Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cost‐Leadership Strategy and Perceived Financial Performance of Selected Commercial Banks in Uganda

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of cost leadership strategy on perceived financial performance of commercial banks in Uganda. To achieve this objective, the study tested the following hypothesis: cost leadership strategy significantly affects perceived financial performance of commercial banks in Uganda. The study employed a cross‐sectional correlational design, in which primary data was collected using self‐completed questionnaires from a population comprising of Senior Managers of the 10 best ranked commercial banks in the country over the period 2015 – 2019. The data was analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages as well as inferentially using structural equation modelling. The results of hypothesis testing indicated a positive and statistically significant relationship between cost leadership strategy and perceived financial performance in terms of ROI (β = 0.410, ρ<0.05). The conclusion of the study is that cost‐leadership strategy is an important factor of perceived financial performance in Uganda. Therefore, in order to enhance perceived financial performance, commercial banks in Uganda should pursue cost leadership strategy, which is characterized by charging relatively low prices for products and services, purchasing inputs in bulk, regularly training employees in efficient resource utilization, adopting a lean approach in banking processes and operations, and regularly evaluating banking operations to ensure efficiency.
Instabilities and clumping in SN 1987A. I, Early evolution in two dimensions

This paper presents new calculations of instabilities, mixing, and clumping in the ejecta of SN 1987A, which are an extension of calculations published of Arnett et al. (1989) and which make it possible to differentiate between physical and numerical effects. It is shown that perturbations of physically reasonable amplitude provide sufficient mixing and clumping to explain the earlier than expected observations of X-rays and gamma rays and the shape of the SN 1987A light curve. It is also shown that the degree of clumping also affects estimates of mass from modeling the light curves of SN Ib. 77 refs.
Renormalization Group Functions of CPN-1 Non-Linear σ-Model and N-Component Scalar QED Model

The renormalization group functions of CPN-I non-linear O"-model are studied in 2+ 365. By the 1/ N-expansion, the relation of CPN- 1 model and scalar QED model will be studied. In the statistical mechanics, the superconductor phase transition or smectic A~nematic phase transition may be formulated by the scalar QED model. This problem is also discussed in this paper.
Preliminary Commissioning and Performance of the Soft X‐ray Micro‐characterization Beamline at the Canadian Light Source

The Soft X‐ray Micro‐characterization Beamline (SXRMB) is a medium energy, bending magnet based beamline, designed to cover an energy range of 1.7–10 keV using two sets of crystals—InSb(111) and Si(111). The design goal is to deliver a flux of 2×1011 photons sec−1/100 mA with a resolution up to 10,000 for X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy. A KB mirror stage is designed to provide microprobe capability, with a spot size of 10×10 μm2 and a flux of >109 at the microprobe station. The beamline has been in the commissioning phase since 2008, and access to the X‐ray absorption endstation is now open to general users. The optical commissioning and performance of the beamline is presented with some early experimental results.
THE COHERENCE RESONANCE IN VAN DER POL SYSTEM INDUCED BY NOISE RECYCLING

The phenomenon of coherence resonance (CR) in a delayed noisy Van der Pol system with supercritical Hopf bifurcation, which is influenced by a recycled noise, is numerically studied. Different from the traditional CR theory, in this paper, the characteristics of CR is affected by the time delay in the input noise. Namely, the CR is weakened or enhanced by the time delay feedback. Moreover, we find that several characteristics of this particular system vary periodically and its period has some certain relation with the natural frequency. By using the results given by the paper, we can control the noise-induced motion by modulating the time delay in noise.
Symmetry breaking in a bulk–surface reaction–diffusion model for signalling networks

