Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Observational Study Comparing Fibromyalgia and Chronic Low Back Pain in Somatosensory Sensitivity, Motor Function and Balance

Fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) have shared pathophysiology and have a considerable impact on patients’ daily activities and quality of life. The main objective of this study was to compare pain impact, somatosensory sensitivity, motor functionality, and balance among 60 patients with FM, 60 patients with CLBP, and 60 pain-free controls aged between 30 and 65 years. It is essential to know the possible differences existing in symptomatology of two of the major chronic pain processes that most affect the population, such as FM and CLBP. The fact of establishing possible differences in sensory thresholds, motor function, and proprioceptive measures among patients with FM and CLBP could bring us closer to a greater knowledge of the chronic pain process. Through an observational study, a comparison was made between the three groups (FM, CLBP, and pain-free controls) evaluating functional performance, postural balance, kinematic gait parameters, strength, depression, fatigue, and sensitivity to pain and vibration. Patients with chronic pain showed worse somatosensory sensitivity (p < 0.001) and motor function (p < 0.001) than pain-free controls. Moreover, patients with FM showed greater pain impact (p < 0.001) and bigger somatosensory (p < 0.001) and motor deficiencies (p < 0.001) than patients with CLBP. Further research should explore the possible reasons for the greater deterioration in patients with FM in comparison with other chronic pain conditions. Our results, showing the multiple areas susceptible of deterioration, make it necessary to adopt interdisciplinary interventions focused both on physical and emotional dysfunction.
New precision rectifier circuits with high accuracy and wide bandwidth

Two new circuits for precise full-wave rectification are presented. The first is based on a current feedback amplifier with a new current-mode absolute-value circuit in its feedback loop. The second utilizes an operational conveyor working in conjunction with a current-mode absolute-value circuit in a new configuration. Both circuits have high accuracy and wide bandwidth, giving undistorted rectified waveforms up to 500 kHz in the first case and 1 MHz in the other. Additionally, both systems have high sensitivity, being able to full-wave rectify signals with amplitudes as small as 5 mV peak at 100 kHz. Finally, the new systems have excellent temperature stability, low offset output voltage and are suitable for IC fabrication.
Content Management in the Workplace

The authors report on a multiyear study designed to reveal how introducing a content management system (CMS) in an administrative office at a large organization affects the office’s writing and work practices. Their study found that users implemented the CMS in new and creative ways that the designers did not anticipate and that the choices users made in using the CMS were often driven not by technology but by the social implications the CMS held for their office. By contrasting how writers negotiated specific genres of writing before and after the CMS was introduced, the authors argue for increased attention to providing flexible technologies that enable writers to innovate new tools in response to the social needs of their writing environments. This approach must be driven by research on the implications of technology in workplace communities.
Repurchase intention behavior in B2C E-commerce

The intention to buy back is one of the objectives of the business strategy. This study aims to analyze the effect of mediating customer satisfaction on e-service and repurchase intention. This analytical study was conducted on e-commerce that is widely used by Indonesia, namely Shopee.co.id. The rapid growth of e-commerce, both C2C and B2B, has made online retailers compete in the online retail business. The intention to buy back is no longer solely due to the quality of service like an offline business. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of mediating customer satisfaction from the quality of E-Commerce on repurchase intention in E-Commerce that has implemented a combination of C2B and B2B. Quantitative methods with structural equation analysis (SEM) and path analysis were used to analyze data using LISREL. The questionnaire is distributed to respondents used as samples taken from the population for this research. The researched population is user of Shopee.co.id in Indonesia, whereas samples of the population are randomly taken. The samples of this research are 279 respondents. The results of this study found that there is no significant direct effect of electronic service quality on repurchases intentions, but when customer satisfaction acts as a mediating variable, it shows that electronic service quality affects repurchase intention significantly through customer satisfaction. This study will help online retailers to find out what factors influence customers to make repeat purchases.
COnfinement Reinforcement Design Considerations for Ductile HSC Columns

