Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Uptake Among Patients Visiting a University Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Influenza vaccination is a subject of importance in Saudi Arabia. The study measured the uptake of annual influenza vaccination from 2019 to 2021 among patients attending outpatient clinic of a University Hospital. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study design was used, and the questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 (IBM, Armonk, New York). Results: The three-year annual influenza vaccine uptake for 2019-2021 was 19.7%, 11.4%, and 14.2%, respectively. In the year 2022, only 28.2% of the patients were offered influenza vaccines by their physicians, and among those offered, 49.6% showed vaccine acceptance. Higher vaccine acceptance was significantly associated with past episodes of influenza infection (p<0.001) and vaccination history before the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.001). Lower acceptance of the influenza vaccine was observed during the pandemic (p<0.001) and lower uptake among those who were not offered influenza vaccines (p=0.02). No association was found between influenza vaccine acceptance and smoking status, chronic illness, history of COVID-19 infection, or living with those susceptible to influenza. Reasons for vaccine denial include an assumption of not being at risk, a lack of information about the vaccine, and a fear of side effects. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental effect on annual influenza vaccination. Efforts must be taken to increase influenza vaccination among vulnerable groups.
Isothermal magnetization of samples with stable Preisach function: A survey of hysteresis, remanence, and rock magnetic parameters

Isothermal magnetization curves, like hysteresis loops, initial curves, back field curves, acquisition curves and demagnetizing curves of isothermal remanent magnetization, are commonly used for rock magnetic purposes. In this study we investigate the relations among these curves and other useful magnetization curves (saturation initial curve and induced and remanent hysteretic magnetization curves) in order to compare coercivity and domain state parameters which can be derived from them. Most natural samples, especially sediments, are weakly magnetic and possess relatively stable Preisach functions. Their magnetization states can therefore be described by classical Preisach theory. This approach verifies well-known rules and establishes some formerly unreported relations between isothermal magnetization curves and parameters. It is possible to point out sets of mathematically independent isothermal magnetization curves and to state theoretical interrelations between dependent curves by simply inspecting Preisach diagrams. Furthermore, we define six elemental isothermal magnetization curves from a general partition scheme of the Preisach diagram. They can be easily obtained from common measurements and generate all above mentioned curves. The experimental applicability of our results is demonstrated for three (single-domain, pseudo-single-domain, multidomain) marine sediment samples. A physical rationale of the elemental curves reveals favorable properties for the investigation of interaction and domain state. As a spin-off from the general results, a new hysteresis-based procedure for the measurement of Hcr is presented. We also propose an apparently more robust hysteresis-derived domain state parameter and a generalized version of the well-known R parameter. All presented methods can be applied without actually measuring Preisach functions.
Heavy Metal-Based Nanoparticles as High-Performance X-ray Computed Tomography Contrast Agents

X-ray computed tomography (CT) contrast agents offer extremely valuable tools and techniques in diagnostics via contrast enhancements. Heavy metal-based nanoparticles (NPs) can provide high contrast in CT images due to the high density of heavy metal atoms with high X-ray attenuation coefficients that exceed that of iodine (I), which is currently used in hydrophilic organic CT contrast agents. Nontoxicity and colloidal stability are vital characteristics in designing heavy metal-based NPs as CT contrast agents. In addition, a small particle size is desirable for in vivo renal excretion. In vitro phantom imaging studies have been performed to obtain X-ray attenuation efficiency, which is a critical parameter for CT contrast agents, and the imaging performance of CT contrast agents has been demonstrated via in vivo experiments. In this review, we focus on the in vitro and in vivo studies of various heavy metal-based NPs in pure metallic or chemical forms, including Au, Pt, Pd, Ag, Ce, Gd, Dy, Ho, Yb, Ta, W, and Bi, and provide an outlook on their use as high-performance CT contrast agents.
Rainfall estimation from satellite passive microwave observations in the range 89 GHz to 190 GHz

