Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterizing and avoiding physical inconsistency generated by the application of univariate quantile mapping on daily minimum and maximum temperatures over Hudson Bay

Quantile mapping (QM) is a technique often used for statistical post‐processing (SPP) of climate model simulations, in order to adjust their biases relative to a selected reference product and/or to downscale their resolution. However, when QM is applied in univariate mode, there is a risk of generating other problems, like intervariable physical inconsistency (PI). Here, such a risk is investigated with daily temperature minimum (Tmin) and maximum (Tmax), for which the relationship Tmin > Tmax would be inconsistent with the definition of the variables. QM is applied to an ensemble of 78 daily CMIP5 simulations over Hudson Bay for the application period 1979–2100, with Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) selected as the reference product during the calibration period 1979–2010. This study's specific objectives are as follows: to investigate the conditions under which PI situations are generated; to test whether PI may be prevented simply by tuning some of the QM technique's numerical choices; and to compare the suitability of alternative approaches that hinder PI by design. Primary results suggest that PI situations appear preferentially for small values of the initial (simulated) diurnal temperature range (DTR), but the differential between the respective biases of Tmin and Tmax also plays an important role; one cannot completely prevent the generation of PI simply by adjusting QM parameters and options, but forcing preservation of the simulated long‐term trends generates fewer PI situations; for avoiding PI between Tmin and Tmax, the present study supports a previous recommendation to directly post‐process Tmax and DTR before deducing Tmin.
THE IMPACT OF THE PERSONALITY TRAITS ON THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This study aims to investigate the influence of personality traits on the academic achievement of the Senior High School at St. Paul College of Bocaue. This study used the descriptive-correlation research method that utilized a standardized instrument as a primary data gathering tool. The respondents of the study were the Grade 11 Senior High School students at St. Paul College of Bocaue. The result of the study showed that the “Big Five” personality traits of the students were at an extreme level. Likewise, the result suggests that the students are very creative, focused on tackling new challenges, pays attention to detail, likes to be the center of attention, likes to meet new people, feels empathy and concern for other people. Moreover, the students experience a lot of stress, worry about many different things and feel anxious about their environment. Furthermore, the null hypothesis was tested at the 0.05 alpha level of significance to determine the impact of personality on the academic achievement of the students. The computed multiple regression analysis results revealed that personality traits do not significantly affect the academic achievement of the students.
Prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS among female sex workers and acceptability of intravaginal ring in Mukuru, Nairobi, Kenya

Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV and AIDS) has escalated into a humanitarian and developmental crisis. Out of 33.2 million people living positive worldwide, majority (22.5 million) live -in Sub Saharan Africa (UNAIDS 2008). Gender roles and responsibilities in African communities bring forth inequalities which often reduce the power of women in negotiating for safer sex. In many African communities, women are care givers. They are expected to care for the spouse, children and the extended family. However, when a woman is infected with HIV, she may be divorced, denied access to family inheritance and care. This prospective cohort study recruited one hundred female sex workers in Mukuru informal settlement in the period between October 2005 to May 2008. The aim of this study was to recruit and characterize individuals for future efficacy clinical trials for HIV Vaccines and Microbicides. Part of the clinical site requirements for such trials is that cohorts must have documented high risk behaviour, high STI prevalence and high retention rates. In order to establish baseline Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) burden in the community, health care providers were interviewed regarding common STI they treat. Health care providers were asked about their views regarding acceptability of an intravaginal ring which may be used to deliver Microbicides when they become available. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results indicate that Female Sex Workers (FSW) in the cohort are at a higher risk of contracting STI. Majority FSW (67%) were young, with a mean age of 28. Literacy levels were low with 45% reporting no formal schooling. On average, FSW had three clients per day with the earliest sex debut being 9 years. Almost half (53%) said they used condoms sometimes with primary partners. At baseline HIV prevalence was 11.3%, this is higher than the national prevalence which stands at (7.4%). Vaginal discharge symptoms and Pelvic inflammatory disease were the most common STI seen. Out of 75 symptomatic patients, 30 (40%) reported having vaginal sex in the same period. Only 4% reported anal sex during the symptomatic period. Diagnosis of Trichomoniasis correlated significantly with income of more than 200 Kenya shillings per week. In multivariate analysis, diagnosis of STI (Chlamydia, gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis or syphilis) was strongly associated with alcohol use (OR=3.35, P=0.002). Intravaginal rings were well accepted by majority of health care providers who asked for more information regarding the rings and Microbicides. Recruitment, characterization and establishment of this cohort provide an opportunity to access Vaccine and Microbicides strategy for HIV prevention especially for women.
Can aid stimulate productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa? A dynamic panel approach

