Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neurotoxicity of Unconjugated Bilirubin in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury in vitro

Background: The pathophysiology of bilirubin neurotoxicity in course of hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in term and preterm infants is still poorly understood. We hypothesized that oxidative stress may be a common mechanism that link hyperbilirubinemia and HIE. Objectives: The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) may enhance the HI brain injury by increasing oxidative stress and to test pioglitazone and allopurinol as new antioxidant therapeutic drugs in vitro. Methods: The effects of UCB were tested on organotypic hippocampal slices subjected to 30 min oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), used as in vitro model of HIE. The experiments were performed on mature (14 days in culture) and immature (7 days in culture) slices, to mimic the brains of term and preterm infants, respectively. Mature and immature slices were exposed to UCB, human serum albumin (HSA), pioglitazone, and/or allopurinol for 24 h, immediately after 30 min OGD. Neuronal injury was assessed using propidium iodide (PI) fluorescence. ROS formation was quantified by using the 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCF-DA) method. Results: In mature slices, we found that the neurotoxicity, as well as oxidative stress, induced by OGD were enhanced by UCB. HSA significantly prevented UCB-increased neurotoxicity, but had a slight reduction on ROS production. Allopurinol, but not pioglitazone, significantly reduced UCB-increased neurotoxicity induced by OGD. In immature slices exposed to OGD, no increase of neuronal death was observed, whereas oxidative stress was detected after UCB exposure. HSA, pioglitazone and allopurinol have no protective effects on both OGD-induced neuronal death and on UCB-induced oxidative stress. For this reason, UCB, pioglitazone and allopurinol was also tested on ischemic preconditioning protocol. We found that UCB abolished the neuroprotection induced by preconditioning and increased oxidative stress. These effects were restored by allopurinol but not pioglitazone. Conclusions: UCB characterized a different path of neuronal damage and oxidative stress in mature and immature hippocampal slice model of HIE. Management of hyperbilirubinemia in a complex pathological condition, such as HIE and hyperbilirubinemia, should be very careful. Allopurinol could deserve attention as a novel pharmacological intervention for hyperbilirubinemia and HIE.
Exploring the Opinions of Irish Dairy Farmers Regarding Male Dairy Calves

Background: There has been very little previous research in Ireland on the farmers' opinions regarding calf welfare issues. Calf welfare, particularly for male dairy calves, has assumed greater importance in Ireland in recent years due, in part, to an increase in the number of dairy cattle over the past decade. The objective of this study was to explore dairy farmers' views on a broad range of issues related to the expansion in the dairy herd. Methods: A survey was developed to capture the views of farmers regarding male dairy calves. The majority of questions were quantitative, and a final open-ended question collected qualitative data. The survey was distributed to ~2,900 dairy farmers via text message and 881 responses were received. Results: The sample was composed almost entirely of dairy farmers, although ~20% also had a beef enterprise on their farm. Fifty eight percent of the farmers were concerned with the increase in the number of male dairy calves in recent years. The EU's abolition of milk quotas, the profitability of dairy farming compared to other farm types, and guidance from farm advisors were the three highest ranked drivers behind the increase in the number of male dairy calves. The three highest ranked options for managing the number of male dairy calves were to increase exports, encourage greater use of sexed semen, and improve the beef merit of these calves. Eighty five percent of respondents stated that individual farmers had responsibility for making changes to the number of male dairy calves. The main themes arising from analysis of the responses to the open-ended question, seeking any additional comments, were breed, beef price, live exports, and sexed semen. Conclusions: Dairy farmers recognized the responsibility they have for making changes in respect of male dairy calves, and many demonstrated a willingness to make changes in this regard. The important role of other stakeholders, particularly suckler (system where reared from calf to beef) farmers, in rearing male dairy calves for beef production was also recognized. However, the issues of who bears the risks and costs associated with greater integration will have to be carefully considered.
Non-reporting of sexual violence as action: acts, selves, futures in the making

ABSTRACT Individual, cultural and structural barriers exist in reporting rape to the police. Our study’s context is Norway, where reporting is more accepted than before and is even encouraged. Still, few who experience rape report the incident. Based on qualitative interviews we examine how women who refrain from reporting rapes give their choice meaning. We draw from Boltanski and Thévenot’s version of cultural sociology, especially the idea that meaning-making in concrete situations relates to wider ‘regimes of justification’: particular framings that render choices and interpretations intelligible. The aftermath of rape leaves women with having to balance their own and others’ needs and expectations. In talking about the rape and how they afterwards manoeuvre to reconcile conflicting norms and needs, the women activate two different regimes of justification; an instrumental and an ontological. They negotiate between expectations set out in an instrumental regime of justification, focusing on acts and actions, and a more ontological regime of justification, wherein focus lies on their sense of self and future identities. They position themselves as ‘evolving selves’, a position from where they are able to prevent further ruptures by deploying a developmental logic rather than answering the call to ‘do the right thing’ and report.
The implied volatility smirk in SPY options

