Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of Human Monkeypox and Its Relation to Conspiracy Beliefs among Students in Jordanian Health Schools: Filling the Knowledge Gap on Emerging Zoonotic Viruses

Background and Objective: The recent multi-country outbreak of human monkeypox (HMPX) in non-endemic regions poses an emerging public health concern. University students in health schools/faculties represent a core knowledgeable group that can be helpful to study from a public health point of view. As future healthcare workers, assessment of their knowledge and attitude towards emerging zoonotic viral infections can be helpful to assess their taught material and courses with potential improvement if gaps in knowledge were identified. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the level of HMPX knowledge, conspiracy beliefs regarding emerging virus infections, as well as their associated determinants among university students studying Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Sciences, and Rehabilitation in Jordanian health schools/faculties. In addition, we sought to evaluate the correlation between HMPX knowledge and the extent of holding conspiracy beliefs regarding emerging viral infection. Materials and Methods: A convenient sample of university students was obtained through an electronic survey distributed in late May 2022 using the chain-referral approach. Assessment of HMPX knowledge and general attitude towards emerging virus infections was based on survey items adopted from previously published literature. Results: The study sample comprised 615 students with a mean age of 20 years and a majority of females (432, 70.2%) and medical students (n = 351, 57.1%). Out of eleven monkeypox knowledge items, three were identified correctly by >70% of the respondents. Only 26.2% of the respondents (n = 161) knew that vaccination to prevent monkeypox is available. Age was significantly associated with better HMPX knowledge for a majority of items. Older age, females, and affiliation to non-medical schools/faculties were associated with harboring higher levels of conspiracy beliefs regarding emerging virus infections. Our data also indicate that lower levels of HMPX knowledge were associated with higher levels of conspiracy beliefs. Conclusion: The current study pointed to generally unsatisfactory levels of knowledge regarding the emerging HMPX among university students in Jordanian health schools/faculties. Conspiracy beliefs regarding emerging virus infections were widely prevalent, and its potential detrimental impact on health behavior should be evaluated in future studies.
Prevalence of Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency in Jiroft City in Southern Iran

Background and Aims: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a global problem and the most common cause of jaundice in neonates. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of G6PD deficiency in Jiroft city in southern Kerman. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from 2016 to 2019. Blood samples were taken from all patients referred to Imam Hospital in Jiroft city in southern Iran. The G6PD enzyme activity was evaluated by a fluorescent spot test. Results and Conclusions: In the present study, a total of 7791 newborns were included. Abnormal activity of G6PD was seen in 779 (10%) subjects. Out of 779 patients, 728 (9.4%) were found to be G6PD deficient, and 49 (0.6%) exhibited partial deficiency. A relatively high percentage of G6PD deficiency was seen in newborns of Jirof city. We strongly recommend screening for G6PD enzyme activity in all newborns in this city.
Often asserted, never confirmed: the role of attitude in the acceptance of mandatory technology use, let’s settle this question statistically for LMS use in the educational context

ABSTRACT The objective of this research is to evaluate statistically the role of the attitude variable as a mediator in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model in the context of mandatory use of technology. We chose this objective to address two research gaps: the prevailing divide in opinions about the role of attitude in technology acceptance models and the contradictory results obtained by acceptance models in the context of mandatory use of technology. Achieving this objective will enable us to address the perennial question of the role of attitude in acceptance literature and to assess the boundaries of UTAUT, thus contributing to its continued development and providing guidance for its evolution. Data were collected from 475 students enrolled in online courses at a Canadian university that required the mandatory use of a learning management system (LMS). Results show that attitude exerts full mediation of the relationships between the independent variables performance expectancy and effort expectancy and the dependent variable behavioural intention. This mediation becomes partial for facilitating conditions and fades out for social influence. We call into question the relevance of behavioural intention as a measure of technology acceptance and present theoretical contributions and practical recommendations.
Experimental Tests and Aeroacoustic Simulations of the Control of Cavity Tone by Plasma Actuators

A plasma actuator comprising a dielectric layer sandwiched between upper and lower electrodes can induce a flow from the upper to lower electrode by means of an externally-applied electric field. Our objective is to clarify the mechanism by which such actuators can control the cavity tone. Plasma actuators, with the electrodes elongated in the streamwise direction and aligned in the spanwise direction, were placed in the incoming boundary of a deep cavity with a depth-to-length ratio of 2.5. By using this experimental arrangement, the amount of sound reduction (“control effect”) produced by actuators of differing dimensions was measured. Direct aeroacoustic simulations were performed for controlling the cavity tone by using these actuators, where the distributions of the body forces applied by the actuators were determined from measurements of the plasma luminescence. The predicted control effects on the flow and sound fields were found to agree well with the experimental results. The simulations show that longitudinal streamwise vortices are introduced in the incoming boundary by the actuators, and the vortices form rib structures in the cavity flow. These vortices distort and weaken the two-dimensional vortices responsible for producing the cavity tone, causing the tonal sound to be reduced.
Differences in Charge Distribution in Leishmania tarentolae Leishmanolysin Result in a Reduced Enzymatic Activity