Signalling molecules play an important role for many cellular functions. We investigate here a general system of two membrane reaction–diffusion equations coupled to a diffusion equation inside the cell by a Robin-type boundary condition and a flux term in the membrane equations. A specific model of this form was recently proposed by the authors for the GTPase cycle in cells. We investigate here a putative role of diffusive instabilities in cell polarization. By a linearized stability analysis, we identify two different mechanisms. The first resembles a classical Turing instability for the membrane subsystem and requires (unrealistically) large differences in the lateral diffusion of activator and substrate. On the other hand, the second possibility is induced by the difference in cytosolic and lateral diffusion and appears much more realistic. We complement our theoretical analysis by numerical simulations that confirm the new stability mechanism and allow us to investigate the evolution beyond the regime where the linearization applies.
HUBUNGAN KUALITAS PELAYANAN TERHADAP KEPUASAN PASIEN RAWAT JALAN PUSKESMAS BATUA KOTA MAKASSAR

Kualitas layanan merupakan ukuran terhadap tingkat layanan yang diberikan sesuai dengan harapan pelanggan. Untuk mengetahui kualitas pelayanan yang diberikan dapat dilakukan dengan cara membandingkannya dengan standar pelayanan kesehatan yang telah ditetapkan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan kualitas pelayanan terhadap kepuasan pasien rawat jalan di Puskesmas Batua Kota Makassar. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian kuantitatif pendekatan cross sectional study, dengan jumlah populasi sebanyak 5.414 orang. Penelitian ini menggunakan teknik pengambilan sampel accidental sampling dan diperoleh sampel sebanyak 94 responden. Penelitian ini dilakukan di Puskesmas Batua Kota Makassar pada bulan Maret-April 2022. Menggunakan analisis univariat dan bivariat dengan uji chi-square. Tidak ada hubungan antara akses/keterjangkauan terhadap pelayanan (p=0,328) dengan kepuasan pasien rawat jalan di Puskesmas Batua. Ada hubungan efesiensi (p=0,001) dengan kepuasan pasien rawat jalan di Puskesmas Batua. Ada hubungan antara hubungan antar manusia (p=0,000) dengan kepuasan pasien rawat jalan di Puskesmas Batua, tidak ada hubungan antara kenyamanan (p=0,375) dengan kepuasan pasien rawat jalan di Puskesmas Batua, dan ada hubungan antara ketepatan waktu (p=0,004) dengan kepuasan pasien rawat jalan di Puskesmas Batua Kota Makassar. Ada hubungan antara dimensi efisiensi, hubungan antar manusia dan ketepatan waktu dengan kepuasan pasien rawat jalan di Puskesmas Batua Kota Makassar dan tidak ada hubungan antara dimensi akses/keterjangkauan dan kenyamanan dengan kepuasan pasien rawat jalan di Puskesmas Batua Kota Makassar. Disarankan kepada petugas kesehatan di Puskesmas untuk lebih efisien dan memperhatikan waktu pelayanan serta sikap ramah terhadap pasien.
A retrospective study

To evaluate the effect of continuous infusion of nicardipine on the management of uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) during postpartum period. This retrospective study included 209 women diagnosed in hospital with hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and had uncontrolled BP after delivery between January 2018 to December 2020 Uncontrolled BP was defined as persistent elevation of systolic BP ≥ 160 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥ 110 mm Hg. Patients were divided into 2 groups: nicardipine (N = 53; continuous nicardipine infusion and additional bolus of labetalol or hydralazine) and control (N = 156; consecutive bolus of labetalol or hydralazine). BP data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U and χ2 tests by dividing the time interval of 4 hours by the delivery time. The highest BP trends showed that the mean values of both systolic and diastolic BP immediately before delivery were higher in the nicardipine group than in the control. After 8 to 12 hours following delivery, both systolic and diastolic BP were lower in the nicardipine group than in the control. Subsequently, 16 to 20 hours after delivery, both systolic and diastolic BP were significantly lower in the nicardipine group than in the control (137/80 vs 141/84 mm Hg). Initially, the proportions of uncontrolled BP in the nicardipine group were higher than those in the control; however, it then became lower at all time intervals 8 hours after delivery. The proportions of patients who received additional antihypertensive agents and the median cumulative dosages were lower in the nicardipine group than in the control. Continuous infusion of nicardipine can help manage uncontrolled BP during the
Non-intrusive detection of air–water surface roughness in self-aerated chute flows

