Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DigitalCommons@UNO DigitalCommons@UNO

children in the first 2 years of life are capable of many forms of peer interaction: they imitate one another (Hanna & Meltzoff, 1993; Howe et al., 2018), share toys (Hay et al., 2021), play games (Goldman & Ross, 1978), cooperate to solve problems (Brownell et al., 2006), engage in physical aggression (Côté et al., 2006; Tremblay et al., 2005), and struggle over toys (Hay et al., 2021; Hay & Ross, 1982). Peer relationships provide children with unique learning opportunities because they require toddlers to move the interaction forward in a way that is not needed when interacting with adult partners (Ross et al., 2010). Friendships have been identified among toddlers based on children’s responsiveness to one another’s behaviors, physical proximity, and the quality of mutual play (Howes, 1988a, 1988b). Behaviourally, toddler friends are more likely than non-friends to
Corporate Borrowings: A Conceptual Perspective

In the dynamic landscape of global business and finance, corporate borrowings play a crucial role in addressing firms' capital needs, promoting economic growth, and facilitate expansion (Levine, 2003) amidst ever-changing global business and financial scene. Corporate borrowings are essential in forming the financial frameworks of companies in all sectors of the economy. The borrowings, as a source of capital, are considered by the corporate due to limitation of equity capital such as higher risk association from the investors’ perspective and high cost of capital from the company perspective. Borrowings include debt securities, loans, and other credit instruments. Corporations strategically decide whether to leverage borrowed capital in order to maximise their capital structure (Rocca et al., 2011), manage risk (Eunju & Jang SooCheong, 2005), and take advantage of growth prospects (Zhang & Wu, 2017). It is because of the fact that borrowings hold an ambivalent status of acceptance among the corporate. In one hand, borrowings bring benefits to a firm in the form of tax shield effect and less costly capital thereby enhancing shareholders value. On the contrary, it brings many costs to a firm like bankruptcy cost, financial distress etc. So, when making financial decisions, managers carefully examine the option of corporate borrowings as a critical source of funding. The recent emphasis on environmental sustainability by the Govt. and corporate, has led emphasis on the raising capital through green bond by the corporate that contribute positively to the climate or environment. Further, the concept of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) performance of the corporate has now dragged the attention of the investor as a measure of good corporate citizenship and thereby enabling the corporate to raise less costly capital through borrowings. In a time of economic uncertainties, technological advancements, and evolving paradigms in financial markets, it is critical to comprehend the corporate borrowings. Hence, this paper aims to give a thorough overview of corporate borrowings by exploring the various facets that characterise this important component of contemporary financial ecosystems. Further, this paper navigates across the potential benefits and theories which affect corporate financing decisions. On this investigation of corporate borrowings, we aim to provide valuable insights for scholars, policy makers, and industries. The remainder of this paper deals with importance, theories, cost, benefits, and determinants of corporate borrowings and last section provides the conclusion.
Apparent prolonged evolutionary stasis in the middle Eocene hoofed mammal Hyopsodus

The stratophenetic approach to phylogeny reconstruction, developed in numerous recent papers by Gingerich, has its strongest data base in comprehensive collections from early Eocene rocks in the Big Horn Basin of northwestern Wyoming. Other examples have been criticised for lack of well-documented collection data, making suitable testing of stratophenetic interpretations of evolutionary modes virtually impossible. Study of Hyopsodus from the middle Eocene Bridger Formation of southwestern Wyoming provides new collection data. Adequate stratigraphic documentation is available, so Gingerich's graphical presentation can be essentially duplicated. In contrast to the complex branching pattern Gingerich interpreted from his data, Bridger Formation Hyopsodus data seems to show little size change through approximately one million years. This stasis or equilibrium condition, which is considered rare by Bookstein et al. (1978), is the only well developed pattern in Bridger Hyopsodus.
Multi-label ECG Abnormality Classification Using A Combined ResNet-DenseNet Architecture with ResU Blocks

Electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormality classification is to detect various types of clinical abnormalities from ECG. This paper proposes a deep neural network (DNN)-based ECG abnormality classification architecture where ResNet and DenseNet are cascaded. ResNet in the proposed architecture comprises residual U-shaped (ResU) blocks that effectively capture multi-scale feature maps without significantly increasing neural parameters. In addition, we use a multi-head self-attention (MHSA) to ensure that the model focuses on essential features in the given ECG. Experimental results show that our proposed model has superior ECG abnormality classification performance compared to other recently proposed DNN-based models.Clinical relevance: This study can offer accurate ECG analysis results using DNN, compared to recent DNN models.
Systemic Reactions to Skin Prick Test with Food Allergens in Children