[1] The aim of the present work is to improve the current state of rainfall estimation by proposing a procedure based entirely on the observations made by the US Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit/B (AMSU/B) on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites. The procedure does not require the integration of additional sensors which could deteriorate the overall spatial and temporal resolution. It exploits both the radiometric observations made at 89 and 150 GHz (window channels) and the ones made in the 183 GHz water vapor band (opaque channels). In particular, the differences between the measurements of some of the AMSU/B channels are analyzed through radiative transfer simulations for the estimation of precipitation over both land and water surfaces and are related to rain rate values in different atmospheric scenarios. The algorithm estimates exhibit a very good agreement with ground-based (both radar and rain gauge) observations in the detection of rainfall and a reasonably good estimation of rain rate values. The probability of detection of precipitation is 75% and 90% for rain rates greater than 1 mm/h and 5 mm/h, respectively. Furthermore, due to the use of both window and opaque channels, the proposed procedure is able to retrieve light rain and not to misidentify snow-covered surfaces as rain.
Relationships between site productivity and environmental variables of Oriental beech forests in northeastern Turkey

This study examined the relationships between soil, climatic and physiographic variables and site productivity in Fagus orientalis Lipsky stands in Artvin, Northeastern Turkey. The site productivity described by the site index (SI, top height at stand age of 100 years) was available for three forest locations. SI varied significantly depending on the edaphic, climatic and physiographic variables. A linear regression model was constructed to test the hypothesis that soil, climatic and physiographic variables could be used to predict the SI of the Fagus orientalis forest types in the study region. The most important single variable in the model was precipitation in the driest quarter of the year, which accounted for 55.1% of the variability in SI and was positively correlated. In a multiple regression model, precipitation in the driest quarter, radiation index, slope and physiological soil depth were the most important variables for explaining SI in the study region. 80% of the observed SI variation was explained by these variables. The SI models developed in this study provide a basis for understan-Seite
Carboniferous palaeogeography of the Yarrol and New England Orogens, eastern Australia

Abstract During the Carboniferous Period the Yarrol and New England Orogens comprised an active depositional margin east of cratonised parts of Australia. Patterns of deposition within the orogens were probably controlled by dextral shear systems believed responsible for tectonism and the positions of the various depositional elements (volcanic chain, shelf, slope and basin, pull‐apart troughs and graben), and global changes in sea level. These patterns are illustrated by a series of non‐palin‐spastic palaeogeographic reconstructions. In the Early Carboniferous, similar patterns of deposition existed within the western volcanic chain, marine shelf, and eastern slope and basin provinces of both orogens. Sediments were deposited in two cycles. They range from volcanic fluvial and marine sandstone to siltstone, mudstone and turbidites. Complex depositional patterns within shelfal regions are shown in detailed palaeogeographic reconstructions. This uniform pattern changed during the latest Visean and Namurian.
Structure and recent evolution of the Hazar Basin: a strike‐slip basin on the East Anatolian Fault, Eastern Turkey

The Hazar Basin is a 25 km‐long, 7 km‐wide and 216 m‐deep depression located on the central section of the East Anatolian Fault zone (eastern Turkey) and predominantly overlain by Lake Hazar. This basin has been described previously as a pull‐apart basin because of its rhombic shape and an apparent fault step‐over between the main fault traces situated at the southwestern and northeastern ends of the lake. However, detailed structural investigation beneath Lake Hazar has not been undertaken previously to verify this interpretation. Geophysical and sedimentological data from Lake Hazar were collected during field campaigns in 2006 and 2007. The analysis of this data reveals that the main strand of the East Anatolian Fault (the Master Fault) is continuous across the Hazar Basin, connecting the two segments previously assumed to be the sidewall faults of a pull‐apart structure. In the northeastern part of the lake, an asymmetrical subsiding sub‐basin, bounded by two major faults, is cross‐cut by the Master Fault, which forms a releasing bend within the lake. Comparison of the structure revealed by this study with analogue models produced for transtensional step‐overs suggests that the Hazar Basin structure represents a highly evolved pull‐apart basin, to the extent that the previous asperity has been bypassed by a linking fault. The absence of a step‐over structure at the Hazar Basin means that no significant segmentation boundary is recognised on the East Anatolian Fault between Palu and Sincik. Therefore, this fault segment is capable of causing larger earthquakes than recognised previously.
Development of Exceedance Probability Streamflow Forecast

