Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT UNDER TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES

Suppose a problem of determining whether the replacement of old equipment is economical or not when new equipment with technological advances is expected to appear at each period of the equipment planning interval. Since equipment always keeps in danger of obsolescence under technological advances, the decision maker needs grasp the state of obsolescence constantly to reflect it adaptively in the present and future decisions. Especially the decision to replace now or not becomes urgent in most cases and he is much concerned with the present decision. At this time he must also consider the fact that the present decision depends on the subsequent future decisions. This paper derives a simple criterion by which it becomes easily possible in some circumstances to decide whether immediate replacement is economical or not without determining the subsequent sequence of replacement times for the planning interval. Some informations on next replacement time are presented by para­ metric analysis of the criterion and the upper bound number of replacement times is given for the inteml! These will become a guideline for the decision maker to plan future equipment replacement. The proposed method is applied to a practical case and some characteristics aw examined by sensitivity analysis. It is clarified that the method is relatively insensitive to changes of parameters at the present decision.
Simulation of multiple shock–shock interference using implicit anti‐diffusive WENO schemes

Accurate computations of two‐dimensional turbulent hypersonic shock–shock interactions that arise when single and dual shocks impinge on the bow shock in front of a cylinder are presented. The simulation methods used are a class of lower–upper symmetric‐Gauss–Seidel implicit anti‐diffusive weighted essentially non‐oscillatory (WENO) schemes for solving the compressible Navier–Stokes equations with Spalart–Allmaras one‐equation turbulence model. A numerical flux of WENO scheme with anti‐diffusive flux correction is adopted, which consists of first‐order and high‐order fluxes and allows for a more flexible choice of first‐order dissipative methods. Experimental flow fields of type IV shock–shock interactions with single and dual incident shocks by Wieting are computed. By using the WENO scheme with anti‐diffusive flux corrections, the present solution indicates that good accuracy is maintained and contact discontinuities are sharpened markedly as compared with the original WENO schemes on the same meshes. Computed surface pressure distribution and heat transfer rate are also compared with experimental data and other computational results and good agreement is found. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Impact of Family Support and Rejection on Suicide Ideation and Attempt among Transgender Adults in the U.S.

We evaluate the association of familial factors and suicidality among transgender adults in the U.S. by estimating the odds of lifetime suicide ideation and attempt using the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Predictors include family support, family rejection, and specific experiences related to both. About 79% of sample respondents have experienced suicidal ideation and nearly 43% have made a suicide attempt. The predicted probability of suicide attempt is 0.35 for those with no family rejection experiences, 0.75 for those who have had all five experiences in our models. Rejection predicts both outcomes and experiences of rejection have a cumulative impact.
Antiplasmodial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Activity of Ethanol and Aqueous Extracts of Khaya grandifoliola Stem Bark

Background Malaria is a serious public health problem, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to scientifically provide baseline information on the use of Khaya grandifoliola stem bark as an antimalaria drug by traditional healers. Method The stem barks of K.grandifoliola were harvested and dried to obtain powder, and fifty grams of the powder were soaked in ethanol and hot distilled water respectively, for the preparation of ethanol and aqueous extracts, then dried in an oven at 40°C for the ethanol extract and 50°C for the aqueous extract. Plasmodium falciparum strains 3D7 sensitive and Dd2 resistant to chloroquine, were used to evaluate in vitro antiplasmodial activity using SYBR Green. The ability of the extracts to prevent oxidative stress was assessed by trapping 2, 2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide and ferric reducing power. The cytotoxicity test of the extracts was carried out on RAW 264.7 cell lines and on erythrocytes. The data obtained were entered in the Excel software, then in Graph pad where the IC50 was calculated and the curves plotted. Results The fifty percent inhibition (IC50) of the antiplasmodial activity of the chloroquine-resistant strain PfDd2 were 54.27 ± 2.41 μg/mL and 31.19 ± 4.06 μg/mL respectively, for the aqueous and ethanol extracts. As for the Chloroquino-sensitive Pf3D7, IC50 of 53.06 μg/mL was obtained for the aqueous extract and 28.03 ± 1.90 μg/mL for ethanol. The DPPH radical scavenging activity presented IC50 of 104 μg/mL for the aqueous and 2.617 μg/mL for the ethanol extract; for the Nitric oxide (NO) presented an IC50 of 301 ± 21 μg/mL for the aqueous extract 140.7 ± 21 μg/mL for the ethanol; for hydrogen peroxide the ethanol and aqueous presented IC50 of 845.1 ± 21 μg/mL and 509.4 ± 21 μg/mL respectively. The cytotoxicity on RAW 264.7 cells presented High CC50 in particular >1000 μg/mL and 467.4 μg/mL respectively for the aqueous and ethanol extract. Conclusion Extracts of Khaya grandifoliola exhibited antiplasmodial activity. The ability to inhibit oxidative stress as well as lower cell toxicity on RAW 264.7 and erythrocytes, is a good indicator. However, in vivo tests remain important in order to confirm the use of this plant for the treatment of malaria.
Pegcetacoplan: A New Opportunity for Complement Inhibition in PNH