Stepped spillways are known to enhance the energy dissipation potential when compared with common smooth invert chutes. In the skimming flow regime, the self-aerated flow becomes more chaotic and surface waves (referred to as air–water surface roughness) are enhanced when the discharge decreases. In this study, experiments on smooth invert and stepped chutes models with a slope of 1: 2 were conducted to characterize this surface roughness by the use of a high-speed camera and ultrasonic sensor. It was found that the amount of entrapped air – at the water level where the air concentration is 90% – is reduced when a stepped spillway is considered. With decrease in step height (and on smooth invert chutes), entrapped air became more relevant. Wave heights increased with increase in step height and exceeded significantly the characteristic water level with 90% air concentration which was detected by a conductivity probe. A wide range of wave frequencies indicated the turbulent structure of stepped spillway flows.
Crack45K: Integration of Vision Transformer with Tubularity Flow Field (TuFF) and Sliding-Window Approach for Crack-Segmentation in Pavement Structures

Recently, deep-learning (DL)-based crack-detection systems have proven to be the method of choice for image processing-based inspection systems. However, human-like generalization remains challenging, owing to a wide variety of factors such as crack type and size. Additionally, because of their localized receptive fields, CNNs have a high false-detection rate and perform poorly when attempting to capture the relevant areas of an image. This study aims to propose a vision-transformer-based crack-detection framework that treats image data as a succession of small patches, to retrieve global contextual information (GCI) through self-attention (SA) methods, and which addresses the CNNs’ problem of inductive biases, including the locally constrained receptive-fields and translation-invariance. The vision-transformer (ViT) classifier was tested to enhance crack classification, localization, and segmentation performance by blending with a sliding-window and tubularity-flow-field (TuFF) algorithm. Firstly, the ViT framework was trained on a custom dataset consisting of 45K images with 224 × 224 pixels resolution, and achieved accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores of 0.960, 0.971, 0.950, and 0.960, respectively. Secondly, the trained ViT was integrated with the sliding-window (SW) approach, to obtain a crack-localization map from large images. The SW-based ViT classifier was then merged with the TuFF algorithm, to acquire efficient crack-mapping by suppressing the unwanted regions in the last step. The robustness and adaptability of the proposed integrated-architecture were tested on new data acquired under different conditions and which were not utilized during the training and validation of the model. The proposed ViT-architecture performance was evaluated and compared with that of various state-of-the-art (SOTA) deep-learning approaches. The experimental results show that ViT equipped with a sliding-window and the TuFF algorithm can enhance real-world crack classification, localization, and segmentation performance.
Using voluntary laboratory simulations as preparatory tasks to improve conceptual knowledge and engagement

ABSTRACT Laboratory tasks often focus on mechanical procedures leaving limited time and opportunities for students to build conceptual knowledge. We investigate to what extent introducing simulation tasks to preparation work can enable students to build their conceptual knowledge. We surveyed two cohorts of students taking an electronics module. Laboratory report marks were also analysed across the two cohorts (before and after introducing simulations in the laboratory preparation). No significant difference was found between the cohorts but the maximum marks increased after simulations were introduced. Students perceived that using simulations aided their constructive knowledge and knowledge confidence. Analysis of the free-text responses suggests that students benefitted from the simulation tasks by visualising the theory and concepts, confirming and checking results, and exploring different scenarios before and after the physical laboratory session. These results suggest that laboratory practicals should be supported with simulation software where possible.
A Novel Approach to the In Vitro Hydrodynamic Study of the Aortic Valve: Mock Loop Development and Test