The aim of the study was to examine the impact of the official development aid (ODA) on productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. As development policies embrace different types of aid interventions, we decomposed aid by type of flows and analysed their relations with 24 African states’ productivity (measured by total factor productivity) over the period 1995-2014. Results of the dynamic panel model estimation reveal important implications for the development cooperation policy agenda. It appears that although total value of ODA does not support productivity, technical aid disbursements are associated with higher total factor productivity. This implies that the implementation of technical cooperation enables absorption of technology and contributes to the increase of technology development in recipient Sub-Saharan African countries. The results are fairly robust. Moreover, in this study we confirm that low infrastructure development and shortages in primary education are associated with lower productivity, while trade openness, development of financial market, and political stability - with higher productivity values.
Promoting Physical Activity

Epidemiology of Major NCDs related to Lack of Physical Activity Benefits of Regular Physical Activity Principles of Promoting Physical Activity Physical activity and exercise FIT principle Monitoring exercise intensity Computing for target heart rate Safety considerations Recommended Guidelines for Promoting Physical Activity Recommended physical activity guidelines for each age group Physical activity prescriptions Key areas for promoting physical activity in different settings: School-based programs Workplace programs Community-organized programs Specific Physical Activity Program for different chronic conditions Cardiovascular diseases Diabetes mellitus Hypertension Overweight or Obese COPD/Asthma Musculoskeletal problems Planning for Physical Activity Programs Supportive Environment for Promoting Physical Activity 3 5 6
Neuroretinal-Derived Caveolin-1 Promotes Endotoxin-Induced Inflammation in the Murine Retina

Chronic ocular inflammation is associated with many retinal degenerative diseases that result in vision loss. The immune-privileged environment and complex organization of retinal tissue allow for the retina’s essential role in visual function processes, yet confound inquiries into cell-specific inflammatory effects that lead to retinal dysfunction and degeneration. Caveolin-1 (Cav1) is an integral membrane protein expressed in many retinal cell populations and has been implicated in retinal immune regulation. However, the direction (i.e., promotion or inhibition) in which Cav1 regulates inflammatory processes in the retina (as well as in other tissues) remains unclear. Previously, we showed that global-Cav1 depletion in the retina paradoxically resulted in reduced retinal inflammatory cytokine production with concurrent elevated retinal immune cell infiltration. We hypothesized that our previous results could be explained by cell-specific Cav1 functions in the retina. Here, we utilized our Chx10 (visual system homeobox 2)-Cre knockout model to deplete Cav1 specifically in the neural retinal (NR) compartment in order to clarify the role of neural retinal-specific Cav1 (NR-Cav1) in the retinal immune response to intravitreal LPS (lipopolysaccharide) challenge. Our data support that neural retinal-derived Cav1 promotes retinal tissue inflammation as Chx10-mediated Cav1 depletion was sufficient to suppress both retinal cytokine production and immune cell infiltration following inflammatory stimulation. Additionally, we identify Traf3 (tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 3) as a highly expressed potential immune modulator in retinal tissue that is upregulated with NR-Cav1 depletion. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance for understanding the role of Cav1 (and other proteins) in cell-specific contexts.
State-to-state chemical kinetic mechanism for HF chemical lasers

State-to-state rotational relaxation processes play a critical role in predicting rotational nonequilibrium, which can significantly affect total laser power and spectral distribution. In this paper, the state-to-state rotational relaxation rate coefficients for the pumping reaction of F + H2, the rotational energy transfer processes of HF(υ, j = 0–10) + HF(υ′, j′ = 0–10) and HF(υ, j = 0–10) + H2 are calculated. Subsequently, a detailed state-to-state chemical kinetic mechanism is constructed including 61 species and 124,482 elementary reactions for HF chemical lasers. All of these rotational relaxation rate coefficients have been expressed with Arrhenius-like formulas. A comparison of the Boltzmann distribution model with the detailed state-to-state chemical mechanism has been analysed and discussed. These results show that rotational nonequilibrium processes can significantly affect the distribution of ro-vibrational excited HF molecules. The rotational distributions of HF(υ = 0–2, j) are far from equilibrium distribution. Conversely, the distributions of HF(υ = 3, 4, j) seem to be a Boltzmann distribution. These results indicate that numerical models must include the rotational nonequilibrium processes and numerical models using a Boltzmann distribution for the rotational populations cannot predict performance of real HF chemical lasers.
Attitudes of the Portuguese population regarding dietary fibre