Leishmania tarentolae is a non-pathogenic trypanosomatid isolated from lizards widely used for heterologous protein expression and extensively studied to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of leishmaniasis. The repertoire of leishmanolysin genes was reported to be expanded in L. tarentolae genome, but no proteolytic activity was detected. Here, we analyzed L. tarentolae leishmanolysin proteins from the genome to the structural levels and evaluated the enzymatic activity of the wild-type and overexpressing mutants of leishmanolysin. A total of 61 leishmanolysin sequences were retrieved from the L. tarentolae genome. Five of them were selected for phylogenetic analysis, and for three of them, we built 3D models based on the crystallographic structure of L. major ortholog. Molecular dynamics simulations of these models disclosed a less negative electrostatic potential compared to the template. Subsequently, L. major LmjF.10. 0460 and L. tarentolae LtaP10.0650 leishmanolysins were cloned in a pLEXSY expression system into L. tarentolae. Proteins from the wild-type and the overexpressing parasites were submitted to enzymatic analysis. Our results revealed that L. tarentolae leishmanolysins harbor a weak enzymatic activity about three times less abundant than L. major leishmanolysin. Our findings strongly suggest that the less negative electrostatic potential of L. tarentolae leishmanolysin can be the reason for the reduced proteolytic activity detected in this parasite.
The influence of demographic, cultural, and educational background in the boardroom on firm performance – The Croatian evidence

This study investigates the demographic, cultural and educational features of management boards of Croatian manufacturers. The analysis, conducted using static panel analysis, encompasses the period from 2015 to 2019. To the impact of different board characteristics on firm performance expressed with accounting- oriented performance measures such as return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), this study includes several explanatory variables comprising CEO tenure, age of the board members, the share of foreigners in the boardroom and finance educational background. Additionally, a few firm-specific variables included in the research are firm size, leverage, and firm age. The analysis findings reveal that board composition plays a crucial role when explaining the firm’s profitability. Furthermore, the firm’s maturity and leverage additionally prove to be significant factors affecting corporate performance.
Computational and Experimental Studies of Selected Types of Biomass Combustion in a Domestic Boiler

The paper analyzes the suitability of four types of biomass pellets as a fuel for heating purposes. Three types of waste biomass (sunflower husks, rapeseed cake, and corn straw) and one type of biomass grown for energy purposes (willow) were selected. After appropriate preparation, the selected starting materials were subjected to the pelletization process. Selected physical and chemical properties of the studied biomass pellets were determined. All four types of the analyzed pellets met the EN-ISO-17225-2:2014 standard in terms of bulk density, dimensions, as well as nitrogen and moisture content. The highest calorific value was pellets made of sunflower husk (17.27 MJ/m3) and willow (16.81 MJ/m3), while the calorific value of pellets made of corn straw and rapeseed cake did not exceed 16.5 MJ/m3 and did not meet the standard. In addition, the ash content for these two types of pellets was well above the standard. A 10 kW domestic biomass boiler was employed for burning the tested pellets. The consumption of analyzed fuels during boiler operation was determined. The concentration of CO, CO2, and NOx in exhaust gases was also examined. The obtained experimental results were compared with the numerical calculations with the use of ANSYS Chemkin-Pro using two mechanisms. The highest concentrations of CO2 and CO were observed during the combustion of sunflower and willow husk pellets, which probably resulted from the highest carbon content and, thus, the highest calorific value when compared to cake and straw pellets. For all analyzed pellets, the value of NO and NO2 concentration was similar and did not exceed 368 ppm and 18 ppm, respectively. The results closest to the experiment were obtained for calculations using the mechanism developed by Glarborg et al. The research carried out in the article shows that out of the four analyzed types of pellets, only sunflower and willow husk pellets can be burned in a domestic boiler adapted to burning wood pellets, which is a cheap alternative to wood pellets.
Early-Adulthood Economic Experiences and the Formation of Democratic Support