Abstract Pegcetacoplan is the newest inhibitor of the complement system to be approved by the FDA and EMA for the treatment of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH). The cyclic peptide inhibitor of C3 was evaluated in several clinical trials in PHN leading to its approval. The focus of this paper will review the efficacy and safety of Pegcetacoplan (PEG), and considerations for use in patients with PNH.
Price volatility transmission of perishable agricultural products: evidence from China

Volatility transmission is a crucial price phenomenon that influences upstream production and downstream consumption in agricultural commodity markets. However, existing studies offer little evidence on how product perishability is related to price volatility transmission along the agricultural market chain. This study investigates how price volatilities are transmitted across the farm, wholesale, and retail stages using high-frequency data from litchi and apple markets in China. We adopt various MGARCH models and volatility impulse response functions to evaluate the time evolution of price volatility correlation, and the direction and magnitude of price volatility transmission. Empirical results indicate that in the litchi market chain, the wholesale stage plays a dominant role in price volatility transmission, and the wholesale and retail stages have higher volatility spillover effects on the farm stage than vice versa. However, we find little evidence of price volatility transmission along the apple market chain. Our findings suggest that the degree of price volatility transmission is stronger for higher product perishability.
Generalized radiation impedances and reflection coefficients of circular and annular ducts

Morse's equation for the radiation impedance of a vibrating rigid piston is extended to give the generalized radiation impedances Zmnl of all modes in circular and annular ducts which have arbitrary wall admittance β and which terminate in an infinite baffle. The equation for Zmnl is reduced to a single infinite integral which is a function of the mode radiation directivity factors. An infinite matrix equation is derived which relates the generalized mode reflection coefficients Rmnl to the radiation impedances. Results are presented which show that the duct‐wall admittance is a significant parameter in the effect of duct‐termination reflections and that mode‐coupling reflection effects may be more important than direct‐mode reflection effects.
Nova Herculis 1991 : thermonuclear runaway on a massive ONeMg white dwarf

The optical spectra of Nova Herculis 1991 (V838 Her) clearly show it to be a member of the class of novae that occur on ONeMg white dwarfs. In addition, Nova Her 1991 exhibits anomalous abundances in certain intermediate-mass elements. Photoionization modeling reveals sulfur to be greatly enhanced relative to solar abundances and nitrogen to be enhanced relative to oxygen. Comparison with published hydrodynamic models of Starrfield and collaborators implies that the progenitor was an ONeMg white dwarf with a mass of 1.30. -1.35 M ○. The detailed velocity structure of the emission lines reveals the presence of five main components, probably corresponding to clumps in the ejecta
Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Northern Cyprus: Public Awareness, Patterns of Use, and Attitudes

Abstract Background: The utilization of herbal medicine (HM) as a component of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide. Little is known about justifications for its use and the factors associated with it. This study gains insights into the use of herbal medicines in Northern Cyprus, concentrating on targets for its use, the role played by disease type, reasons for its use, and sources of information. Methods: A questionnaire was utilized to achieve the aim of the study. The questionnaire was distributed to a random sample comprised of people in two different regions in Northern Cyprus over a 12-week period from August to November 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Moreover, qualitative research explored individuals’ decision making regarding CAM, which aimed to examine 20 patients as a context for beliefs, decision making, and dialogue about CAM. After audio-taping and verbatim transcription, the data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results: The findings show that the majority of respondents learned about herbal products (HPs) and CAM from other patients, the Internet, friends, and family. The results indicate that almost half of the respondents were aware of how CAMs, especially herbal preparations, are used to treat common illnesses. Fennel, ginger, and echinacea were the most commonly used HMs, mainly for the treatment of the common cold. Furthermore, nearly 50% of the participants expressed the belief that HMs are safe, have fewer side effects than conventional medicines, and are also effective for treating minor health conditions. The prevalence was strongly associated with education level based on a Pearson Chi-square analysis. Conclusions: Although herbal medicines were mostly used to treat mild to moderate ailments and the participants were aware of their limitations, the combination of self-medication, inexperienced counseling, and lack of awareness of the risks of herbal medicines is potentially harmful. This is particularly important for elderly users, because although they seemed to be more aware of health-related issues, they generally used more medication than younger people. Given our finding that dissatisfaction with modern medicine is the most important reason for the preferred use of herbal medicines, government agencies, physicians, and pharmaceutical companies should be aware of this issue and should aim to create some level of awareness among users.
The turbulent layer in the water at an air—water interface

