables, while inflation, broad money supply and gross domestic product (real) were taken as external factors. In order to fulfil these objectives, the data were collected from the banking and financial statistics and annual report published by Nepal Rastra Bank and the annual report of selected banks which is based on panel data over 11 years of the period from 2012 to 2022 of selected 13 out of 21 commercial banks of Nepal. The Descriptive and casual relationship research design has been used using secondary data. The multiple regression models were estimated to test the impact of firm-specific factors on the share price of Nepalese joint venture commercial banks; results show that variables like earnings per share, price-earnings ratio, book value per share and return on assets are the major determining stock price having a significant impact on the price of share except for the size of the firm having an insignificant impact in the context of joint venture commercial banks of Nepal. Objective: The main purpose of the study is to examine the factors affecting the share price of commercial banks in Nepal, considering the internal and external factors like size, EPS, P/E Ratio, BVPS ROA, Inflation, broad money supply and gross domestic product on the stock price. Method: The pooled cross-sectional data analysis has been undertaken in the study. The research design adopted in this study is causal-comparative type as it deals with the relationship of firms' specific and macroeconomic variables with market price per share. From the year 2012 to 2022, i.e. 11 years, samples are taken from 13 Commercial banks in Nepal. Findings: Regression analysis shows the relationship between the internal and external factors influencing the share price of listed commercial banks of Nepal. Implication: The result of this study suggests investors should pay attention to BVPS, P/E ratio, ROA and Inflation before making any decisions regarding the investment in stock of commercial banks. The results of this study uncovered new evidence from the Nepalese perspective, which is considered to be valuable to the market participants. Thus, the findings of this study seem to be particularly useful for equity investors and fund managers as they can watch out for these significant factors while estimating stock returns and predicting share prices.
A Novel and Efficient Variable Ordering and Minimization Algorithm based on Evolutionary Computation

Objectives: Considering the rapidly increasing scales of on-chip integration, the objective of this research is to propose an improved and efficient genetic algorithm for area optimisation in limited computational time. Methods/Statistical Analysis: A novel and efficient Evolutionary Algorithm, with three crossover operators – order, cycle and partially mapped, has been employed to obtain an efficient variable ordering of Binary Decision Diagram (BDD) as it plays crucial role in total node count and hence, the total used area, average computation time and storage requirement. The efficiency of proposed algorithm has been tested on International Workshop on Logic Synthesis (IWLS), IWLS’93 combinational benchmark circuits. Findings: It has been found, for node count reduction, that the proposed Genetic approach using Order Crossover, gives an average reduction of 25.92% with a maximum value of 56.19%; using Cycle crossover, achieves an average reduction of 26.43% with a maximum value of 59.79%; whereas, using PMX crossover, leads to the best possible reduction with an average value of 35.26% with a maximum value of 84.54% as compared to average value of24.81%, 24.19% and 13.77%in case of already existing Window, Sifting and Random algorithms respectively. In terms of CPU time, the best computation time of an average value of 0.15s, has been observed in case of Order Crossover though the Cycle crossover also gives average value of about 0.17s as compared to PMX, which takes a little longer, about 1.18s, on an average. The proposed algorithm is able to yield higher area optimisation in a limited CPU time. Depending on the priority of the application based on area reduction and time dissipation, either of the algorithms and either of the crossovers can be employed. Application/Improvements: The algorithm is able to give efficiently optimised results for about 90% of the benchmark circuits; hence, these can be employed for Multi-Input- Multi-Output Systems (MIMO systems) in VLSI.
Reproducible generation of human retinal ganglion cells from banked retinal progenitor cells: analysis of target recognition and IGF-1-mediated axon regeneration

The selective degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is a common feature in glaucoma, a complex group of diseases, leading to irreversible vision loss. Stem cell-based glaucoma disease modeling, cell replacement, and axon regeneration are viable approaches to understand mechanisms underlying glaucomatous degeneration for neuroprotection, ex vivo stem cell therapy, and therapeutic regeneration. These approaches require direct and facile generation of human RGCs (hRGCs) from pluripotent stem cells. Here, we demonstrate a method for rapid generation of hRGCs from banked human pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal progenitor cells (hRPCs) by recapitulating the developmental mechanism. The resulting hRGCs are stable, functional, and transplantable and have the potential for target recognition, demonstrating their suitability for both ex vivo stem cell approaches to glaucomatous degeneration and disease modeling. Additionally, we demonstrate that hRGCs derived from banked hRPCs are capable of regenerating their axons through an evolutionarily conserved mechanism involving insulin-like growth factor 1 and the mTOR axis, demonstrating their potential to identify and characterize the underlying mechanism(s) that can be targeted for therapeutic regeneration.
Heuristic Evaluation of Play4Fit Health and Fitness App: A Comparison Between Experts and Novices Evaluators

Heuristic evaluation (HE) can be used to effectively identify usability issues in various interfaces. However, it has not been widely used in evaluating smartphone apps, especially in the health and fitness domain. One reason is the lack of HCI experts, which makes incorporating HE into the design process difficult. This paper presents the results of a study that compared HE performed by three HCI experts and three novices in evaluating a gamification app for health and fitness on a smartphone. The study used Smartphone Mobile Application heuRisTics (SMART), which focuses on smartphone apps, and a severity rating scale to determine the severity of the usability issues. These issues were mapped to the SMART heuristic. The findings indicate that novices may identify usability issues that the experts overlooked. While the experts identified eighteen usability issues, the novices found only four; however, the novice’s findings may be used as a substitute for HE when experts are unavailable. Both experts and novices identified two similar usability issues, but their severity ratings differed. One possible solution to address the lack of usability issues identified by novices in HE is to use more novices instead of experts in the evaluation process.