Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effectiveness of Using Answer Garden Application as Brainstorming Activity in Online Learning

This research is based on the teaching online experience where the learning process becomes less interactive and the atmosphere during online learning was monotonous. By seeing the fact, the researcher is interested to apply an application that seem appropriate to help the students to improve their writing ability in online learning called Answer Garden. The purpose of this research is to solve the problems faced by lecturers who teach writing in universities in Batam. Answer Garden is a new minimalistic feedback tool used to stimulate real-time student participation, online brainstorming, and obtain classroom feedback. The research applied the qualitative research by using observation sheet, field notes, and questionnaire. The results showed that using Answer Garden as Brainstorming activity in online learning gives a good result where students are motivated by the concept because allowing them to generate lists, phrases, thoughts, words, ideas, or questions about a topic of writing in interactive ways. Thus, Answer Garden was seen as a great application to promote student participation during the online learning, because it can involve students brainstorming and collaborating on a topic question that the teacher asked during the online learning.
Clock Frequency Optimization of a Compensated Spread-Spectrum Controller in Buck Converters

This research investigates the spread-spectrum technique’s impact on buck converters, with a focus on electromagnetic emissions and output voltage ripple. The ripple, attributed to constant delay time in the PWM generator, induces changes in the duty cycle as the switching frequency varies due to the spread-spectrum technique. To alleviate this, a time delay compensation mechanism recalculated at each switching frequency change is proposed. To address duty cycle inaccuracies from integer calculations in a digital core, a remainder accumulator in time delay calculation is introduced. A numerical model parametrized by the controller’s clock frequency and spread-spectrum resolution examines duty cycle error, ripple, and EMI peak reduction. Findings indicate that the proposed compensator and accumulator reduce duty cycle error while maintaining comparable ripple and achieving similar EMI peak reduction. EMI peak reduction plateaus at higher clock frequencies, suggesting an optimal clock frequency. Experimental results from an FPGA prototype corroborate the model and simulations, showing substantial duty cycle error reduction, comparable ripple, and maximized EMI peak reduction. The study thus illustrates the spread-spectrum technique’s potential in buck converters, providing an optimal configuration for EMI reduction and minimizing duty cycle error and ripple.
Antimicrobial Activity of Selected Essential Oils against Staphylococcus aureus from Bovine Mastitis

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows, and its development of antibiotic resistance has limited treatment efficacy. Essential oils (EOs) are natural products with a wide range of antimicrobial properties that could be used to treat bovine mastitis. This study aims to investigate the antimicrobial activity of EOs against S. aureus isolated from subclinical bovine mastitis cases in the State of São Paulo—Brazil. A total of 14 S. aureus isolates were selected, based on the presence of biofilm-forming genes (icaA, icaD, and bap), and were cultured to a final concentration of 103 CFU.mL−1 for the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) analysis of five EOs (Citrus aurantium bergamia—bergamot, Copaifera reticulata—copaiba, Foeniculum vulgare—fennel, Zingiber officinale—ginger, and Ocimum basilicum—basil). The chemical compositions of the EOs were characterized using gas chromatography coupled with a mass-selective detector (GC/MSD). Basil and bergamot EOs exhibited the highest antimicrobial activity against S. aureus strains, with mean MIC/MBC values of 1.561 ± 0.223/2.806 ± 0.255 mg.mL−1 and 2.782 ± 0.228/4.396 ± 0.198 mg.mL−1, respectively. The primary compounds in basil EO were methyl-chavicol, linalool, and α-humulene, while bergamot EO predominantly contained linalyl acetate, limonene, and linalool. This research highlights the potential of basil and bergamot EOs as natural antimicrobial agents for treating bovine mastitis caused by S. aureus, offering a potential alternative to traditional antibiotics and contributing to animal welfare and public health. In addition, it emphasizes the need for further studies to validate the long-term effects, optimal dosages, and application methods.
Currents and convection cause enhanced gas exchange in the ice–water boundary layer

The presence of sea ice acts as a physical barrier for air–sea exchange. On the other hand it creates additional turbulence due to current shear and convection during ice formation. We present results from a laboratory study that demonstrate how shear and convection in the ice–ocean boundary layer can lead to significant gas exchange. In the absence of wind, water currents beneath the ice of 0.23 m s−1 produced a gas transfer velocity (k) of 2.8 m d−1, equivalent to k produced by a wind speed of 7 m s−1 over the open ocean. Convection caused by air–sea heat exchange also increased k of as much as 131 % compared to k produced by current shear alone. When wind and currents were combined, k increased, up to 7.6 m d−1, greater than k produced by wind or currents alone, but gas exchange forcing by wind produced mixed results in these experiments. As an aggregate, these experiments indicate that using a wind speed parametrisation to estimate k in the sea ice zone may underestimate k by ca. 50 % for wind speeds <8 m s−1.
The Impact of Technological Advancement on Unemployment in Turkey