This paper presents results from a continuing research program that aims to study confinement of concrete by lateral reinforcement. The current work deals with the experimental behavior of high-strength concrete (HSC) and ultrahigh-strength concrete (UHSC) column behavior. Realistically sized columns (305 × 305 × 1,473 mm) with heavy stubs (508 × 762 × 813 mm) were tested under moderate to high axial load levels and reversed cyclic displacement excursions. The behavior of UHSC and HSC columns was examined and compared to normal strength concrete column behavior. The variables studied in this research program are the concrete strength, axial load level, steel configuration, amount of lateral steel, and the presence of a heavy stub. A performance-based design procedure for the design of confinement reinforcement in HSC and UHSC columns is presented and compared with current American Concrete Institute (United States) and New Zealand Standards (New Zealand) codes.
Public Attitudes Toward Siting a High‐Level Nuclear Waste Repository in Nevada

This paper examines the sources of public opposition to a highâ€ level nuclear waste repository among samples of 1001 residents of Nevada and a national sample of 1201 residents. Two models of choice are contrasted: A benefitâ€ cost model and a riskâ€ perception model of individual choice. The data suggest that the willingness of Nevada residents to accept a repository at Yucca Mountain depends upon subjective risk factors, especially the perceived seriousness of risk to future generations. Perceived risk depends in part on level of trust placed in the Department of Energy to manage a repository safely. Opposition to a local repository did not decrease significantly if compensation in the form of annual rebates, either ($1000, $3000, or $5000 per year for 20 years) were offered to residents. The public needs to be convinced before compensation is considered, that the repository will possess minimal risks to themselves as well as to future generations, and that the site currently targeted is suitable. One way to do this is through adoption of mitigation and control procedures such as strict federal standards and local control over the operation of the repository. The federal government should also consider returning to the fair procedure for selection between candidate sites specified in the initial Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.
Estimating Ground Elevation and Vegetation Characteristics in Coastal Salt Marshes Using UAV-Based LiDAR and Digital Aerial Photogrammetry

This study evaluates the skills of two types of drone-based point clouds, derived from LiDAR and photogrammetric techniques, in estimating ground elevation, vegetation height, and vegetation density on a highly vegetated salt marsh. The proposed formulation is calibrated and tested using data measured on a Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh in Little Sapelo Island, USA. The method produces high-resolution (ground sampling distance = 0.40 m) maps of ground elevation and vegetation characteristics and captures the large gradients in the proximity of tidal creeks. Our results show that LiDAR-based techniques provide more accurate reconstructions of marsh vegetation (height: MAEVH = 12.6 cm and RMSEVH = 17.5 cm; density: MAEVD = 6.9 stems m−2 and RMSEVD = 9.4 stems m−2) and morphology (MAEM = 4.2 cm; RMSEM = 5.9 cm) than Digital Aerial Photogrammetry (DAP) (MAEVH = 31.1 cm; RMSEVH = 38.1 cm; MAEVD = 12.7 stems m−2; RMSEVD = 16.6 stems m−2; MAEM = 11.3 cm; RMSEM = 17.2 cm). The accuracy of the classification procedure for vegetation calculation negligibly improves when RGB images are used as input parameters together with the LiDAR-UAV point cloud (MAEVH = 6.9 cm; RMSEVH = 9.4 cm; MAEVD = 10.0 stems m−2; RMSEVD = 14.0 stems m−2). However, it improves when used together with the DAP-UAV point cloud (MAEVH = 21.7 cm; RMSEVH = 25.8 cm; MAEVD = 15.2 stems m−2; RMSEVD = 18.7 stems m−2). Thus, we discourage using DAP-UAV-derived point clouds for high-resolution vegetation mapping of coastal areas, if not coupled with other data sources.
An evaluation of airbag benefits/disbenefits in european vehicles: a combined statistical and case study approach