The velocity fields beneath an air—water interface have been determined in a laboratory facility for the cases of wind-generated waves, with wind speeds ranging from 1.5 to 13.1 m/s, and of wind-ruffled mechanically generated waves of about 22 mm amplitude and 1 Hz frequency, with wind speeds ranging from 1.7 to 6.2 m/s. The velocity was measured in a fixed frame of reference with a two-component, laser-Doppler anemometer. It was possible to determine the lengthscales and evaluate the behaviour of the mean, wave-related and turbulent components of the flows. The waves affect the mean flows, even though the profiles remain essentially logarithmic and the wave field conforms generally with the results of linear theory. In the wind-wave cases the turbulent quantities behave similarly to those in flows over flat plates. They have different trends in the mechanical-wave cases, suggesting a coupling between waves and turbulence. Finally, measured values of the mean wave-induced shear stress were negative, leading to an energy transfer from the waves to the mean flow.
The Effect of Lexical Aspect and Discourse Grounding in the Acquisition of Spanish Past Tense Aspect by Mandarin Chinese Speakers: Replicating the Approach Used in Salaberry (2011)

In this work, we replicate the approach of Salaberry (2011). Based on an a written 40 item discourse based forced-choice task, we analyze the influence of lexical aspectual class and grounding information in discourse on the use of perfective and imperfective verbal morphology of Spanish by Chinese learners of three levels of proficiency (B1, B2, C1 of the CEFR). Our results show that the preference to use prototypical associations predicted by the LAH and the DH coincide with Salaberry’s (2011) results. However, we found that our L1 Mandarin Chinese learners show a particular developmental pattern compared with the L1 English learners in Salaberry (2011)
Four-wave mixing reveals weaker many-body interactions and slower dephasing in perovskite photovoltaic materials than GaAs

Perovksite semiconductors have shown promise for low-cost solar cells, lasers and photodetectors, yet their fundamental photophysical properties are not well understood. Recent observations of a low (~few meV) exciton binding energy and evidence of hot phonon effects in the room temperature phase suggest that perovskites are much closer to inorganic semiconductors than the absorber layers in traditional organic photovoltaics, signaling the need for experiments that shed light on the placement of perovskite materials within the spectrum of semiconductors used in optoelectronics and photovoltaics. Here we use four-wave mixing (FWM) to contrast the coherent optical response of CH3NH3PbI3 thin films and crystalline GaAs. At carrier densities relevant for solar cell operation, our results show that carriers interact surprisingly weakly via the Coulomb interaction in perovskite, much weaker than in inorganic semiconductors. These weak many-body effects lead to a dephasing time in CH3NH3PbI3 3 times longer than in GaAs and a negligible exciton contribution to the coherent emission.
Effects on Corticospinal Tract Homology of Faremus Personalized Neuromodulation Relieving Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Objectives: Fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) is a frequent and invalidating symptom, which can be relieved by non-invasive neuromodulation, which presents only negligible side effects. A 5-day transcranial direct-current stimulation, 15 min per day, anodically targeting the somatosensory representation of the whole body against a larger occipital cathode was efficacious against MS fatigue (fatigue relief in multiple sclerosis, Faremus treatment). The present proof-of-concept study tested the working hypothesis that Faremus S1 neuromodulation modifies the homology of the dominant and non-dominant corticospinal (CST) circuit recruitment. Methods: CST homology was assessed via the Fréchet distance between the morphologies of motor potentials (MEPs) evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation in the homologous left- and right-hand muscles of 10 fatigued MS patients before and after Faremus. Results: In the absence of any change in MEP features either as differences between the two body sides or as an effect of the treatment, Faremus changed in physiological direction the CST’s homology. Faremus effects on homology were more evident than recruitment changes within the dominant and non-dominant sides. Conclusions: The Faremus-related CST changes extend the relevance of the balance between hemispheric homologs to the homology between body sides. With this work, we contribute to the development of new network-sensitive measures that can provide new insights into the mechanisms of neuronal functional patterning underlying relevant symptoms.
A Short Proof of the Cartwright-Littlewood Fixed Point Theorem