ABSTRACT We provide a comprehensive study of the implied volatility (IV) smirk in the SPDR S&P 500 Exchange-Traded Fund (SPY ETF) option market. In general, the IV curves are downward sloping with little curvature, exhibiting an almost straight line. However, the shape of the IV curves becomes more curved during the global financial crisis (GFC) period, indicating that the commonly accepted IV smirk shape is driven by the GFC. In addition, based on in-sample, out-of-sample tests and asset allocation analysis, we show that the first difference of the slope factor can predict the next month’s SPY excess returns.
The Productivity–Real Wage Nexus in Emerging European Economies: Evidence from Poland

ABSTRACT We investigate the nature of the wage–productivity nexus in Poland, considering the validity of the alternative theories of this relationship in the context of a recent hypothesis pointing to the role of multinational corporations (MNCs) in decoupling productivity from wages. Using spatial and nonspatial dynamic panel models, we find indirect support for this hypothesis. Sectors with the highest presence of MNCs tend to have higher labor productivity but lower wages. Unlike productivity, wages are also subject to stronger spatial spillovers, suggesting that they are sometimes set based on their geographic proximity, rather than on workers’ productivity. The policy implications of the findings are discussed.
An Exploration of Factors Impacting Middle School Students’ Attitudes Toward Computer Programming

Abstract Computer programming is becoming an essential skill for young students regardless of their education or career goals. Therefore, for students to develop and for educators and researchers to accurately measure self-efficacy in and value for programming is important. Although student motivation in subject matter can be measured using self-report surveys, these types of instruments are prone to error due to inherent biases. In this quasi-experimental and cross-sectional study, we examined whether using a computer programming pretest before taking a perception survey (i.e., providing examples of the key concept in the survey beforehand) had an impact on students’ self-reported self-efficacy and utility value, thus helping collect more accurate data. Results showed no significant difference on self-efficacy and value scores between those who received a pretest and those who did not. In further analysis, however, it was found that pretest performance was positively correlated with self-efficacy and value. In addition, boys reported significantly higher self-efficacy and value than girls, confirming gender disparity outlined in previous research. An exploratory, but important, finding was that there was an interaction between gender and test performance for the self-efficacy and utility value. While boys’ who had high pretest scores also reported higher levels of self-efficacy and utility value, it was the opposite for girls.
Examination of Turkish Middle School STEM Teachers' Knowledge about Computational Thinking and Views Regarding Information and Communications Technology

Abstract Over the past two decades, the integration of computational thinking, as well as information and communications technology within educational programs, has gained importance. A primary obstacle to integrating computational thinking into teaching and learning is the level of teachers' knowledge, skills, and perceptions related to this topic. This study aimed to determine the views of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers regarding using information and communications technology within their teaching, emphasizing computational thinking within lessons, and conceptually developing levels of computational thinking skills. Another aim was to examine whether these variables differed according to educational discipline, teaching experience, and graduation factors. Data collection was conducted via an online questionnaire completed by participating teachers. One hundred twenty-one (121) teachers from 38 middle schools (34 public and 4 private) in seven different cities in the Republic of Turkey participated. An F test was used to determine whether selected scales, translated from an ICILS 2018 Teacher Questionnaire, differentiated according to educational discipline, teaching experience, and/or graduation factors. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine relationships between variables used in data collection. Results indicated that teachers need a sufficient level of education and guidance regarding incorporating information and communications technology into their lessons as well as how to consistently use these tools within their classrooms.
VIBRATIONAL AND THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF 1,3,5-TRIAMINO-2,4,6-TRINITROBENZENE (TATB): COMPARISON OF EXCHANGE-CORRELATION FUNCTIONALS IN DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY

Vibrational and thermodynamic properties of TATB have been investigated within the quasiharmonic approximation and density functional theory using three exchange-correlation functionals: local density approximation (LDA), generalized gradient approximation (GGA), and GGA with an empirical van der Waals correction (GGA + vdW). We find that GGA provides a reasonable description of only the heat capacity and thermal expansion, while it fails to reproduce the experimental bulk modulus and volume. Van der Waals correction improves the lattice constants, volume, and bulk modulus, but it fails badly in describing thermal expansion and heat capacity. In contrast, LDA accurately describes all the thermodynamic properties of TATB considered here. For example, the equilibrium volume calculated with LDA is only 4.6% smaller than the experimental value after including vi-brational contributions. It is therefore essential to include phonon contributions when comparing the calculated volume with experimental data at ambient conditions. We show that an accurate equation of state of TATB is obtained by simply multiplying the volume calculated with LDA by a factor of 1.046, because LDA predicts the bulk modulus well in the entire pressure range. Therefore, LDA is a satisfactory exchange-correlation functional for TATB because only LDA correctly predicts the volume dependence of vibrational frequencies. All calculations exhibit an abrupt change of the com-pressibility at a critical pressure, Pc ∼ 0.5–1.0 GPa. Below Pc, the volume reduction by pressure is mainly due to the lattice contraction along the c axis, whereas above P c the lattice contracts significantly along all three axes. 519 520 Wu et al.
Experimental study on deformation capacity of field welding beam-to-column joint with different beam end details consideration of fracture toughness and non-welded part in submerged arc weld of pre-assembled H-shaped beam

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of fracture toughness and non-welded part in submerged arc weld (SAW) on deformation capacity of pre-assembled H-shaped beam-to-column joint. For this purpose, higher toughness (about 60 J) and lower toughness (about 20 J) SAW joints were prepared. In addition, improved beam end scallop details, BS_P (billet insertion), BM (mini scallop), and BF_5 (height of ﬁllet: 5 mm), were proposed. The rate of increase of strength and the deformation capacity of these four type details were examined by experiment. From the results of experiments, it is revealed that brittle fracture at beam end ﬂange is likely to occur at small deformation when the ﬁeld welding beam-to-column joint has BS (composite scallop) detail and non-welded part of low toughness SAW. On the other hand, using higher toughness SAW and shortening non-welded SAW parts delayed brittle fracture and raised deformation capacity. Moreover, using proposed improved beam end scallop details buﬀered stress at the bottom of scallop and improved deformation capacity. Therefore, the authors showed following the method for improving deformation capacity of ﬁeld welding beam-to-column joints. Improving toughness of SAW Using proposed improved beam end scallop details Shortening the length of non-welded of SAW
Cultural diplomacy as an external voice of cultural policy. The case of Poland

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to explore the main rationale of Polish cultural diplomacy as it was developed by governmental and non-governmental actors at a time of international conflict. Focusing on the years following Poland’s EU accession (2004) and particularly the Polish Year in Russia planned for 2015 and cancelled in 2014, this study contextualises these developments in the post-state-socialist transition to democracy. In this period a convergence between Polish cultural and public diplomacy took place. The main argument is that the internal developments in state cultural policy can be understood as constitutive of the foreign policy strategy of cultural diplomacy, as its domestic determinant. However, as the case of Poland shows, the logic of foreign policy continues to dominate cultural diplomacy. At the time of international conflict state cultural policy struggles to project its voice abroad through cultural diplomacy.
Evaluating Writing Process Features in an Adult EFL Writing Assessment Context: A Keystroke Logging Study

ABSTRACT Keystroke logs provide a comprehensive record of observable writing processes. Previous studies examining the keystroke logs of young L1 English writers performing experimental writing tasks have identified writing processes features predictive of the quality of responses. Contrarily, large-scale studies on the dynamic and temporal nature of L2 writing process are scarce, especially in an assessment setting. This study utilized the keystroke logs of adult English as a foreign language (EFL) learners responding to assessment tasks to examine the usefulness of the process features in this new context. We evaluated the features in terms of stability, explored factor structures for their correlations, and constructed models to predict response quality. The results showed that most of the process features were stable and that their correlations could be efficiently represented with a five-factor structure. Moreover, we observed improved response quality prediction over a baseline by up to 48%. These findings have implications for the evaluation and understanding of writing process features and for the substantive understanding of writing processes under assessment conditions.
Envisaging the asymmetrical association among FDI, ICT, and climate change: a case from developing country

Abstract This investigation utilized the Non-Linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) approach to ascertain the non-linear influence of FDI and ICT on CO2 emission in Pakistan. Moreover, the examination revealed the impact of population, trade, and import and production of ICT on Pakistan's environmental quality. The findings of the inspection specified that negative (positive) shocks in ICT use upsurge (diminution) the level of CO2 emanation. In addition, positive shocks in FDI expressively escalate CO2 emission. However, adverse shocks indicated inconsequential sway on CO2 emission. The study identified that the production of ICT instruments at the domestic level improves environmental quality than importing from other nations. Further, the population exposed direct rapport with CO2 emission; while, the coefficient of trade disclosed a negative effect on CO2 emission in Pakistan. The investigation evaluated the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis and found that economic growth has a U-shaped liaison with CO2 emission, inferring that the EKC hypothesis imperatively exists in Pakistan. The investigation suggested that the government of Pakistan should facilitate the general public to use smart electrical devices. Moreover, the Government of Pakistan should provide opportunities for ICT based international companies to install their production units in Pakistan.
The First Fishtail Point Find in Piauí State, Northeastern Brazil: Significance and Hypothesis