Objective: Although skin prick tests (SPTs) are generally considered safe, limited studies have specifically evaluated reactions related to SPTs with all allergens. In contrast to these studies, our aim is to exclusively evaluate systemic reaction (SR) occurrences with food allergens during SPTs in children. Materials and Methods: All patients who underwent skin prick and/or prick-to-prick (PtoP) tests with food allergens at our clinic between January 2010 and January 2020 were included in the study. The occurrence of SR during SPTs was evaluated based on patient records. Results: The study included 1852 patients, with 57% males and a median age of 31 months (1-210). Skin tests were most commonly conducted for the indication of atopic dermatitis (29.3%). During the study, 11.2% had repeat SPTs for tolerance and a new allergy diagnosis. No local reactions or SRs occurred during SPTs. Among those with PtoP tests, 3 patients (0.16%) experienced SRs—1 had anaphylaxis (0.05%), the rest had angioedema. Legumes and sea bass caused these reactions. In patients with severe index reactions and those who underwent PtoP testing, SR development was significantly higher (P < .001 for both), and anaphylaxis occurrence was significantly higher among those undergoing PtoP testing compared to prick testing alone (P = .03). Conclusion: The prevalence of both SR and anaphylaxis due to SPT with food allergens was found to be quite low in children. However, it is important to consider the possibility of SR development before conducting SPT with food allergens, especially in patients who will undergo the PtoP test and those with severe index reactions.
Integration of Physiological, Transcriptomic, and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Molecular Mechanisms of Salt Stress in Maclura tricuspidata

Salt stress is a universal abiotic stress that severely affects plant growth and development. Understanding the mechanisms of Maclura tricuspidate’s adaptation to salt stress is crucial for developing salt-tolerant plant varieties. This article discusses the integration of physiology, transcriptome, and metabolome to investigate the mechanism of salt adaptation in M. tricuspidata under salt stress conditions. Overall, the antioxidant enzyme system (SOD and POD) of M. tricuspidata exhibited higher activities compared with the control, while the content of soluble sugar and concentrations of chlorophyll a and b were maintained during salt stress. KEGG analysis revealed that deferentially expressed genes were primarily involved in plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, alkaloids, and MAPK signaling pathways. Differential metabolites were enriched in amino acid metabolism, the biosynthesis of plant hormones, butanoate, and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism. Interestingly, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism were found to be important both in the metabolome and transcriptome–metabolome correlation analyses, suggesting their essential role in enhancing the salt tolerance of M. tricuspidata. Collectively, our study not only revealed the molecular mechanism of salt tolerance in M. tricuspidata, but also provided a new perspective for future salt-tolerant breeding and improvement in salt land for this species.
Toward the Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals: The Impact of Transformative Service Research on Financial Inclusion

Adopting approaches of Transformative Service Research (TSR), the study explored rural and urban perspectives of Financial Inclusion, an enabler of the attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, in an emerging economy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in one of the largest cities in Africa with specific emphasis on an urban and a rural population. The urban sample was obtained from a major urban setting in the city while the rural sample was obtained from the outskirts of the city. Non-probability sampling methods were used to derive the study sample, which included a combination of purposive and convenient sampling. The study sample was made up of 453 participants with 46.8% of them being rural residents and 53.2% being urban residents. A structured questionnaire was utilized in eliciting relevant information from the study participants. Outcomes as depicted by an empirical framework showed that residential status had a significant main effect on access to financial inclusion services, such that rural residents had limited access to financial inclusion services; while perceived cost of financial inclusion had a significant main effect on usage of financial inclusion services, such that perceptions of high cost of perceived inclusion resulted in less usage of financial inclusion services. Based on the study outcomes, financial institutions may consider rural-urban differentials in ascribing service charges for financial inclusion services to encourage usage.
Bafilomycin A1 Molecular Effect on ATPase Activity of Subcellular Fraction of Human Colorectal Cancer and Rat Liver