This paper presents a methodology for forecasting seasonal streamflow and is an extension of a previously developed categorical streamflow forecast model that used persistence (i.e., the previous season’s streamflow) and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indicators. This newly developed methodology takes persistence, an ENSO indicator, and several Pacific/Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) series as the main predictor variables. Using linear discriminant analysis, the forecast is expressed as probability of exceedance of continuous streamflow amounts. An exceedance probability forecast is continuous and is useful for the design and operation of water resource systems, which require a high degree of system reliability. Application of the forecast model to five Australian catchments shows that persistence is the most important predictor of streamflow for the next season. The other predictors, SSTs and the Southern Oscillation Index, may be more useful for forecasts with longer lead times when the degree of persistence is less noticeable. Finally, it is noteworthy that this generic approach to making an exceedance probability forecast can be used on any predictors and predictands.
Seismic attenuation and mantle wedge temperature in the northern Apennines subduction zone (Italy) from teleseismic body wave spectra

[1] We analyze P and S wave spectra from moderate- to deep-focus teleseisms recorded at the Retreating-Trench, Extension, and Accretion Tectonics (RETREAT) temporary broadband seismic network to assess the variations of the Earth mantle attenuation in the northern Apennines region (Italy). For each earthquake, we compute the ratio between the spectrum at each station and the average spectrum, in order to estimate t* residuals (Δt*) from the spectral ratio decay. The number and distribution of the teleseisms useable for the P wave t* calculation allow for a gross azimuthal analysis; although the (Δt*) values at single station display, in most cases, azimuthal-dependent fluctuations, their overall distribution shows a partition of the study region into two main areas, whose gross features remain almost unchanged over the whole azimuthal range. This partition is confirmed by the S wave t* mean values, computed for each station over the set of useable events. We distinguish a relatively high attenuation area on the western, Tyrrhenian side and a relatively low attenuation area on the eastern, Adriatic side. By correlating our Δt* estimates and the velocity structure derived from the existing tomographic models, we compute the ranges of possible P and S wave Q values in the mantle wedge above the Apennines slab (on the Tyrrhenian side) and in the asthenosphere below the Adriatic region. Furthermore, the determined attenuation properties are used to draw some inferences on the thermal state of the uppermost mantle and on the physical properties of the tectonic elements, which constitute the subduction system in the region.
Speech processing strategy and executive function: Korean children’s stop perception

The current study explored how Korean-speaking children processed the multiple acoustic cues (VOT and f0 ) for the stop laryngeal contrast (/t’/, /t/, and /t h /) and examined whether individual perceptual strategies could be related to a general cognitive ability performing executive functions (EF). 15 children (aged from 7 to 8) participated in the speech perception task identifying the three Korean laryngeal stops (3AFC) on listening to the auditory stimuli of C-/a/ with synthetically varying VOT and f0 . They completed a series of EF tasks to measure working memory, inhibition, and cognitive shifting ability. The findings showed that children used the two cues in a highly correlated manner. While children utilized VOT consistently for the three laryngeal categories, their use of f0 was either reduced or enhanced depending on the phonetic categories. Importantly, the children’s processing strategies of a f0 suppression for a tense-aspirated contrast were meaningfully associated with children’s better cognitive abilities such as working memory, inhibition, and attentional shifting. As a preliminary experimental investigation, the current research demonstrated that listeners with inefficient processing strategies were poor at the EF skills, suggesting that cognitive skills might be responsible for developmental variations of processing sub-phonemic information for the linguistic contrast.
Understanding Undergraduate Student Borrowing in China: A Qualitative Analysis