ABSTRACT Here we report a newly discovered Fishtail, or Fell 1, projectile-point type, from Coronel José Dias, southern Piauí, northeastern Brazil. It is an almost complete bifacial piece on light local silex. In Brazil, Fishtail points have not been previously reported in detail north of the 22° S parallel. Hence, this new evidence importantly establishes human occupation of extreme northeast of South America during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition.
Comparative analysis, cash transfers, household investment and inequality reduction in Togo

ABSTRACT This paper explores the impact of domestic and international cash transfers on poverty and household resilience in Togo from a comparative perspective. The paper uses data from two household surveys (The Unified Questionnaire of Basic Well-being Indicators) conducted by the National Institute of Statistics Economic and Demographic Studies of Togo in 2011 and 2015. The analysis uses the propensity score matching method and the quantile instrumental regression. The first category of results shows that migrants’ external and internal remittances positively affect poverty and inequality and improve households’ investments in Togo. The second category of results allows concluding on the implications for public policy in a time of pandemic shock, such as the Sars-Cov-2 one. JEL: O12; O38; O55
Laying a Ghost to Rest? The Role of Employee Involvement in the Selection of Performance Goals

Abstract In the performance management literature, it is a widely held assumption that the involvement of frontline employees in performance management systems increases employees’ goal support, which, in turn, improves organizational performance. Yet empirically, this assumption is unsubstantiated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to make an empirical contribution to the literature by examining experimentally how involvement affects frontline employees’ support of performance goals. To test the assumption, we conduct a survey experiment on more than 1600 public caseworkers working in Danish employment agencies. Contrary to the mainstream assumption, but in line with psychological theory, our experimental test shows that involving employees has no effect on their goal support. In addition, our findings highlight various challenges for managers who seek to improve goal support through employee involvement.
Impact of varieties and organic nutrient sources on productivity, soil carbon stocks and energetics of rice-ratoon system in Eastern Himalayas of India

Abstract Cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties having ratooning potential under adequate organic nutrient sources (ONSs) could improve system productivity, soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and energy use efficiency in the eastern Indian Himalayas. A 6-year study was conducted to evaluate the impact of four varieties (Shahsarang-1, Lampnah, IR-64 and Krishna Hamsha) under five ONSs [pig manure (PM), farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), in situ paddy straw (PS) recycling and farmers’ practice] on productivity, soil health and energetics of a rice-ratoon system in a mid-hill (950 m asl) subtropical climate. Organic manures were applied on an N-equivalent basis. The 6-year average grain yield of main rice was significantly highest for Shahsarang-1 (4.40 Mg ha−1) followed by IR-64. Shahsarang-1 (2.58 Mg ha−1) and IR 64 also produced higher ratoon crop yields, leading to higher total annual productivity (main + ratoon crops) than other varieties. Rice grown with PM produced the highest average rice productivity of main crop, followed by FYM. The highest total N, P and K uptake by the rice was obtained under PM followed by FYM. After six cropping cycles, the maximum SOC stock and available N and P were observed under PM, whereas available K was highest under PS recycling. The highest gross energy output, net energy and energy intensity were registered with PM, whereas energy use efficiency and energy productivity were the highest under control. Thus, cultivation of either Shahsarang-1 or IR-64 using PM/FYM is appropriate for enhancing productivity, soil health and conservation of energy in the study region and similar eco-regions elsewhere.
X-ray and dielectric characterization of Co doped tetragonal BaTiO3 ceramics

ABSTRACT The crystal structure modifications of BaTiO3 induced by cobalt doping were studied. The polycrystalline (1 − x)BaTiO3 + xCo2O3 samples, with x ≤ 10 wt. %, were prepared by high temperature sintering conventional method. According to X-ray phase and structural characterization, performed by full-profile Rietveld refinement technique, all synthesized samples showed tetragonal symmetry perovskite structure with minor amount of parasitic phases. Pure single-phase composition has been detected only in the low level of doping BaTiO3. It was indicated that substitution of Co for the Ti sites in the (1 − x)BaTiO3 + xCo2O3 series led to decrease of tetragonality (c/a) of the BaTiO3 perovskite structure. This effect almost vanished in the (1 − x)BaTiO3 + xCo2O3 samples with nominal Co content higher than ∼1 wt. %, in which precipitation of parasitic Co-containing phases CoO and Co2TiO4 has been observed. Based on the results, the solubility limit of Co in Ti sub-lattice in the (1 − x)BaTiO3 + xCo2O3 series is estimated as x = 0.75 wt. %.