Introducao: A fibra dietetica (FD) tem feito parte da dieta humana desde ha milenios, embora os seus beneficios tenham sido reconhecidos, principalmente, nas ultimas decadas. Objetivos: Porque a FD e um componente importante de uma dieta saudavel, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os habitos de consumo dos Portugueses, bem como o seu conhecimento sobre os alimentos ricos em fibras e as suas atitudes em relacao a rotulagem dos alimentos. Metodos: Foi realizado um estudo descritivo transversal usando uma amostra nao-probabilistica de 382 participantes. Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que a ingestao de alimentos ricos em fibras, como frutas, vegetais e cereais, foi muito menor do que a ingestao recomendada. Os resultados tambem indicaram que a maioria das pessoas nao presta a atencao desejada a rotulagem de alimentos ou a informacao nutricional. Conclusoes: O nivel geral de conhecimento sobre FD foi considerado insatisfatorio, e, portanto, e necessario mais educacao nutricional e desenvolver esforcos para informar as pessoas acerca da importância da FD como parte da sua dieta diaria.
EFFECT OF HEARING AID FITTING BASED ON REAL EAR MEASUREMENT ON SPEECH RECOGNITION IN HEARING IMPAIRED PERSONS

Background and Aim: Real Ear Measurement is a well-known method to evaluate hearing aid output by which all of a person's personal characteristics of ear in hearing aid fitting can be calculated to reach the prescriptive target. The purpose of hearing aid fitting and prescriptive target matching is improvement of speech intelligibility in routine communication. The current project was carried out to assess the effect of fitting based on real ear measurement on word recognition score. Materials and Methods: A clinical trial study was designed in which monosyllabic word recognition test was performed before and after real ear measurement. The test was performed on 21 participants with moderate to severe hearing loss, aged between 20-65. The results were analyzed using paired t-test and a significance level of p<0.05 was defined as statistically significant. Results: Verifying with Real ear measurement increased monosyllabic word recognition score and this increase was statistically significant (p value=0.012). Conclusion: Considering the impact of real ear measurement on improvement of speech intelligibility, which is the ultimate goal of the prescribed hearing aid, the implementation of real ear measurement in hearing aid fitting is recommended.
Sharia Supervisory Board, Audit Committee, and Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure

This study examined the influence of the Sharia Supervisory Board and Audit Committee on the corporate social responsibility disclosure. The research sample used in the study is Islamic Banks in Indonesia from 2014 to 2018, with a total of 60 banks. Quantitative methods with multiple linear regression data analysis techniques were used in this study. The testing of hypotheses uses Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression with a significance of 1%, 5%, and 10%. Test F shows a model that stable and significant. The results of this study supported the research hypothesis that ACSIZE brought a positive and significant effect on corporate social responsibility disclosure. In addition, the sharia supervisory board and the audit committee meet not influence the corporate social responsibility disclosure.
Effect of respiratory muscle training on dysphagia in stroke patients—A retrospective pilot study

Dysphagia is prevalent with cerebrovascular accidents and contributes to the burden of disease and mortality. Strengthening dysfunctional swallow muscles through respiratory muscle training (RMT) has proven effective in improving swallow effectiveness and safety. However, approaches to strengthen only the expiratory muscle groups (EMST) dominate the clinical study literature, with variable outcomes. This study investigated the effect of simultaneous inspiratory‐expiratory muscle strengthening to improve swallowing function in stroke patients.
Social Responsibility Attitudes and Behaviors’ Influence on University Students’ Satisfaction

This study focused on university social responsibility (USR). Corporate social responsibility is currently an extremely common strategy implemented by organizations. Higher education institutions are also introducing this strategy to enhance their performance, seeking to ensure that every university action is socially responsible and oriented toward achieving advantages over competitors. This competitive advantage is the result of a social responsibility vision, which has an ethical core, that the University has implemented or is implementing among all its stakeholders. These institutions work in four areas: instruction, research, management, and projection to society. Universities must thus strive to meet the interests of different stakeholders’ interests. This research concentrated on university students as an important stakeholder. The main objective was to evaluate university students’ participation in USR activities, as well as assessing the impact of relevant university practices. In addition, the study sought to measure the existing causal relationship between students’ participation and their university’s practices in terms of student satisfaction. The fieldwork was conducted with an electronic survey distributed to a group of University of Extremadura students in Spain. A total of 362 valid questionnaires were collected, which were processed using structural equation modeling and partial least squares. The results have implications for university management in the area of social responsibility, with regard to the new USR trends are revealed. In terms of originality and value, this research emphasized a specific stakeholder in universities, namely students, and ways their satisfaction can be achieved through USR.
The Development of the Thesis-Writing Perfectionism Inventory