The purpose of this paper is to give a short proof of the Cartwright-Littlewood fixed point theorem (2, p. 3, Theorem A). Theorem A. If T is a (1-1) continuous and orientation preserving transformation of the Euclidean plane E onto itself which leaves a bounded continuum M invariant and if M does not separate E, then some point of M is left fixed by T.
SampleRadarNet: end-to-end deep convolutional neural networks using small filters for radar-based human activity classification

Methods for classifying different human activities have been explored widely in recent years. In radar-based human activity classification, most deep learning-based techniques pay great attention to the frame-level structure. These approaches generally adopt short-time Fourier transform, or convolutional layers with a frame-level filter to process the raw radar data, while they seldom consider the overall efficiency. In this paper, we propose a sample-level convolutional neural network named SampleRadarNet. The proposed SampleRadarNet utilizes one-dimensional convolutional layers with small filters to learn more temporal information from the raw data, breaking through the frame-level model’s capacity limitation. In addition, the Squeeze-Inception-Mobile module is designed for the classification task, which involves the following three components: fire module, inception block, and depthwise convolution. The experimental results show that the proposed architecture can achieve better performance compared with the existing related methods in a seven-class radar-based human activity classification problem.
Meditation as a tool to counteract music performance anxiety from the experts’ perspective

Music performance anxiety (MPA) affects numerous musicians, preventing them from performing to the full extent of their abilities. A variety of tools are used to cope with MPA among which is meditation. Although research conducted to date has made a distinction between the types of meditative techniques and their effects, this aspect is still not thoroughly investigated. The aim of this qualitative study is to investigate the experience of specialists in the field and identify the meditations employed for counteracting MPA. Sixteen semi-structured interviews were held with experts; recordings and transcripts were verified multiple times and imported into NVivo software. Thematic analysis was conducted, developing three main themes which illustrate how the experts describe MPA, the influencing factors for the effectiveness of meditation, the employed meditative techniques and how they reduce MPA. Within the last theme, body-centered meditations and breathing techniques, along with visualizations and Vipassana meditation, occupy a prominent place. Results show furthermore that affect-centered meditations offer interesting perspectives for counteracting perfectionism and self-criticism. The findings of this study may be of interest to educational institutions and musicians who want to acquire emotional awareness, self-regulation strategies for counteracting MPA, and improving performance skills.
Prediction of Clouds and Rain Using a z-Coordinate Nonhydrostatic Model

Abstract The most common option for numerical models of the atmosphere is to use model layers following the surface of the earth, using a terrain-following vertical coordinate. The present paper investigates the forecast of clouds and precipitation using the z-coordinate nonhydrostatic version of the Lokalmodell (LM-z). This model uses model layers that are parallel to the surface of the sphere and consequently intersect the orography. Physical processes are computed on a special grid, allowing adequate grid spacing even over high mountains. In other respects the model is identical to the nonhydrostatic terrain-following version of the LM, which in a number of European countries is used for operational mesoscale forecasting. The terrain-following version of the LM (LM-tf) is used for comparison with the forecasts of the LM-z. Terrain-following coordinates are accurate when the orography is shallow and smooth, while z-coordinate models need not satisfy this condition. Because the condition of smooth orogra.
Typing Performance and Technique of Higher Education Students with Specific Learning Disorders

Higher education students with specific learning disorders (SLD) often experience difficulties in basic learning skills, including typing on computers, which has become the most common writing mode for academic purposes. This may affect their academic performance. We compared the typing performance, product, and technique (screen gaze, finger use) of 35 SLD and 30 typically developing (TD) students using keylogging software. Compared to TD peers, students with SLD typed more slowly and less accurately, and gazed less at the screen, suggesting a less effective typing technique. They typed slower even after controlling for screen gaze, implying that additional factors may account for their lower typing speed such as language processing. Hence, students with SLD may benefit from typing instruction alongside test accommodations during computer–based exams.
Factors influence residents’ investment decision for tourism industry development

The growth of the tourism sector depends on tourism investment in small and medium-sized businesses throughout various regions. This paper investigates the impacts of capital, expectations of benefits, knowledge, and information on residents' investment decisions in the tourism industry. Investment in tourism is a key driver of economic expansion and development. So, it is necessary to look into locals' predisposition to invest in the tourism industry. A suitable process for selecting study participants was used, and the questionnaire method was used to collect data. Partial least square structural equation modelling was then used to evaluate the data (PLS-SEM). The findings of this study indicate that citizens' investment decisions are influenced by capital, knowledge, information, and benefit expectations. The results of this study will provide policymakers and the management of Malaysian tourist industry with new information that they can use to create successful regulations that encourage locals to make investment decisions that will advance the tourism industry.