Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining Employment and Employment Barriers Among a Sample of Patients in Medication-Assisted Treatment in the United States

Background: Barriers to employment are a considerable problem for individuals recovering from an opioid use disorder (OUD). Being unemployed while receiving OUD treatment is associated with poorer treatment outcomes. Objectives: Apply the biopsychosocial model to examine employment status and the association of barriers to employment among a sample of adults receiving Methadone for OUD. Materials and Methods: Administrative data from an east coast midsized urban medication-assisted treatment provider in the United States were obtained from a state database. Univariate analyses were used to describe the sample, and bivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship between employment status and select variables. A logistic regression model was used to predict employment status. Results: Sample characteristics include 80.8% unemployed, 63.1% male, 49.6% White, and 65.3% never married. Employment status was significantly associated with past 30-day depression/sadness (χ2 (1)=11.361, P<0.01), past 30-day anxiety/tension (χ2 (1)=8.799, P<0.01), receiving financial support (χ2 (1)=6.550, P<0.05), having a driver’s license (χ2 (1)=12.984, P<0.001) and having a vehicle (χ2 (1)=43.208, P<0.001). The logistic regression model found those with a vehicle were less likely to be unemployed (odds ratio=0.248, P<0.01), while those awaiting a trial/charge were more likely to be unemployed (odds ratio=9.253, P<0.001). Conclusions: This study identified potential barriers (ie, psychological, transportation, criminal justice system involvement) from a biopsychosocial framework, associated with employment status among a sample of individuals in Methadone treatment. Identifying employment barriers in this population will help with treatment based clinical interventions.
The Effect of Gender on the Bilingual and Bicultural Identity of the Iraqi EFL Learners' Recognition and Production of Request

This study examines the effect of gender on students' bilingual and bicultural identity in their recognition and production of request is studied. This means that it investigates to what extent the learners’ mother tongue and culture influence their recognition and production of request in the EFL and the effect of gender on such an identity. The study aims at exploring and identifying the linguistic patterns of request in English used by Iraqi EFL learners, those patterns of request transferred from Iraqi EFL learners’ mother tongue, and the Iraqi EFL learners’ cultural patterns and cultural realization of request transferred from Arabic culture into the EFL. Some hypotheses of the study state that there is a bilingual and cultural identity in using request by Iraqi EFL learners, females are better than males in request perception and production and they are worse in Arabic monolingualism and monoculturalism, students are better in English monolingualism and monoculturalism than in the other request features, students’ English monolingual and monocultural identity is more apparent in request perception than in production. To validate or refute its hypotheses, a test comprising recognition and production has been constructed and applied to fifty Iraqi EFL learners at fourth year, Department of English, College of Education for Humanities, University of Thi-Qar at the academic year (2020-2021). After data analysis, some conclusions are arrived at. The study concludes that Iraqi EFL learners are pragmatically incompetent and they have a bilingual and bicultural identity because of their mother tongue and culture interference.
Oxygen Isotope Compositions of Cellulose in Earlywood of Larix cajanderi Determined by Water Source Rather Than Leaf Water Enrichment in a Permafrost Ecosystem, Eastern Siberia

The oxygen isotopic composition of tree‐ring cellulose (δ18Ocell) has been widely used to reconstruct historical environmental changes; however, the control factors on δ18Ocell have not been fully constrained—especially in high latitudes. To evaluate the influence of metabolic processes and related environmental factors on δ18Ocell, we analyzed the δ18O values of soil water (1998–2015), stem water (1997–2016), leaf water (3 days in each 2014 and 2015), and tree‐ring cellulose (1981–2016), on a dominant larch species (Larix cajanderi) in an eastern Siberian boreal forest. We determined that the δ18O variability of water sources is dependent on the precipitation, and the 18O enrichment in leaf water is determined by relative humidity. These findings suggest that both water source uptake and leaf water enrichment processes can affect the δ18O values of oxygen‐containing compounds in larch trees in the study site. However, the δ18Ocell (one of the end oxygen‐containing products) was found dependent on water sources on which was related to the amount of summer rainfall in the previous year. This finding significantly differs from that of studies in other areas, which infer the positive correlation between δ18Ocell and leaf water enrichment rather than precipitation or water sources. These differences are predominantly due to the specific conditions of high‐latitude areas, such as the large seasonal δ18O difference in precipitation, the existence of permafrost, and the low growth rate. Our findings contribute toward the development of tree‐ring paleoclimate reconstructions—especially in eastern Siberia.
Determinants and Mechanisms of Digital Financial Inclusion Development: Based on Urban-Rural Differences