Previous studies proved that perfectionism is one of the factors causing procrastination in thesis writing. Unfortunately, no inventory that specifically measures perfectionism in the context of thesis writing had been developed. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an inventory of thesis-writing perfectionism that meets several psychometric requirements. The inventory was constructed through four steps: (1) specifying the construct of perfectionism; (2) constructing the measurement model; (3) performing confirmatory factor analysis; and (4) testing the validity of the measurement model. 200 subjects were involved in the study. The validity and reliability of the inventory were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha. These steps successfully validated 10 of 20 initially constructed items.
Quasi‐synchronization of multilayer heterogeneous networks with a dynamic leader

This article considers the pinning quasi‐synchronization problem for a class of leader‐following multilayer heterogeneous complex networks. The leader has nonzero control inputs that are unavailable to the followers. Multilayer heterogeneous networks with heterogeneous node dynamics and two different layer structures are proposed in this article. Two types of discontinuous coupling laws are designed for achieving synchronization in multilayer heterogeneous networks. Based on Lyapunov stability theory and the matrix theory, some sufficient criteria for pinning quasi‐synchronization are derived, and the upper bound of quasi‐synchronization errors is solved. Finally, numerical simulations are performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Optimizing Use of Newly Approved Agents for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract Until recently, treatment advances in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) had been slow since the 1970s. However, in the past few years, as the understanding of the pathophysiology of AML has advanced, numerous treatments have been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. This article reviews the mechanisms of action, indications, and clinical trial details for eight novel agents, as well as the current discussions surrounding monitoring minimal residual disease.
Solving a classification task by spiking neural network with STDP based on rate and temporal input encoding

This paper develops local learning algorithms to solve a classification task with the help of biologically inspired mathematical models of spiking neural networks involving the mechanism of spike‐timing‐dependent plasticity (STDP). The advantages of the models are their simplicity and, hence, the potential ability to be hardware‐implemented in low‐energy‐consuming biomorphic computing devices. The methods developed are based on two key effects observed in neurons with STDP: mean firing rate stabilization and memorizing repeating spike patterns. As the result, two algorithms to solve a classification task with a spiking neural network are proposed: the first based on rate encoding of the input data and the second based on temporal encoding. The accuracy of the algorithms is tested on the benchmark classification tasks of Fisher's Iris and Wisconsin breast cancer, with several combinations of input data normalization and preprocessing. The respective accuracies are 99% and 94% by F1‐score.
Outcomes following non-life-threatening orthopaedic trauma: Why are they considered to be so poor?

The purpose of this review article is to assess the current literature on the outcomes of simple orthopaedic trauma. Simple trauma is defined as the fracture or injury of one limb due to an acute event. Fractures are the most common cause of hospitalized trauma in Australia and associated with multiple social, psychological and physical consequences for patients. The literature to date suggests that there are multiple factors leading to relatively poor outcomes following simple trauma, modifiable and non-modifiable. The most oft cited are older age, lower educational status, being injured at work, injury severity score, pre-existing disease, workers compensation, litigation and pain at initial assessment. Additional psychological risk factors quoted attribute to the injury to an external source and the use of passive coping strategies. This review aims to summarise the relevant literature relating to these risk factors and give direction to improving outcomes and future research into this important area.
An 8-Bit 2.1-mW 350-MS/s SAR ADC With 1.5 b/cycle Redundancy in 65-nm CMOS

This brief presents an 8-bit 350-MS/s successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with 1.5 b/cycle redundancy in 65-nm CMOS. With 12.5% redundancy in conversion cycles, conversion errors caused by capacitor mismatch, offset and DAC settling errors can be addressed. Compared to the conventional 1.5 b/cycle operation, the proposed switching removes the pre-set phase and thus reduces the speed and power penalty. Besides, with this switching scheme, only two reference voltages are needed instead of five in the conventional scheme. The prototype achieves 45.7 dB SNDR at Nyquist input and consumes 2.1 mW from a 1.2 V supply, resulting in a Walden FoM of 38.1 fJ/conversion-step.
An improved fireworks algorithm for the constrained single-row facility layout problem

The single-row facility layout problem (SRFLP) decides upon the arrangement of facilities in a straight row so as to minimise the material handling cost. Generally, this problem allows the placement of the facilities in any location in any order without any restriction, but some practical SRFLP cases are required to meet various types of constraints imposed on the placement of its facilities in the engineering of the placement of factory machinery and equipment. According to this new perspective, we studied the constrained SRFLP (cSRFLP) in this paper. In this problem, a few facilities need to be placed in certain positions or specified orders with or without the requirement to be located next to each other. To address this novel layout problem, related constraints are defined and classified, and novel mixed-integer programming models for the problem are formulated. Subsequently, the CPLEX software is employed to solve this problem. Then a constrained improved fireworks algorithm is presented, which is discretised to solve the considered cSRFLP. Our computational experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm performs better than the existing algorithms in solving the problem.