The aortic root functional unit (ARFU) is a complex structure whose functions are strictly dependent on the biomechanical interaction among each of its anatomically defined elements. The classical approach to the in vitro study of aortic hydrodynamics does not take this complexity into account. We propose a novel methodology based on the possibility to house whole natural ARFU samples in a purposely designed pulsatile mock loop, allowing for aortic surgery simulation. To point out the usability and potentialities of the device, the mock loop was tested with untreated porcine ARFU samples and with one ARFU prosthesized with a state-of-the-art bioprosthesis. The sample holder design was proved to allow the clinician to house and treat the ARFU sample in the mock loop with easiness and repeatability. The valve leakage with the prosthesized ARFU was comparable with literature data, and Effective orifice areas were consistent with the constructor's data. In contrast, the recorded pressure drops exceeded the data from the manufacturer and were quite aligned with in vivo postop echo-Doppler data acquired in implant recipients. This result suggests that our apparatus and methodology provide a way to investigate aortic hydrodynamic phenomena that resemble in a close way to those taking place in the final recipients' circulation.
Psychotic Episode and Schizophrenia in Slovakian Narcolepsy Database

Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1), a central disorder of hypersomnolence, is associated with mood, anxiety or hyperactivity mental disorders. Association with psychotic episode or schizophrenia is rare and could be the source of diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. Their frequency in the national narcolepsy database has not been systematically studied. The aim of the presented study was to calculate the frequency of NT1 patients diagnosed with psychosis and/or schizophrenia, to identify clinical characteristics of these cases, and to look for narcoleptic and psychotic symptoms during re-evaluation years later. We identified three (4%) cases diagnosed with a psychotic episode in the course of NT1. They were diagnosed with NT1 by age ≤18 years. In the re-evaluation (mean follow-up 9.8 years), we identified one case with a dual diagnosis of NT1 and schizophrenia; two cases were diagnosed with a solitary psychotic episode in the course of NT1. NT1 patients diagnosed in the age ≤18 years are at higher risk of psychotic episode, and this may be related to higher vulnerability during the ongoing neurodevelopmental period. Comorbid schizophrenia with NT1 in the Slovakian Narcolepsy Database was within the prevalence expected in the general population. The solitary psychotic episode in the course of NT1 did not reduce the possibility of subsequent symptomatic treatment afterwards.
Antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation capacity among Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated from patients with burns and ventilator‐associated pneumonia

Acinetobacter baumannii is a pathogen responsible for nosocomial infections, especially in patients with burns and ventilator‐associated pneumonia (VAP). The aims of this study was to compare the biofilm formation capacity, antimicrobial resistance patterns and molecular typing based on PFGE (Pulsed‐Field Gel Electrophoresis) in A. baumannii isolated from burn and VAP patients.
Occurrence of Escherichia coli Pathotypes in Diarrheic Calves in a Low-Income Setting

Different E. coli pathotypes are common zoonotic agents. Some of these pathotypes cause recurrent and widespread calf diarrhea and contribute to significant economic losses in the livestock sector worldwide in addition to putting humans at risk. Here, we investigated the occurrence of E. coli pathotypes in diarrheic calves in Ethiopia kept under various calf management practices. One hundred fecal samples were collected from diarrheic calves in 98 different farms. E. coli was isolated in the samples from 99 of the diarrheic calves, and virulence genes were detected in 80% of the samples. The occurrence of E. coli pathotypes in the samples was 32% ETEC, 23% STEC, 18% STEC/ETEC, 3% EPEC, 2% EAEC, and 1% EHEC. No diarrheic calves were positive for the EIEC and DAEC pathotypes. The occurrence of pathotypes was positively associated with female calves (EPEC, p = 0.006), aged less than 2 weeks (STEC, p = 0.059), and calves fed colostrum via the hand method (STEC, p = 0.008 and EAEC, p = 0.003). This study revealed that several E. coli pathotypes occurred among calves affected with diarrhea. Moreover, the presence of a mixed STEC/ETEC pathotypes infection was present in the studied low-income setting. These findings indicate a considerable risk for the zoonotic transmission from calves to humans and the options to provide the better management for younger calves in order to reduce the economic loss.
Indication of shrinking atmosphere above Tromsø (69 °N, 19 °E)