Technological advancements have been reshaping industries and economies worldwide. As technology evolves, questions arise about its impact on employment. This study aims to investigate the relationship between technological advancement and unemployment over the period from 1991 to 2020. The objective of this research is to examine the influence of various factors, including Patent Assistance (PA) residents, Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDPpc), Gross Capital Formation (GCF), and the Consumer Price Index (CPI), on the unemployment rate (UEMP). We seek to understand these variables’ long-term and short-term effects on unemployment. We utilized data from the World Bank for our analysis. The study employed the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) methodology to explore the dynamics between technological advancement and unemployment. This method allows us to investigate both short-term and long-term relationships. Our analysis revealed interesting insights. In the long run, we observed that GCF and CPI negatively influenced unemployment, indicating that an increase in these variables is associated with a reduction in unemployment. However, PA had a positive impact on UEMP, although this effect was not statistically significant. In the short term, GCF, GDPpc, and CPI all had a negative effect on UEMP. These findings carry important policy implications. They suggest that fostering startups and entrepreneurial ventures can drive technological innovation and job creation. To support this, policymakers should focus on creating an enabling environment for startups by reducing bureaucratic barriers, streamlining business registration processes, and providing financial and mentoring support. Encouraging entrepreneurship has the potential to unleash innovative ideas, create new ventures, and generate employment opportunities, particularly for the youth population.
Current practices of psychoeducation interventions with persons with bipolar disorders: a literature review

This review sought to summarize the literature on current practices and forms of psychoeducation in the management of patients with bipolar disorder (BD), including only randomized controlled trials to ensure the best level of evidence. An extensive review of the available literature was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and PsychInfo databases from inception to April 28th, 2022. The search yielded 381 studies. Seventy articles were included after removing duplicates and applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria. A best-evidence synthesis was used to identify the key results of each study and summarize the outcomes. Eleven descriptive categories were made. They encompass different forms of psychoeducation compared or combined with other psychosocial interventions, varying in setting (individual or group), with or without family members, structured or unstructured, mediated or not by digital tools (smartphone, internet). Globally, these studies show that psychoeducation is important in the treatment of BD, as it leads to a decrease in relapses, mood episodes, hospitalizations, and improved functioning or quality of life. Some studies also showed the benefits of psychoeducation on the patient’s level of knowledge of pharmacological treatment and the disorder or compliance with medication, as well as reduced self-stigma. The limitations of this review are linked to the selection of only RCTs and the reliance on their post-hoc analyses. This review confirms the benefit of psychoeducation and psychosocial interventions on the evolution of BD (in different outcomes, including quality of life, relapse, and rehospitalization rates, for example). More recent interventions, such as mindfulness or online psychoeducation, represent an interesting option but more evidence is needed.
Nutrition and Chronobiology as Key Components of Multidisciplinary Therapeutic Interventions for Fibromyalgia and Associated Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Narrative and Critical Review

Fibromyalgia (FM) is often accompanied by chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). It is a poorly understood disorder that mainly affects women and leads to chronic pain, fatigue, and insomnia, among other symptoms, which decrease quality of life. Due to the inefficiency of current pharmacological treatments, increasing interest is being directed towards non-pharmacological multicomponent therapies. However, nutrition and chronobiology are often overlooked when developing multicomponent therapies. This narrative and critical review explore the relevance of nutritional and chronobiological strategies in the therapeutic management of FM and the often-associated CFS. Reviewed literature offers scientific evidence for the association of dietary habits, nutrient levels, body composition, gut microbiota imbalance, chronobiological alterations, and their interrelation with the development and severity of symptoms. This review highlights the key role of nutrition and chronobiology as relevant and indispensable components in a multidisciplinary approach to FM and CFS.
Beeswax Alcohol Prevents Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidation and Demonstrates Antioxidant Activities in Zebrafish Embryos and Human Subjects: A Clinical Study