Abstract Do economic experiences early in life affect regime support later in life? Effects of recent economic performance on regime support are extensively studied, but lasting effects of individual-level economic experiences across the lifespan remain unexplored. We argue that in democracies and autocracies alike, economic experiences in early adulthood (that is, age eighteen to twenty-eight) are wired into people's memories and become important cues for their democratic support later in life. Having lived in a well-performing economy in a democracy increases democratic support throughout most of people's lives, whereas having lived in a well-performing economy in an autocracy decreases democratic support throughout most of people's lives. Using extensive survey data on support for democracy covering ninety-seven countries from 1994 to 2015, we find support for these propositions, demonstrating that economic experiences in early adulthood, conditional on the regime in place at the time, have strong, robust and lasting effects on democratic support.
Factors Associated with Hypertension Patient Compliance Implementing the COVID-19 Health Protocol

COVID-19 is a disease that infects the respiratory tract to the deepest tip of the lungs. Most of the COVID-19 patients have comorbidities with hypertension, especially in the elderly. Increasing age coupled with pre-existing diseases make the elderly more susceptible to more severe COVID-19 infections. This study aims to determine what factors are related to the compliance of hypertension patients in implementing the COVID-19 health protocol. This study uses a descriptive correlation design and uses cross sectional approach. The research sample was 70 respondents who were taken based on the inclusion criteria using purposive sampling technique. The measuring instrument used is a questionnaire sheet for the variables of knowledge, attitudes, family support, and COVID-19 health protocol compliance. The analysis used is univariate analysis and bivariate analysis using chi-square test. After collecting data on 70 respondents with hypertension at one of the public health center in Pekanbaru, the results of the chi-square test on the attitude variable with compliance showed p value 0.036 < (0.05), the family support variable with compliance obtained p value 0.005 < (0.05), and the knowledge variable obtained p value 0.212 > (0.05). Based on the results of statistical tests, it can be concluded that there is a correlation between attitude factors and family support factors with hypertension patient compliance in implementing health protocols, while there is no correlation between knowledge factors and hypertension patient compliance in implementing health protocols
Explaining M&A performance: a configurational approach

ABSTRACT Finance and management literature has witnessed numerous contributions analysing the market reaction to M&A deals and how this is affected by acquirer-, target- and deal-specific factors. However, if, on the one hand, the literature seems to agree that, generally, an M&A announcement has a negative impact on acquirer’s stock performance, scholars do not reach unanimous conclusions regarding the impact of individual variables on the acquirer’s performance. In response, the aim of this study is to demonstrate the potential of a configurational approach, in understanding M&A deals and their impact on acquirer’s stock performance. In this respect, a specific configuration of features was identified that, in contrast with the common belief of negative impact on acquirer’s stock returns associated with M&A announcements, registers a positive performance. This suggests that the focus of the literature should not be on one single factor, rather on evaluating holistically an M&A transaction, and this represents the main contribution of this study.
Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Dental Students’ Perspective and Impact on Academic Performance, One Institution Experience

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused all universities in Malaysia to switch to online learning, including for dental education. The effect of this switch has yet to be assessed. Thus, this study aimed to assess International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) dental students’ perspectives on the implementation of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on academic performance. Methods: Cross-sectional and retrospective methods were used. The handling, didactic benefits, motivation, and challenges of online learning were assessed via an online questionnaire, and academic performance was assessed by comparing professional exam scores pre- and post-online learning. Results: Among the 249 IIUM dental student respondents, a positive response was recorded for the management of online learning, despite a few challenges in the area of didactic benefits and motivation. A significant improvement (p-value < 0.05) was observed in examination scores in oral biology, microbiology, and pharmacology, while dental material and GMGS showed declines in performance. Other subjects showed no significant difference (p-value > 0.05) in mean scores before and after online learning. Conclusion: Generally, students had a positive response towards online learning management, despite facing some challenges. Based on the analysis of examination results, only two subjects in Year 2 and Year 3 were negatively affected by online learning during the pandemic.
Impact of Locally Written Authentic Material in the Teaching of Reading for First-Year Students

This study aimed at examining the effects of locally written authentic reading materials (LARM) on first-year students at a university in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on their reading comprehension. Thirty-seven first-year students of two English classes took part in the survey. To collect data, a questionnaire adapted from Nuket Gunduz, Deniz Ozcan, Huseyin Uzunboylu (2017) and open-ended questions were delivered to the students at the end of the course. The results revealed that this type of authentic material had positive effects on this group of students. In addition, the findings suggested that traditional textbooks should be supplemented with this type of authentic material. Locally written authentic reading materials in this paper were defined as newspapers and magazines written by local authors, not by native English speakers. This study concluded that this type of authentic material would make positive contributions to the learning of English in higher education in Vietnamese context.
High Sensitivity: Factor structure of the highly sensitive person scale and personality traits in a high and low sensitivity group. Two gender—matched studies