Any restraint system carries a certain risk of injury from the system itself. It is therefore vital to know the balance of that risk compared to the overall benefits of the system. The objectives of this study were to address those questions by a thorough case review of in-depth real world cases to find problems associated with airbag deployment followed by examining the nature, frequency and mechanisms of AIS age 2 head, neck and thoracic injuries in European vehicles, with and without airbags. Belted and unbelted drivers were examined separately. The analysis considered only frontal impacts. For the covering abstract see ITRD E121180.
Work–family enrichment in the Australian construction industry: implications for job design

A survey of waged and salaried, project‐based construction workers was conducted. The survey measured work–family enrichment, a type of positive interaction between work and family life. A six‐item work–family enrichment scale confirmed the bi‐directional nature of work–family enrichment. Job‐related correlates of work‐to‐family enrichment were identified. Flexibility, perceptions of control, time adequacy and supervisor support were all positively correlated with work‐to‐family enrichment. Regression analyses were performed to examine the extent to which the relationship between these job‐related resources and work‐to‐family enrichment were mediated by perceptions of work schedule fit. Work schedule fit fully mediated the relationship between flexibility and control and work‐to‐family enrichment. The relationship between supervisor support and time adequacy were only partially mediated by work schedule fit, though a significant mediation effect was still observed. The research suggests that jobs may be designed to facilitate work–family enrichment in the construction industry, in particular through the provision of supervisor support, flexibility, time adequacy and control.
The Life Course Origins of the Immigrant Advantage? Parental Nativity, Parental Education, and Academic Achievement Gaps From Kindergarten to High School in the United States

In the United States, there is a wide academic achievement gap, beginning in early childhood, between children with more and less educated parents. However, we know little about the differences in size and trajectories of achievement gaps associated with parental education and nativity. Drawing on two US education datasets that enable me to follow a cohort of children from kindergarten to high school, I estimate the size and trajectories of standardized test-score gaps associated with parental education, separately for children of native-born and immigrant parents. I find that the test-score gap between children with more and less educated native-born parents stays wide and stable from kindergarten entry to high school. In contrast, the test-score gap between children with more and less educated immigrant parents is narrower in kindergarten because of higher achievement of children with less educated immigrant parents, compared to their counterparts with less educated native-born parents. Moreover, the gap between more and less educated immigrant parents further narrows in their early life course because the achievement of children with less educated immigrant parents improves relative to children with more educated immigrant parents. Differences by parental nativity in the size and trajectories of achievement gaps associated with parental education can be partially explained by the fact that children with less educated immigrant parents have relatively greater resources than their peers with less educated native-born parents from early in life. My findings provide evidence that the “immigrant advantage” in academic achievement, a common finding in the literature on immigrant education in the United States, originates early in the life course.
Factorial analysis of growth parameters for mesophilic bacterium, Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 49128)

Studies on bacterial growth pattern from the conventional approach are defective due to their failure to explain the interactions or simply the complementary effects of the factors influencing the bacterial growth. In this study, the individual and collaborative effects of Pseudomonas putida growth variables were evaluated using a 2-level fractional factorial design of experiment (FFDOE). The growth of the organism was found to respond remarkably to different concentrations of nutrient media (carbon source) and the other independent variables. Factorial models were developed from the experimental design to study the individual and interactive effects of the studied parameters on the response. The studied parameters and their levels were as follows: nutrient concentration (4-16 g/L), acclimatization time (24-72 hrs), agitation (140-200 rpm), and temperature (30-40oC). These parameters were statistically validated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the results revealed that the model terms were statistically significant with an Fvalue of 415.17 at P temperature > nutrient concentration versus temperature > agitation > nutrient concentration versus agitation. Based on the R2 and the adjusted R2 values of >95%, the estimated variables showed a high degree of relationship between the observed and the predicted values; thus, the predictive ability of the models was suggested. It could, therefore, be concluded that nutrient concentration, temperature, and agitation can greatly influence the growth of P. putida within a specific range.
Are there Sexual Differences in the Autumn Food Habits of Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Suburban Area?