Bafilomycin A1 inhibits V-type H+ ATPases on the molecular level, which acidifies endo-lysosomes. The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of bafilomycin A1 on Ca2+ content, NAADP-induced Ca2+ release, and ATPase activity in rat hepatocytes and human colon cancer samples. Chlortetracycline (CTC) was used for a quantitative measure of stored calcium in permeabilized rat hepatocytes. ATPase activity was determined by orthophosphate content released after ATP hydrolysis in subcellular post-mitochondrial fraction obtained from rat liver as well as from patients’ samples of colon mucosa and colorectal cancer samples. In rat hepatocytes, bafilomycin A1 decreased stored Ca2+ and prevented the effect of NAADP on stored Ca2+. This effect was dependent on EGTA–Ca2+ buffers in the medium. Bafilomycin A1 significantly increased the activity of Ca2+ ATPases of endoplasmic reticulum (EPR), but not plasma membrane (PM) Ca2+ ATPases in rat liver. Bafilomycin A1 also prevented the effect of NAADP on these pumps. In addition, bafilomycin A1 reduced Na+/K+ ATPase activity and increased basal Mg2+ ATPase activity in the subcellular fraction of rat liver. Concomitant administration of bafilomycin A1 and NAADP enhanced these effects. Bafilomycin A1 increased the activity of the Ca2+ ATPase of EPR in the subcellular fraction of normal human colon mucosa and also in colon cancer tissue samples. In contrast, it decreased Ca2+ ATPase PM activity in samples of normal human colon mucosa and caused no changes in colon cancer. Bafilomycin A1 decreased Na+/K+ ATPase activity and increased basal Mg2+ ATPase activity in normal colon mucosa samples and in human colon cancer samples. It can be concluded that bafilomycin A1 targets NAADP-sensitive acidic Ca2+ stores, effectively modulates ATPase activity, and assumes the link between acidic stores and EPR. Bafilomycin A1 may be useful for cancer therapy.
Studying Africa’s hydroclimate history over the last 2000 years

Water-resource availability is one of the most important environmental factors on which Africa’s agricultural societies are reliant. However, our knowledge of the natural background variability of rainfall and drought over Africa is currently still inadequate to allow a full grasp of the relevant climate-dynamical mechanisms and guidance of much-needed forecasts of future trends. This report presents two new efforts to improve insights into how hydroclimate has varied throughout the continent over the past two millennia. Firstly, a thorough synthesis of data from instrumental measurements, historical accounts and natural climate archives resulted in an extensive review of Africa’s hydroclimate history. Secondly, the focus is narrowed to East Africa, where the sediments of hypersaline Lake Bogoria were used to reconstruct how a variable climate has driven large lake-level fluctuations over the last 1,300 years. Key words: paleoclimatology, natural climate archive, lake-level change, sedimentology, Lake Bogoria National Reserve
Responses of fish and invertebrates to floods and droughts in Europe

Floods and droughts, two opposite natural components of streamflow regimes, are known to regulate population size and species diversity. Quantifiable measures of these disturbances and their subsequent ecological responses are needed to synthesize the knowledge on flow–ecosystem relationships. This study for the first time combines the systematic review approach used to collect evidence on the ecological responses to floods and droughts in Europe with the statistical methods used to quantify the extreme events severity. Out of 854 publications identified in literature search, 54 papers were retained after screening and eligibility checks, providing in total 82 case studies with unique extreme event—ecological response associations for which data were extracted. In this way, a database with metadata of case studies that can be explored with respect to various factors was constructed. This study pinpointed the research gaps where little evidence could be synthesized, for example, drought event studies and fish studies. It was demonstrated that in many cases the studied metrics (abundance, density, richness, and diversity) showed statistically significant decreases after or during the event occurrence. The responses in invertebrate density and richness were in general more negative than the corresponding responses in fish. Biota resistance to floods was found to be lower than the resistance to droughts. The severity of extreme events was not found to be an important factor influencing ecological metrics, although this analysis was often hampered by insufficient number of case studies. Conceivably, other factors could mask any existing relationships between disturbance severity and biotic response.
Prelacrimal Recess Approach in Unilateral Maxillary Sinus Lesions: What Is the Impact and Efficacy?

Background and Objectives: Chronic sinusitis is a commonly encountered diagnosis for otorhinolaryngologists. The profound negative effect of rhinosinusitis on patients’ quality of life is frequently overlooked, and surgical lines of treatment are numerous. The aim of the study was to assess the comparative efficacy of endoscopic middle meatal antrostomy with the endoscopic prelacrimal recess approach, combined with middle meatal antrostomy in the treatment of unilateral chronic maxillary sinus lesion. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with unilateral chronic maxillary sinus lesions enrolled in the study at Alahsa hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: 15 treated through a middle meatal antrostomy and 15 treated via a combined middle meatal antrostomy and prelacrimal recess approach. Demographic and clinical information of the patients, including the medical history, CT scan findings, diagnosis, recurrence, and complications, were gathered and analyzed. Pre- and postoperative clinical findings were graded utilizing the Lund–Kennedy Endoscopic Scoring System. Results: The enrolled patients varied in age from 18 to 56, with 60% being male and 40% being female. Antrochoanal polyp, maxillary sinus mucocele, and unilateral allergic fungal sinusitis were among the pathological diagnoses. The follow-up period averaged 14.3 months. Following surgery, two patients in Group II encountered nasal discomfort, which included synechia and epiphora. The success rate for preserving a patient’s disease-free condition was 86.7%. A statistically significant difference in disease-free incidence was observed among the patients in group II. In group I, recurrence was identified in 26.7% of the patients. The postoperative symptoms diminished considerably, and the VAS score was reduced substantially. In Group II patients, however, there was no significant difference in scarring. Clinically significant differences were observed in the mean total Lund–Kennedy Endoscopic scores when compared to their preoperative values. Conclusions: Achieving endoscopic access to the sinus’s anterior, lateral, inferior, and inferomedial regions is facilitated by operating via the prelacrimal recess, which is the most advantageous approach. This approach facilitates rapid mucosal healing by maintaining the integrity of the nasolacrimal duct and mucosal covering. The specific pathology, surgical objectives, surgeon expertise, and equipment accessibility influence the choice of endoscopic surgical technique.
Small Extracellular Vesicles and Oxidative Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Retinal Degenerative Diseases