Oxidative stress is one of the primary instigators of the onset of various human ailments, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and dementia. Particularly, oxidative stress severely affects low-density lipid & protein (LDL) oxidation, leading to several detrimental health effects. Therefore, in this study, the effect of beeswax alcohol (BWA) was evaluated in the prevention of LDL oxidation, enhancement of paraoxonase 1 (PON-1) activity of high-density lipid & protein (HDL), and zebrafish embryo survivability. Furthermore, the implication of BWA consumption on the oxidative plasma variables was assessed by a preliminary clinical study on middle-aged and older human subjects (n = 50). Results support BWA augmentation of PON-1 activity in a dose-dependent manner (10–30 μM), which was significantly better than the effect exerted by coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Moreover, BWA significantly curtails LDL/apo-B oxidation evoked by CuSO4 (final 0.5 μM) and a causes a marked reduction in lipid peroxidation in LDL. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed a healing effect of BWA towards the restoration of LDL morphology and size impaired by the exposure of Cu2+ ions (final 0.5 μM). Additionally, BWA counters the toxicity induced by carboxymethyllysine (CML, 500 ng) and rescues zebrafish embryos from development deformities and apoptotic cell death. A completely randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled preliminary clinical study on middle- and older-aged human subjects (n = 50) showed that 12 weeks of BWA (100 mg/day) supplementation efficiently diminished serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and total hydroperoxides and enhanced total antioxidant status by 25%, 27%, and 22%, respectively, compared to the placebo-control and baseline values. Furthermore, the consumption of BWA did not exhibit any noteworthy changes in physical variables, lipid profile, glucose levels, and biomarkers pertinent to kidney and liver function, thus confirming the safety of BWA for consumption. Conclusively, in vitro, BWA prevents LDL oxidation, enhances PON-1 activity in HDL, and positively influences oxidative variables in human subjects.
Analysing The Impact Of Positive Psychological Capital On Study Engagement Among
Students In Higher Education Institutions

Academic positive psychological capital is a crucial construct to develop and enhance learning, critical thinking, motivation, and personal growth among students. This research investigates the association between study engagement and psychological capital, and tries to find out which components of psychological capital are predictors of study engagement among students. This study is both descriptive and correlational in nature. The population of the research included students studying at different universities and colleges under various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Uttarakhand, India. A sample size of 147 students was selected using a simple random technique. The data was recorded systematically in IBM-SPSS v26 software for further analysis. Pearson correlation and step-wise regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Hence, it was found that there is a statistically significant association between study engagement and psychological capital. Also, hope, self-efficacy, and optimism were found to be good predictors of students’ study engagement.
Intravenous Thrombolysis in Patients 90 Years or Older with Moderate to Severe Acute Ischemic Stroke Increases Ambulation at Discharge and Is Safe: A Prospective Cohort Study from a Single Center in Santiago, Chile

Abstract Introduction The World Health Organization predicts that the global population aged 60 years and older will double by 2050, leading to a significant rise in the public health impact of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Existing stroke guidelines do not specify an upper age limit for the administration of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), although some suggest a relative exclusion criterion in patients aged ≥80 in the 3–4.5-h window. Many physicians avoid treating these patients with IVT, argumenting high risk and little benefit. Our aim was to investigate the efficacy and safety of IVT treatment in patients with non-minor AIS aged ≥90, admitted to our institution. The primary efficacy endpoint was the ability to walk at discharge (mRS 0–3), and the primary safety endpoints were death and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhagic transformation (sIHT) at discharge. Methods Patients with AIS aged ≥90 admitted to our center from January 2003 to December 2022 were included. They were selected if had an NIHSS ≥5, were previously ambulatory (prestroke mRS score 3 or less), and arrived within 6 h from symptom onset. Those treated or not with IVT were compared with univariate analysis. Results The mean age was 93.2 (2.4) years, and 51 (73.9%) were female. The admission mRS and NIHSS were 1 (IQR 0–2) and 14 (IQR 7–22), respectively. Thrombolyzed patients had a shorter time from symptom onset to door and lower glycemia on admission. IVT was associated with a higher proportion of patients achieving mRS 0–3 at discharge (p = 0.03) and at 90 days (p = 0.04). There were no differences between groups in the risk of death (p = 0.55) or sIHT (p = 0.38). Conclusion In this small sample, ambulatory patients aged ≥90 with moderate or severe AIS treated with IVT had increased odds of being able to walk independently at discharge than those not treated, without safety concerns.
THROUGH-THE-SENSOR GEOACOUSTIC INVERSION ALONG A TOWED HORIZONTAL LINE ARRAY - RESULTS FROM REAL DATA SET IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

The assessment of active sonar performances in shallow water strongly depends on the environmental conditions. Of most importance, bottom properties are known to strongly affect the forward acoustic propagation and reverberation fields. It is thus essential that reliable geoacoustic models of the seabed be available in a given area so that sonar performances can be estimated with a reasonable level of confidence. In the past decade, several dedicated geoacoustic inversion methodologies have been proposed. Based on experimental set-up's that "probe" the environment in a similar manner to the one of sonar systems (in terms of used devices and geometries), they aim at assessing a set of seabed parameters that allows to replicate the impact of the true seabed on the acoustical field emitted by a sonar. This paper focuses on the so-called through-the-sensor (TTS) geoacoustic inversion approach that is based on the inversion of acoustical data along a towed horizontal array with matched-field processing techniques. Obviously oriented toward an integration onboard operational low frequency active sonar chains, proofs of the relevantness of that concept have already been shown in the past. Moreover, it has also been demonstrated that such an approach is promising for handling the challenging case of range dependent environment. Here, TTS inversion results with acoustical signals that span the same frequency band of present operational LFAS (800- 1800 Hz) are presented. The methodology is applied along a known site Southward the Sicily Island (Malta Plateau) with experimental data.
The Acceptance and Use of Mobile Learning for Kuwaiti Government Employee Training: Views from the Perspectives of UTAUT