Abstract Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a heritable personality related trait which includes sensitivity to a variety of stimuli, emotional, cognitive, and behavioural reactions such as strong positive and negative emotional responses, deep cognitive processing of stimuli, and empathic behaviour. Two studies are reported. Study 1 investigated the factor structure of the Highly Sensitive Person scale (HSP) and gender differences in HSP. Study 2 described differences in Big Five personality traits between two HSP groups. Study 1 comprised a sample of adults, mostly university students, matched on gender (N men = 548, N women = 548; total N = 1096). Study 2 was based on a sample consisting of a High (N = 164) and Low (N = 164) HSP group also matched on gender (N men = 82 and N women = 82 in both groups; total N = 328). There were no age differences between men and women in the two samples. Results from Study 1 showed a correlated three-factor solution: The first factor reflected excitability, easily aroused, negative emotional reactivity, frustration, avoidance of upsetting situations and childhood shyness. Factor 2 comprised low sensory threshold and sensory discomfort. Factor 3 captured intensity of aesthetic reactions, preoccupation with details in the environment, and socio-emotional sensitivity. Gender differences were found, women had elevated HSP scores on all scales, also when controlled for personality traits. Study 2 showed that the highly sensitive individuals had a unique personality trait profile compared to low sensitives. They had higher scores on neuroticism, agreeableness, openness, and lower scores on conscientiousness. There were no differences in extraversion i.e., there was no tendency towards introversion among the high sensitives.
Changes in the Mandible Following Rapid Maxillary Expansion in Children with Class II Malocclusion: A Systematic Review

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether rapid maxillary expansion (RME) allows favorable changes in the mandible during the treatment of class II malocclusion before the growth spurt. Methods: A search of Pubmed/Medline, the Science Direct, and the Google Scholar database was performed. The keywords used were: orthodontics, rapid maxillary expansion, class II, and growing patients. Relevant articles were assessed for quality according to Cochrane guidelines, and then changes in SNA, SNB, ANB, NL-NSL (or SN-SNP.SNA), and ML-NSL (or SN-Go-Gn) relationships were analyzed. Results: The selection process brought forth five articles, including 162 patients (91 females, 71 males) for detailed analysis. The quality of the evidence (GRADE) for comparisons and outcomes was assessed as moderate for SNB and ANB and as low or very low for other variables. Conclusions: The results of this systematic review showed that there is a small body of moderate-quality evidence for statistically and clinically favorable changes in SNB and ANB angles and a small body of low-quality evidence for changes in vertical parameters after RME.
Exploring information visualization use patterns in casual contexts

This dissertation describes a series of studies conducted to explore why people use information visualizations during their non-work time (casual InfoVis) and which factors are critical for visualization adoption and long duration use. I also model typical casual InfoVis usage patterns and provide a framework for future hypothesis testing. Each study explored a different facet of casual InfoVis research and each built on lessons from the previous studies. The first study explored the development and evaluation of a casual InfoVis system, PartyVote, and how visualizations can be used to aid informal group social interactions. Results from the evaluation indicate that the system successfully helped give people a more equal share in choosing music during social gatherings and people could strategically choose music, but social pressures did not constrain behaviors or reduce cheating as much as expected. The complexity of factors affecting PartyVote use led to a pseudo-experiment evaluating the appeal of motion based data encoding. Study results indicated that participants formed distinct opinion-based groups and motion data encoding was only considered appealing to less than half of the participants. Utility was a critical factor for half the participants, but a sizable group still preferred motion use, despite knowing that it reduced system utility. My final study examined how people encountered and used visual representations of data (artifacts) during their non-work time. The artifact study led me to develop the Promoter / Inhibitor Motivation Model (PIMM) of casual visualization interaction. PIMM subsequently helps explain results encountered during the first two studies. The model provides a framework for future casual InfoVis investigations and identifies potential shortfalls and areas of concern when conducting casual InfoVis research. PIMM should also help guide future casual InfoVis system designs.
Soil Structure Interaction Effects on Pushover Analysis of Short Span RC Bridges

A three dimensional finite element of nonlinear pushover analysis for short span Reinforced Concrete (RC) bridge with circular piers cross section is modeling to present effects of soil structural interaction (SSI). Structural elements models are including linear foundation springs modeling, and nonlinear RC piers modeling. The paper succeeded to present the SSI effects of nonlinear pushover analysis of short spans RC bridges to determine the significant effects on dynamic characteristics and displacement capacity of short span RC bridges performance; that is increasing within range 11% to 20% compared to baseline pushover analysis of bridge without SSI effects. Results show the bridge stiffness decreases due to SSI effects on the bridge support for more flexible soils types that generates large displacement, with corresponding less base shear in bridge piers and footings by average percentage 12% and 18%, which is important for structural evaluation for new bridge construction and also, for strengthening and repair works evaluation of existing bridges.