The combination of digital finance and financial inclusion can better meet the needs of those who have little access to financial services. This paper investigated the differences in the determinants and mechanisms of digital financial inclusion development between urban and rural areas. The sample consists of 1607 counties in China from 2014 to 2019, and uses the fixed-effect model and panel threshold technique. The empirical results indicate that: (1) The industrial economy and governmental intervention are the common determinants of urban and rural digital financial inclusion development, in which the degree is different. At the same time, secondary education is only a determinant in rural areas. (2) Industrial upgrading and indirect finance play a mediating role in the determinants of digital financial inclusion, but indirect finance is only significant for urban areas. (3) There is a threshold effect in the financial development-digital financial inclusion relationship. Under different financial development levels, the determinants of urban and rural digital financial inclusion show the discrepancy. With the development of digital financial inclusion under the trend of promoting innovative digital finance in China, these findings are expected to enhance access to financial services in urban and rural areas for more inclusive and sustainable futures.
Characteristics and outcomes of glomerulonephritis with membranoproliferative pattern in children

Background Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is a rare histopathologic pattern of glomerular injury with limited studies in pediatric patients. Characteristics and outcomes of children with MPGN have also remained to be further explored. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological features, genetic findings, treatments and outcomes in 17 pediatric patients pathologically diagnosed with MPGN from 2007 to 2020 in the Children’s National Medical Center in China. Results Median age at disease onset was 9.9 years (IQR, 5.6–11.9 years). Most of the patients (12/17) had nephrotic range of proteinuria, and nephritic-nephrotic syndrome was the most common clinical presentation (35.2%). Secondary causes were identified in eight patients including hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (n=4), methylmalonic acidemia (MMA, n=2), rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n=1) and Aymé-Gripp Syndrome (n=1). The nine patients with primary MPGN were further identified as immune-complex mediated MPGN (n=8), and unclassifiable MPGN (U-MGPN, n=1). Genetic analyses identified pathogenic variants of MMACHC gene in two cases of MMA and established the diagnosis for Aymé-Gripp syndrome in one case with a de novo variant of MAF gene. Comparing study between the complete or partial remission group (n=8) and non-response group (n=9) showed a significant difference in the timing of renal biopsy (P<0.05). Normal renal function was preserved in ten patients at the last follow-up. Two patients developed into end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Conclusions Children with MPGN pattern present heterogenous clinical features. Genetic detection helps to explore underlying causes of MPGN. Early identification of the primary or secondary causes of MPGN in children is vital.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Physicians Regarding Vaccinations in Yerevan, Armenia: A Case Study of HPV

This paper highlights the low levels of vaccine coverage and high levels of reported vaccination hesitancy in Yerevan, Armenia, that present profound challenges to the control of disease through routine vaccination programmes. We draw on investigations of hesitancy towards the introduction of new vaccines, using the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil as a case study, to interrogate underlying challenges to vaccine acceptance. We analyse primary data from the introduction of Gardasil, first used in Armenia in 2017, to investigate how levels of medical knowledge amongst physicians in 20 health facilities in Yerevan, Armenia, regarding vaccine science influence attitudes towards the introduction of a newly developed vaccine. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was completed by 348 physicians between December 2017 and September 2018. The responding physicians displayed a respectable level of knowledge and awareness regarding vaccination with respect to some characteristics (e.g., more than 81% knew that HPV infection was commonly asymptomatic, 73% knew that HPV infection was implicated in most cervical cancers, and 87% knew that cervical cancer is the most prevalent cancer amongst women) but low knowledge and poor understanding of other key issues such as the age at which women were most likely to develop cervical cancer (only 15% answered correctly), whether or not the vaccine should be administered to people who had already been infected (27% answered correctly) and whether sexually active young people should be treated for infection before vaccination (26% answered correctly). The study suggests that the drivers of vaccine hesitancy are complex and may not be consistent from vaccine to vaccine. The Armenian healthcare sector may need to provide additional training, awareness-raising and educational activities alongside the introduction of new vaccines to improve understanding of and trust in vaccination programmes.
The Effects of Herding on Betas and Idiosyncratic Risk

Abstract This paper investigates the consequences of herding on systematic and idiosyncratic risk for stocks traded on S&P 500. Herding behavior is measured through a state-space model. Using monthly data from 1999 to 2017, different periods of herding and adverse herding are present. Evidence shows that the state space model identifies the significant herding effects on both risk measures for specific portfolios. Our findings validate the expected implications of herding on betas but not of adverse herding. In addition, the low-beta anomaly is not confirmed on our beta-based portfolios. On the other hand, we confirm the risk-return relationship. We attribute this evidence to overpriced values of high beta assets as well as to the effects of adverse herding on the systematic and idiosyncratic risk. Finally, we also show that the herding level could serve as a systematic driver of returns improving the portfolio performance of traditional ‘anomaly’ based strategies.
Evaluation of Government’s Efforts to Mitigate the Adverse Effects of Gas Flaring in Host Communities