With the rapid advancements of technology, Kuwait is one of the countries taking on the efforts to implement mobile learning strategies for employee training. By leveraging the Unified Theory of Technology Acceptance and Use (UTAUT), this study centers on the acceptance and use of mobile learning for Kuwaiti Government employee training. A qualitative approach was used in a case study on Kuwait's public sector personnel, focusing on the Kuwait Civil Service Commission’s (KCSC) eTra ining initiative since 2008, involving interviews with ten employees. The study reveals that workplace mobile learning acceptance and use are influenced by employees' digital skills, mobile learning infrastructure, resources, and workplace standards and policy. Employees obtained specialized information and abilities necessary for their job through deliberate learning activities outlined in the mobile learning standards and rules. The implementation of a comprehensive mobile learning infrastructure and the utilization of advanced hardware have significantly enhanced the efficacy of technology in the workplace. The results of the study highlighted the significance of digital skills in the workplace in relation to mobile learning aspects and job demands. This study has provided significant insights for the public sector in Kuwait, considering the scarcity of existing research on this subject matter.
Comparison of Mechanical Properties ofFiber-Reinforced Sand under Triaxial Compressionand Direct Shear

Abstract This research investigates the behavior of sandreinforced with polypropylene fiber. To do this, 40 directshear tests and 40 triaxial tests were performed on thecoastal beaches of Babolsar, a city in the North of Iran. Theeffect of parameters such as fiber content, length of fiberand normal or confining pressure on the behavior of Babolsarsand have been studied. In this study, four various fibercontents (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 percent), three different lengthsof fiber (6, 12 and 18 mm) and four normal or confiningpressures (50, 100, 200 and 400 kPa) have been employed.The test results show that fiber inclusion has a significanteffect on the behavior of sand. In both direct shear and triaxialtests, the addition of fibers improved shear strengthparameters (C, '), increased peak shear strength and axialstrain at failure, and also limited the amount of post-peakreduction in shear resistance. The comparison of the testresults revealed that due to better fiber orientation towardthe direction of principal tensile strain in triaxial test ascompared to direct shear tests, the fiber efficiency and itseffect on soil behavior is much more significant in triaxialspecimens.
Preoperative Short-Course Radiotherapy with Delayed Surgery Versus Long-Course Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

Background: In multiple studies, preoperative long-course radiotherapy (PLRT) in conjunction with concurrent chemotherapy (PLCRT) and preoperative short-course radiotherapy (PSRT) with immediate surgery have demonstrated comparable outcomes regarding late morbidity, local control, and prolonged survival. However, long-course RT demonstrated a more favorable pathological complete response (PCR). The acute radiation toxicities associated with the short-course program are considerably lower than those observed in standard CRT. Significant benefits are associated with postponing surgery after neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer. As a result, a strategy of short-course RT and then consolidation chemotherapy prior to surgical resection is developed to achieve these benefits. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the treatment outcome, safety, and feasibility of preoperative short-course hypo fractionated RT (SCRT) followed by chemotherapy versus standard conventional long-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy (LCRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients. Patients and methods: This phase II prospective trial included 59 patients through the period from May 2020 to February 2021 in Sohag Cancer Center and Sohag University Hospital with a median follow-up of 31 months (range 4:37). Thirty cases were assigned to the experimental group (SCRT) and twenty-nine were assigned to the standard group (LCRT). The study was performed on locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) cases and were randomized to neoadjuvant short-course RT followed by chemotherapy or preoperative conventional long-course CRT. Pathological response and treatment-related toxicity constituted the main endpoints. EFS, LFFS, DRFS, and OS were the secondary endpoints. Results: No significant variations were reported between the SCRT and LCRT groups as regards death rate and locoregional failure rate, or distant recurrence. In subgroup analysis for cases who were subjected to resection, no significant variations were reported between the SCRT and LCRT groups regarding postoperative (pathological) stages, pathological complete response rates, and grades of tumors. No significant variation was reported between the two groups as regards most of treatment-related toxicities, but the SCRT group had significantly lower radiation therapy-induced toxicities than the LCRT group. Conclusion: Patients diagnosed with LARC may benefit from SCRT followed by chemotherapy as a substitute for conventional CRT. SCRT with delayed surgery showed comparable efficacy to conventional LCRT.