Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of the Generation of Surface-Attached Polymer Networks through C, H-Insertion Reactions

We describe the formation process of thin films consisting of surface-attached polymer networks formed through C, H-insertion based cross-linking (CHic process). To this thin films of polymers containing benzophenone or sulfonyl azide groups are photochemically or thermally activated, which leads to simultaneous cross-linking and surface attachment of the deposited polymer. A simple percolation model is used to describe the formation of such polymer networks as a function of reaction time and reaction conditions. It is based on known parameters such as the kinetics of the activation of the cross-linker, cross-linker contents, molecular weight of the polymer, film thickness, temperature (respectively the light dose), and absorption coefficient of the polymer. The developed model allows, with only one adaptable parameter, namely the efficiency factor j, the prediction of the complete cross-linking behavior of CHic reactions. The kinetic model enables the identification of suitable conditions for network for.
Effective and Interpretable fMRI Analysis via Functional Brain Network Generation

Recent studies in neuroscience show great potential of functional brain networks constructed from fMRI data for popularity modeling and clinical predictions. However, existing functional brain networks are noisy and unaware of downstream prediction tasks, while also incompatible with recent powerful machine learning models of GNNs. In this work, we develop an end-to-end trainable pipeline to extract prominent fMRI features, generate brain networks, and make predictions with GNNs, all under the guidance of downstream prediction tasks. Preliminary experiments on the PNC fMRI data show the superior effectiveness and unique interpretability of our framework.
Hydro-climatic Variability and Trend Analysis of Modjo River Watershed, Awash River Basin of Ethiopia

Climate change and variability is expected to trigger changes in temperature and precipitation series. This study aimed at assessing variability and trend of hydro-climatic variables at Modjo River watershed. Long-term climate data of 5 representative stations with in the watershed (19812010) and stream flow data of Modjo gauging station (1983 -2010) were used. Rainfall variability was analyzed using Coefficient of variation (CV), Precipitation concentration index (PCI) and Standardized anomaly index (SAI). Climate trends were evaluated using Sen’s slope estimator and Mann–Kendall trend test methods. The study revealed Most of the stations showed low variation in annual rainfall (CV% <20) while the main (Kiremt) and short (Belg) season rainfall exhibited CV ranging from low to high. Both annual and seasonal rainfall showed a non-significant trend at all stations for the past 30 years. However, majority of stations showed an increasing trend in annual daily average temperature ranging from 0.2 to 0.6oC per decade. Following increases in temperature and the subsequent rise in evapotranspiration, stream flow has shown a high significant declining trend. The temporal decline in stream flow at Modjo watershed could likely affect downstream Koka dam water reserve. Thus, any watershed management strategy that can optimize water conservation for sustainable crop production and option that can improve flow to the reserve is vital.
Engineering professional identity practices: Investigating the use of web search in collaborative decision making

Collaborative learning and problem solving are important aspects of engineering professional practice that need to be addressed in preparing competent engineering graduates and forming their professional identities. Taking the learning as becoming a professional perspective, we illustrate the diversity of engineering practices in a collaborative decision-making episode, where students’ participation in the activity is mediated by their use of web search. We present how our development of the implied identity approach could help to understand how technology mediates collaborative sense making in relation to professional practices and identities. We illustrate this by providing examples of ways in which students use web information to justify their decision making.
Evaluation of Treatment Methods and Clinical Characteristics of Patients Applying to the Outpatient Clinic with Complaint of Mastalgia

Objective: Mastalgia or breast pain is one of the most vital complaints among women patients. This study aims to determine the prevalence of mastalgia and the properties of pain, elucidate the associated factors, particularly modifiable ones, and establish a treatment of standard. Methods: The study evaluated 685 female patients admitted to our outpatient clinic with a complaint of mastalgia in the period between 2017 and 2019. Results: Mean age of the patients was 35.20 ±10.28 (13–86). The pain was experienced in the right breast of 123 (17.9%) patients, in the left breast of 141 (20.6%) patients, and in both breasts of 422 (61.5%) patients. The mean pain value was found to be 5.29. The study population comprised 61 (8.9%) patients in the menopause state, whereas 624 (91.1%) patients were not in menopause. The pain was noncyclic in 519 (75.8%) patients, while cyclic for 166 (24.2%) patients. For treatment, a restricted diet in terms of coffee, salt, and fat as well as wearing supportive bra were recommended for 456 (66.5%) patients, while 181 patients with pain VAS (Visual Analog Scale) score of 8 and above was initiated with vitex agnus-castus. No patient was initiated with local or systemic analgesics and LHRH (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone) analogs. Conclusion: The prevention and management of mastalgia reflected that restricted salt intake, regulated diet, and the use of properly fitted bras could significantly improve the quality of life. Appropriate radiological imaging could eliminate patients’ concerns regarding developing cancer.
Origin of fourfold anisotropy in square lattices of circular ferromagnetic dots