Background: This is a 5th in the series on gas flaring in Niger Delta Nigeria and previous reports have highlighted health impact and comparison of communities, amongst others. Government have mitigation programs whose satisfaction in the communities of Niger Delta is unknown. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate government’s efforts at mitigation and adaptation whether there are age and/or gender differences Methods: This was a quantitative survey cross-sectional study that used Likert scale questionnaire to generate views of the community on the behavioural change wheel (BCW) as well as mitigation and adaptation efforts of the government. Respondents were stratified into age groups and dichotomized in female or male and analysis involved multivariate analysis (MANOVA) to evaluate age and gender differences. Chi-Square tests were performed to assess associations between BCW components mitigation versus adaptation. Results: A total of 435 respondents were included and the results show levels of inconsistent age and gender differences. Men tended to agree more on government’s BCW albeit not significance achieved, while women agreed more mitigation and adaptation (p < 0.02). On age, the silent generation (>70 years old) group agreed more on BCW, but contrarily disagreed on mitigation and adaptation while younger generation agreed on the latter (0.001). Chi-Square tests show significance for association. Conclusion: This report highlights divergent views of the community on the discourse of government’s efforts at mitigation and adaptation of gas flaring in Niger Delta Nigeria, thereby providing empirical evidence of generational gap on environmental issue.
A Systematic Review of Smartphone and Tablet Use by Older Adults With and Without Cognitive Impairment

Abstract Background and Objectives A systematic review was conducted to explore the use of smartphones and tablet computers as cognitive and memory aids by older adults with and without cognitive impairment, specifically the effects of smartphone and tablet use on participants’ cognition and memory, and the barriers and facilitators to smartphone and tablet use for cognitive and memory support. Research Design and Methods A systematic search of 6 key databases found 11,895 citations published between 2010 and 2021. Studies were included if they involved community-dwelling older adults with or without cognitive impairment arising from acquired brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, or dementia, and if they evaluated everyday smartphone or tablet device use for cognition, memory, or activities of daily living. Results A total of 28 papers were included in the narrative synthesis. There was some evidence that the use of smartphones and tablets could aid cognitive function in older adults without cognitive impairment, particularly executive function and processing speed. There was modest evidence that smartphone and tablet use could support memory in both older adults without cognitive impairment and those with acquired brain injury and dementia. Discussion and Implications Smartphones and tablets were seen by users as acceptable, enjoyable, and nonstigmatizing alternatives to conventional assistive technology devices; however, current use of smartphone and tablet devices is hindered by the digital literacy of older adults, a lack of accommodation for older adult users’ motor and sensory impairments, and a lack of input from clinicians and researchers. Much of the evidence presented in this review derives from case studies and small-scale trials of smartphone and tablet training interventions. Further research is needed into older adults’ use of smartphones and tablets for cognitive support before and after the onset of cognitive impairment in order to develop effective evidence-based smart technology cognition and memory aids.
Detection of a parsec-scale jet in a radio-quiet narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy with highly accreting supermassive black hole

The jet in active galactic nuclei (AGN) is a key ingredient in understanding the co-evolution of galaxies and their central supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Unfortunately, the mechanism of jet launching and collimation is still elusive. The observational evidence of decreasing radio loudness with increasing Eddington ratio implies that the jet should be coupled with the accretion process. To further explore the relationship between the jet and accretion, it is necessary to extend our knowledge of the jet to an extreme end of the Eddington ratio distribution of AGN. Using Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), we report the detection of the parsec-scale radio structure in Mrk 335, a radio-quiet narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy with an Eddington ratio close to/above unity. The VLBA image at 1.5 GHz reveals an elongated structure extending ∼20 pc in north–south direction with a peak flux density of 1.98 ± 0.05 mJy beam−1 and radio brightness temperatures as high as 6 × 107 K. This feature provides a strong evidence of a parsec-scale (bipolar) jet launched from a highly accreting SMBH. We discuss the result by comparing Mrk 335 with other highly accreting systems, e.g. Galactic black holes and tidal disruption events, and recall the discovery of collimated corona in the vicinity of SMBH in Mrk 335 by previous X-ray observations, whose relation to the parsec-scale radio jet should be explored by future simultaneous X-ray spectroscopy and high resolution radio observations.
NUMERICAL MODELLING OF BONDED BRICKWORK UNDER CYCLIC COMPRESSION LOADING