Abstract. We studied the autumn (September–November) food habits of the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) by sampling the stomach contents of 64 individuals (male, n = 31; female, n = 33) killed on national roads in Ibaraki Prefecture. Our aim was to examine sex differences in the autumn food habits of raccoon dogs in suburban area where human related disturbances can occur on the raccoon dogs. The frequency of occurrence (FO) and the percent volume (PV) of fruits and insects were high for both males and females and FO and PV of garbage were low for both males and females. There were no significant differences between the sexes for food items. FO and PV were not significantly different between sexes for adults and yearlings. This is likely because males and females may use the same area even in suburban area, and they likely both forage on the most abundant food resources that are easily accessible within their habitats.
FERTILIZANTE DE LIBERAÇÃO LENTA NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DE MUDAS DE Eucalyptus grandis

Uma das acoes mais importantes para aumentar a producao de mudas de essencias florestais e a fertilizacao do substrato. A utilizacao de fertilizante de liberacao lenta (FLL) pode contribuir para a obtencao de mudas de melhor qualidade. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar doses crescentes de FLL e fertilizante convencional (FC), bem como comparar esses fertilizantes no desenvolvimento de mudas de Eucalyptus grandis . O estudo foi realizado na regiao do Vale do Itajai, SC. Os tratamentos foram a adicao de FLL e FC para cada experimento nas seguintes doses de formulado: T1 – 0 kg (testemunha); T2 – 2 kg; T3 – 4 kg; T4 – 6 kg; T5 – 8 kg e T6 – 10 kg.m -3 de substrato-base. Decorridos 174 dias da semeadura, foram analisadas as variaveis altura total, diâmetro do colo, biomassa fresca da parte aerea, biomassa seca da parte aerea, biomassa seca da raiz, biomassa seca total, dose de maxima eficiencia tecnica e teores de nutrientes da parte aerea das mudas de cada tratamento. Em todos os tratamentos houve resposta positiva no desenvolvimento das mudas, entretanto as mudas tiveram melhor crescimento sob doses entre 9,1 e 12,9 kg.m -3 de fertilizante de liberacao lenta. Palavras-chave : Qualidade de mudas; nutricao de mudas; vivericultura; fertilizacao; substrato. Abstract Slow release fertilizer in development of seedlings of Eucalyptus grandis. One of the most important actions to increase production of seedlings is substrate fertilization. The use of slow release fertilizer (FLL) can contribute to the achievement of best seedlings. The aim of this research was to evaluate increasing doses of FLL and FC, as well as compare these fertilizers in developing seedlings of Eucalyptus grandis . The study was conducted in Vale do Itajai, Santa Catarina State. The treatments were the addition of FLL and HR in each experiment in the following doses: T1 - 0 kg (control), T2 - 2 kg; T3 - 4 kg, T4 - 6 kg; T5 - 8 kg and T6 - 10 kg.m -3 of base substrate. After 174 days of sowing, the variables analyzed were total height, stem diameter, fresh weight of shoot, shoot dry biomass, root dry weight, total biomass and maximum dose of technical efficiency, and nutrient levels of the seedlings of each treatment. In all treatments there was positive response in seedling development, however, the plants had better growth in doses ranging from 9.1 to 12.9 kg.m -3 of slow release fertilizer. Keywords : Seedling quality; seedlings nutrition; cultivation of seedlings; fertilization; substrate.
Artificial hard substrate colonisation in the offshore Hywind Scotland Pilot Park 