As China moved from elite to mass higher education, student borrowers as the product of state intervention have surged. Yet little attention has been paid to their voices. This study conducts reflexive thematic analysis with a qualitative inquiry into lived experiences of 41 current borrowers. A five-factor typology of debt attitudes yields a dynamic explanation of debt and repayment complexities. Students perceive borrowing as an investment in human and social capital. They are, however, cautious of consumer credit. Far from being a deterrent or added burden, educational indebtedness grants them a measure of freedom and autonomy in college. And they consider debt repayment manageable, mainly if a family safety net exists.
Honey production systems (Apis mellifera L.) in Kaffa, Sheka and Bench-Maji zones of Ethiopia

Southwest parts of Ethiopia particularly Kaffa, Sheka and Bench-Maji zones are endowed with very diverse and dense natural forests. This favours for the existence of dense honeybee population and production of large volume of honey. However, detail information on honey production systems of the area was lacking. In this study five representative districts were selected and data on beekeeping practice and its major constraints were collected. Traditional beekeeping system is practiced by more than 99% of beekeepers. The average traditional hives owned/household in Masha and Gesha were significantly higher (P
GROWING OF MELON IRRIGATED WITH DRIP IRRIGATION

Agriculture is the sector that has the largest share among water users. It has become a necessity to use natural resources, especially water and soil efficiently and sustainably. For this reason, it is very important to develop irrigation programs that will allow saving of irrigation water used in agriculture and to use common drip irrigation systems which are advantageous in this regard. In recent years, the use of drip irrigation systems has become widespread in the irrigation of field crops and orchards. As in many plants, the fact that the water needs of the plants are met with irrigation practices for the cultivation of melons when rainfall is not enough causes significant increases in yield. However, in the cases where water resources are scarce and/or the costs of irrigation are high, deficit irrigation methods should be considered. In this research, the application of irrigation water at different levels with the drip irrigation method in melon cultivation is examined.
DETERMINATION OF SOME HEAVY METALS IN SOME ARTIFICIAL FRUIT JUICES IN IRAQI LOCAL MARKETS

Some heavy metals concentrations (Cadmium, Copper, Nickel, Lead and Zinc) were measured in 20 samples of different artificial fruits juices were imported from different Arabian countries and these samples were so common in Iraqi markets. The results indicate that all the studied samples (100%) were exceed the local and international permissible values of Cadmium and copper, while 60% of them were exceeded the acceptable values of Nickel. Also, it was found that 15% of the studied samples are with high concentrations of lead which exceeded the Iraqi standard and about 35% of them exceeded the limits values of WHO. Zinc concentrations were still with the acceptable range for all the samples.
Lower and Middle Cambrian Rhynchonelliform Brachiopods from the Precordillera Terrane of Argentina

Abstract The first Cambrian rhynchonelliformean brachiopods are described from the Precordillera mountain belt of west-central Argentina, including the new species Wimanella mollensis and Nisusia ancauchensis. Other forms are Diraphora cf. D. borealis (Walcott), Diraphora sp. , and an indeterminate bohemiellid. Brachiopods come from the lowermost part of the Precordilleran Cambrian succession (El Estero and Soldano Members of the La Laja Formation, Cerro Totora Formation) and from the Ancaucha olistolith within the Los Sombreros olistostrome. The associated trilobites constrain the fossiliferous levels to the Bonnia-Olenellus, Poliella denticulata and Ehmaniella biozones. A re-assessment of paleobiogeographic affinities of lower and early middle Cambrian rhynchonelliform brachiopods using cluster analysis supports the existence of a widespread warm-water Tropical Realm—to which the described Precordilleran faunas belong—and a more restricted ‘Mediterranean’ Realm developed on the temperate, mixed clastic-carbonate platforms.
GaxIn2-xO3 surface pyramids interaction with formaldehyde: thermodynamic and sensing analysis