At Tromsø (69 °N; 19 °E), ionospheric data from 1952 onwards indicate that the mean altitude of the F2 layer is dropping by 4 km per decade on average. This effect is thought to be attributable to middle atmosphere cooling due to increasing concentrations of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and methane. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society.
1/f frequency fluctuations in quartz acoustic resonators

The level of 1/f frequency fluctuations has been measured on numerous quartz surface acoustic wave resonators. When these results are combined with existing data for quartz bulk acoustic wave resonators it becomes clear that the 1/f process is essentially the same in both types of devices. Furthermore, the power spectral density of frequency fluctuations shows a clear power law dependence that is very close to 1/Q4u , where Qu is the unloaded Q. However, the observed dependence on loaded Q is weak.
The Hippocampal Response to Acute Corticosterone Elevation Is Altered in a Mouse Model for Angelman Syndrome

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder, caused by the neuronal absence of the ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A). UBE3A promotes ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation and functions as a transcriptional coregulator of nuclear hormone receptors, including the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Previous studies showed anxiety-like behavior and hippocampal-dependent memory disturbances in AS mouse models. Hippocampal GR is an important regulator of the stress response and memory formation, and we therefore investigated whether the absence of UBE3A in AS mice disrupted GR signaling in the hippocampus. We first established a strong cortisol-dependent interaction between the GR ligand binding domain and a UBE3A nuclear receptor box in a high-throughput interaction screen. In vivo, we found that UBE3A-deficient AS mice displayed significantly more variation in circulating corticosterone levels throughout the day compared to wildtypes (WT), with low to undetectable levels of corticosterone at the trough of the circadian cycle. Additionally, we observed an enhanced transcriptomic response in the AS hippocampus following acute corticosterone treatment. Surprisingly, chronic corticosterone treatment showed less contrast between AS and WT mice in the hippocampus and liver transcriptomic responses. This suggests that UBE3A limits the acute stimulation of GR signaling, likely as a member of the GR transcriptional complex. Altogether, these data indicate that AS mice are more sensitive to acute glucocorticoid exposure in the brain compared to WT mice. This suggests that stress responsiveness is altered in AS which could lead to anxiety symptoms.
Hope and psychological well-being after 5 years become breast cancer survivors: a Qualitative Study

<p align="center"><strong> </strong></p><p><strong><em>Background:</em></strong><em> Cancer is perceived as a deadly disease for most people, it will affect the hope and psychological well-being of long-term cancer survivors. </em></p><p><strong><em>Objectives:</em></strong><em> This study aimed to explore changes in hope and psychological well-being after 5 years become breast cancer survivors. </em></p><p><strong><em>Methods:</em></strong><em> This was a qualitative study </em><em>with a phenomenological design. Samples were 23 breast cancer survivors in three health centers in Surabaya Indonesia taken by purposive sampling technique based on inclusion criteria. An in-depth interview was done when collecting the data. The interview was recorded with the permission of the participants. The data were inductively analyzed through conventional content analysis. </em></p><p><strong><em>Results:</em></strong><em> The participant has an age range of 41 – 70 years old, and most of them are no longer working since being diagnosed with cancer. This study found 4 themes consisting of the first theme was positive hope about cancer with 3 sub-themes:</em><em> h</em><em>ope to recover</em><em>, h</em><em>ope no recurrence occurs, and </em><em>h</em><em>ope to be healthier, the second theme was a good future with 3 sub-themes: long life, back to work, and optimism, the third theme was positive psychological well-being with 3 sub-themes: positive thinking, self-control ability, happy feeling, the last theme was a close relationship with God with 2 sub-themes: grateful and pray, repentance. </em></p><p><strong><em>Conclusions:</em></strong><em> Breast cancer survivors who have been diagnosed for more than 5 years and have completed cancer therapy had a positive hope to recover, are optimistic about the future and are closer to God, this encourages the achievement of positive psychological well-being</em><em>. </em></p>