Abstract. Artificial substrates associated with renewable offshore energy infrastructure, such as Floating Offshore Windfarms, enables the establishment of benthic communities with similar diversity species composition to that of naturally occurring rocky intertidal habitats. The size of the biodiversity impact and the structural changes on benthic habitats will depend on the selected locations. The aim of the study was to assess colonisation, zonation, quantify diversity and abundance, and identify any non-indigenous species of fauna and flora present within the wind farm. This article is based on work undertaken within the offshore floating Hywind Scotland Pilot Park, the first floating offshore wind park established in the world, located approximately 25 km east of Peterhead, Scotland. The floating pilot park is situated in water depths of approximately 120 m with a seabed characterised predominantly by sand and gravel substrates with occasional patches of mixed sediments. The study utilised a Work Class Remotely Operated Vehicle with a mounted High Definition video camera, deployed from the survey vessel M/V Stril Explorer. A total of 41 structures, as well as their associated subcomponents, including Turbines (Substructures), Mooring Lines, Suction Anchors and Infield Cables, were analysed with regards to diversity, abundance, colonisation, coverage and zonation. This approach provides comprehensive coverage of whole structures in a safe and time-saving manner. Eleven phyla were observed with a total of 121 different taxa, macrofauna as well as macro- and filamentous algae, identified on the different structures. The submerged turbines measured approximately 80 m in height and exhibited distinct patterns of zonation. Plumose anemone Metridium senile and tube building fan worm Spirobranchus sp. dominated the bottom and mid-sections (80 m–20 m) of the turbines while kelp and other Phaeophyceae with blue mussel Mytilus spp. dominated top sections of the turbines (20 m–0 m).
Evidence for defect-assisted tunneling and recombination at extremely low current in InGaN/GaN-based LEDs

This paper investigates the electroluminescence characteristics of InGaN-based LEDs at extremely low current levels (down to 500 pA), i.e. in and below the region where recombination dynamics are governed by Shockley–Read–Hall recombination. Two different regimes are identified in the current–voltage characteristics, a first one below 100 nA associated to emission at wavelength below midgap, and a second one below 100 μA with a dominant emission at the quantum well wavelength. The experimental findings are interpreted by considering that, at extremely low current, carriers can tunnel towards states deeper than midgap, thus undergoing radiative recombination through defects.
Influence of Optimization Algorithm on Airfoil Shape Optimization of Aircraft Wings

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is one of the computer-based solution methods which are more widely employed in aerospace engineering. The computational power and time required to carry out the analysis increases as the fidelity of the analysis increases. Aerodynamic shape optimization has become a vital part of aircraft design in the recent years. The Method of search algorithms or optimization algorithms is one of the most important parameters which will strongly influence the fidelity of the solution during an aerodynamic shape optimization problem. Nowadays various optimization methods such as Genetic Algorithm (GA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) etc., are more widely employed to solve the aerodynamic shape optimization problems. In addition to the optimization method, the geometry parameterisation becomes an important factor to be considered during the aerodynamic shape optimization process. Generally if we want to optimize an airfoil we have to describe the airfoil and for that, we need to have at least hundred points of x and y co-ordinates. It is really difficult to optimize airfoils with this large number of co-ordinates. Nowadays many different schemes of parameter sets are used to describe general airfoil such as B-spline, Hicks- Henne Bump function, PARSEC etc. The main goal of these parameterization schemes is to reduce the number of needed parameters as few as possible while controlling the important aerodynamic features effectively. Here the work has been done on the PARSEC geometry representation method. The objective of this work is to introduce the knowledge of describing general airfoil using twelve parameters by representing its shape as a polynomial function. And also we have introduced the concept of Particle Swarm optimization Algorithm which is one kind of Non-Traditional Optimization technique to optimize the aerodynamic characteristics of a general airfoil for specific conditions. An aerodynamic shape optimization problem is formulated for NACA 2411 airfoil and solved using the method of Particle Swarm Optimization for 5.0 deg angle of attack. A MATLAB program has been developed to implement PARSEC, Panel Technique, and PSO Algorithm. This program has been tested for a standard NACA 2411 airfoil and optimized to improve its coefficient of lift. Pressure distribution and co-efficient of lift for airfoil geometries has been calculated using panel method. NACA 2411 airfoil has been generated using PARSEC and optimized for 5.0 deg angle of attack using PSO Algorithm. The results show that the particle swarm optimization scheme is more effective in finding the optimum solution among the various possible solutions.