Abstract GaxIn2-xO3 surface pyramids' electronic structures are investigated using density functional theory, including dispersion corrections. Application of GaxIn2-xO3 surface pyramids as a gas sensor for formaldehyde is also performed and compared with experimental findings. These findings show that the energy gap of these pyramids follows closely with the bulk values. The energy gap increases between the two limits, In2O3 and Ga2O3. Applying GaxIn2-xO3 surface pyramids as a gas sensor uses transition state theory formalism. Thermodynamic quantities such as activation Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy are needed for temperature-dependent calculations. A comparison of sensor response which is proportional to reaction rate as a function of temperature and formaldehyde concentration, reveals the quality of the theory. Response time and recovery time also show good agreement with the experiment. Formaldehyde burning (flash point and autoignition) in atmospheric oxygen is considered in calculations using a logistic function.
Paleoclimatic tracers: An investigation using an atmospheric general circulation model under ice age conditions: 2. Water isotopes

The linear relationship observed between the water isotopic contents of precipitation and surface air temperatures leads to the use of the water isotopes, H218O and HDO, in paleoclimatology. Applied to the measurements of the isotopic content of paleowaters, like groundwaters and deep ice cores, this relationship is used to infer paleotemperatures. However, this interpretation of paleo-isotopic contents is only valid if the isotope-temperature relationship is not affected by climate change. To address this problem, we have developed a water isotope modeling inside an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) and performed simulations of both the present-day and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climatic conditions. AGCMs are indeed the only appropriate tools able to account the whole complexity of the atmospheric circulation. For the present-day climate, preliminary results for January were presented by Joussaume et al. (1984) and are complemented by new simulations performed for both February and August climatic conditions with a higher-resolution version of the model. Model results are well corroborated by observations. They also exhibit some effects of the atmospheric circulation on the isotopic fields. For the simulated LGM climate, the model results compare well with paleoclimatic data of water isotopic contents, except for a higher than observed spatial variability. The overall patterns of the simulated δ18O-temperature relationship for the LGM climate are practically unchanged, which tends to comfort the use of water isotopes in paleoclimatology. However, concerning the deuterium excess, i.e., the relationship between oxygen 18 and deuterium, the model results are not sufficiently valid to allow a discussion of the use of deuterium excess in paleoclimatology.
Heat flow and the thermal origin of hot spot swells: The Hawaiian Swell revisited

We present 150 new heat flow measurements obtained at eight sites along a 1230-km-long profile across the Hawaiian Swell about 700 km ESE of Midway Island. Most of the measurements include in situ thermal conductivity determinations, which helped to reduce the statistical uncertainties (95% confidence) at all sites to 59 mW m−2, about 20% higher than the predicted heat flow for 100 Ma seafloor based on simple lithospheric cooling models. Thus even though there is a small increase in heat flow with age along the swell, when compared with the off-swell heat flux, the anomalous heat flow associated with the Hawaiian Swell is probably of the order of 5–10 mW m−2 and arguably may not exist at all. A previous investigation [Von Herzen et al., 1982] may have overestimated the magnitude of the heat flow anomaly associated with the Hawaiian Swell by comparing heat flux measurements on the swell with values expected for simple lithospheric cooling models. The heat flow anomalies associated with the Bermuda Rise and the Cape Verde Rise may also be smaller than previously estimated, given the uncertainties in the heat flux on the normal seafloor surrounding these swells. The lack of a significant heat flow anomaly associated with the bathymetric expression of the Hawaiian Swell is inconsistent with simple models of lithospheric reheating. Dynamic support, accompanied by modest temperature increases ( 80 Ma) oceanic lithosphere.