Bonded brickwork as loadbearing walls is widely found in the heritage structures worldwide. The bonded brickwork consists of two or more bricks in the thickness direction which causes them to behave differently to single leaf walls which are the basis of masonry design guidelines. The evaluation of bonded masonry structures under dynamic seismic actions therefore requires appropriate numerical modelling techniques accounting for the cyclic loading. Sub-sequently, a simplified 3D mesoscale numerical model has been developed in this paper to analysis different thicknesses of bonded brickwork under cyclic compression. Each masonry brick was defined using 3D solid elements with 8 nodes and 24 degree of freedom (DOF) representing an enlarged brick consists of a full-scale brick enveloped by half thickness of the mortar bedding layer all around. These masonry bricks were arranged in multiple layers us-ing zero thickness cohesive interface elements to simulate the bond behaviour under shear, tension, and compression actions. A plasticity-based damage constitutive model to represent the damage in the masonry bricks under cyclic compression loading was employed. A threshold strain level was used to enact the element deletion technique for initiating the brittle crack opening in the masonry units. Whereas the joint interface failure between the masonry units was defined using a cohesive model represented by a simple bi-linear traction-separation constitutive law exhibiting an initial linear elastic behaviour at the interface followed by the initiation of the damage and evolution until the surface bonding degradation. The robustness of the developed model under cyclic compression loading has been proven by validating the test data presented for the clay brick selected to construct 9 masonry wallettes of single, double and triple brick thicknesses. The failure modes, cyclic stress-strain curves and stiffness degradation have been studied.
Advocating Home Blood Pressure Monitoring in Improving Hypertension Control in the Philippines

High blood pressure (BP) is the most common modifiable cardiovascular risk factor worldwide. Guidelines have been formulated all over the world addressing the issue of hypertension; however, the control rates for hypertension remains discouraging, particularly in the Philippines. In the latest National Nutrition and Health Survey, the prevalence of hypertension in the Philippines is 22.3% and is highest in individuals more than 70 years old. The problem with the survey that measurement was based only on single measurements done in doctors’ clinics. [1] The use of conventional measurement of BP done in the office BP monitoring (OBPM) has been the norm in the diagnosis and management, but this method has downsides, particularly of white coat hypertension and masked hypertension, which are quite common for both untreated and treated hypertensives. The reliability of OBPM is questioned with issues such as the unstandardized setting and conditions of clinics, observer bias and errors, and the small number of readings. There is also a discordance in the measurements of OBPM compared to out-of-office BP (OBP) measurements which could have an effect on the “true underlying BP reading” of the individual. [2] Home BP monitoring (HBPM) refers to the measurement of BP at home, ideally by the individual. It is optimal when the patient is seated at rest at around the same time in the morning and evening, usually a period of 1 week. [2,3] The readings are recorded using a validated, automated BP device and are then conveyed to the physician for interpretation. This method is appealing to most patients and can lead to more awareness and control of their hypertension. HBPM allows standardization of conditions, leading to little measurement variability and reproducibility of readings. Home BP (HBP) measurements can easily identify patients with white coat, masked, and sustained hypertension. HBPM is also widely available and can provide day-to-day BP variability values. [3-5] Despite the several advantages of HBP measurements, it has yet to gain popularity in the Philippines due to the cost of the automated BP machines, lack of patient training, and the preferential use of OBP of physicians. Abstract
Quantitative assessment of environmental risk from lead pollution of shooting range soils

ABSTRACT Risk assessment indices such as risk assessment code (RAC), potential ecological risk index (PERI), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF) and enrichment factor (EF) provide a good measure of environmental risk posed by Pb accumulated in shooting range soils as opposed to total Pb concentration. For this reason, the S/P Pistol shooting range, even though accumulated lower concentration of Pb (685±218 mg/kg), exhibited ‘very high risk’ to the environment with RAC value of 77 exceeding the 51 set guideline value for ‘very high risk’ with a significant margin compared to MAT R2 (20888±5419 mg/kg) at RAC value of 48 and highest total Pb concentration. This implies that mobility and bioavailability of Pb at S/P Pistol shooting range will be higher posing a greater risk to biota even though contamination from Pb is low. Best shooting range management practices and low cost remedial actions such as phytoremediation and chemical immobilization should be carried out as soon as possible to minimize the bioavailability and mobility of Pb in the studied shooting ranges.