This review focuses on the role of small extracellular vesicles in the pathophysiological mechanisms of retinal degenerative diseases. Many of these mechanisms are related to or modulated by the oxidative burden of retinal cells. It has been recently demonstrated that cellular communication in the retina involves extracellular vesicles and that their rate of release and cargo features might be affected by the cellular environment, and in some instances, they might also be mediated by autophagy. The fate of these vesicles is diverse: they could end up in circulation being used as markers, or target neighbor cells modulating gene and protein expression, or eventually, in angiogenesis. Neovascularization in the retina promotes vision loss in diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. The importance of micro RNAs, either as small extracellular vesicles’ cargo or free circulating, in the regulation of retinal angiogenesis is also discussed.
Nematicidal activity of silver nanoparticles from the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans

Background Helminth parasites cause morbidity and mortality in both humans and animals. Most anthelmintic drugs used in the treatment of parasitic nematode infections act on target proteins or regulate the electrical activity of neurons and muscles. In this way, it can lead to paralysis, starvation, immune attack, and expulsion of the worm. However, current anthelmintics have some limitations that include a limited spectrum of activity across species and the threat of drug resistance, which highlights the need for new drugs for human and veterinary medicine. Purpose Present study has been conducted to determine the anthelmintic activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized from the extract of nematophagous fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans, on the infecting larvae of Ancylostoma caninum (L3). Methods The nanoparticles were characterized by visual, ultraviolet, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The in vitro study was based on experiments to inhibit the motility of infective larvae (L3), and the ultrastructural analysis of the nematode was performed by images obtained by TEM. Results The XRD studies revealed the crystalline nature of the nanoparticles, and FTIR results implied that AgNPs were successfully synthesized and capped with compounds present in the extract. The results showed that the green synthesis of AgNPs exhibited nematicidal activity, being the only ones capable of penetrating the cuticle of the larvae, causing changes in the tegmentum, and consequently, the death of the nematode. Conclusion The extract of the fungus D. flagrans is able to synthesize AgNP and these have a nematicidal action.
The profitability of artificial and natural regeneration: A forest investment comparison of Poland and the U.S. South

The historical development of silviculture has been closely related to an increasing need for timber, which resulted in more planted forests and artificial regeneration over time. The idea of natural regeneration through shelterwood cutting was often not accepted by forest owners as a management practice because of inadequate financial returns and less certain outcomes. Despite the evolving dominance of planted forests, questions remain if the lower costs of natural regeneration may still provide sufficient profitability of forest investments. In this paper, the profitability of planted versus natural forest management in Poland and the U.S. South was examined. A discounted cash flow model was developed to evaluate the profitability of artificial and natural regeneration in hypothetical Scots and loblolly pine stands in Poland and the U.S. South, respectively, and hardwood stands (dominated by oak spp.) in both countries. The results have shown that for both countries and species, natural regeneration regimes produce higher internal rates of return (IRR), largely due to less expensive establishment costs. The largest difference in returns is observed for hardwood in the US South (97 basis points, bps, or almost 1 percentage point), followed by pine in the US South (84 bps) and pine and hardwood in Poland (both ca. 70 bps). Southern pines in the U.S. South may have larger net present values (NPV) at moderate discount rates, as well as provide more certain wood production outcomes, which have contributed to their pervasive adoption. We conclude that natural stand forest management, in addition to better rates of return, may bring other non-financial benefits (e.g., genetic diversity, resilience), which may support forest owners and the environment, especially under changing climate conditions. Nevertheless, the regeneration method and its feasibility and profitability should be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis for each forest investment.