We discuss the fourfold anisotropy of the in-plane ferromagnetic resonance field Hr, found in a square lattice of circular Permalloy dots when the interdot distance a becomes comparable to the dot diameter d. The minimum Hr along the lattice 11 axes and the maximum along the 10 axes differ by 50 Oe at a/d=1.1. This anisotropy, not expected in uniformly magnetized dots, is explained by a mechanism of nonuniform magnetization mr in a dot in response to dipolar forces in the patterned magnetic structure under strong enough applied field. It is well described by an iterative solution of a continuous variational procedure.
Marrying up: field experimental and household survey evidence of competitive search for a taller and richer spouse

Couple’s heights tend to match. However, whether such matching is for the sake of height or the many desirable traits associated with stature (e.g., income) is unclear. We contribute novel experimental and empirical data to identify gender differences in search behavior for mate height and income. We recorded clicks on profiles with randomly assigned height and income information on a major online dating website. These clicks reveal that taller men prefer taller women. By contrast, women not only prefer taller men but also higher income men, permitting the calculation of their willingness to pay (WTP) for mate-height. Surprisingly, short women have the highest WTP for mate-height. We confirm this heterogeneity in preference for mateheight by applying the method of Chiappori et al. (2021) for multidimensional matching to data on married couples. Short early mothers drive these results. Our evidence is consistent with short women attempting to match non-assortatively to increase the height of their children. We contribute to the search and matching literatures with one of the few papers on multidimensional search which integrates directed online search behavior with outcome data on marriages.
A Multi-Site Analysis of the Prevalence of Food Insecurity in the United States, before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic profoundly affected food systems including food security. Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted food security is important to provide support and identify long-term impacts and needs. Objective The National Food Access and COVID research Team (NFACT) was formed to assess food security over different US study sites throughout the pandemic, using common instruments and measurements. This study presents results from 18 study sites across 15 states and nationally over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A validated survey instrument was developed and implemented in whole or part through an online survey of adults across the sites throughout the first year of the pandemic, representing 22 separate surveys. Sampling methods for each study site were convenience, representative, or high-risk targeted. Food security was measured using the USDA 6-item module. Food security prevalence was analyzed using ANOVA by sampling method to assess statistically significant differences. Results Respondents (n = 27,168) indicate higher prevalence of food insecurity (low or very low food security) since the COVID-19 pandemic, compared with before the pandemic. In nearly all study sites, there is a higher prevalence of food insecurity among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), households with children, and those with job disruptions. The findings demonstrate lingering food insecurity, with high prevalence over time in sites with repeat cross-sectional surveys. There are no statistically significant differences between convenience and representative surveys, but a statistically higher prevalence of food insecurity among high-risk compared with convenience surveys. Conclusions This comprehensive study demonstrates a higher prevalence of food insecurity in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These impacts were prevalent for certain demographic groups, and most pronounced for surveys targeting high-risk populations. Results especially document the continued high levels of food insecurity, as well as the variability in estimates due to the survey implementation method.
Novel catalytic system: N-hydroxyphthalimide/hydrotalcite-like compounds catalysing allylic carbonylation of cyclic olefins

N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) combined with stable and recoverable transition metal—aluminium binary hydrotalcite-like compounds (M-Al HTLcs, M = Cu, Ni, Co) as an unprecedented catalytic system was demonstrated for the allylic carbonylation, as the model reaction, of cyclic olefins with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), using isophorone (IP) to ketoisophorone (KIP). The results showed NHPI combined with Cu−Al HTLcs to be an efficient catalytic system and the influences of various reaction conditions of the catalytic reaction were optimised. A maximum IP conversion of 68.0% with 81.8% selectivity to KIP was afforded under the optimal reaction conditions. Experiments of repeatability and restorability showed Cu-Al HTLcs to be stable for at least five cycles without noticeable loss of catalytic activity. Expanding substrates could also be efficiently converted to the corresponding ketones under the optimised reaction conditions with appreciable yields. A plausible catalytic reaction mechanism was proposed.
The Interaction of Nitrogen and Phosphorus on Cotton Fields in Medium Fertility Sandy Loam in Arid Region

【Objective】This study researched the effects of the optimal proportion of Nitrogen,Phosphorus and Potassium to cotton yield under the same irrigation condition in arid area. 【Method】The experiment adopted orthogonal saturated designs,design of different N,P fertilization level and their combination treatment,and the total experimental plots were 27. 【Result】According to the experiment results,the polynomial regression was established,that is,the cotton(ginned cotton) yield(Y) and nitrogen(N) and phosphorus(P) quantity of regression equation:Y=206.58+3.21XN+9.83 XP-0.003 5 XN2 + 0.029 XP2-0.011XNXP. The optimum formulation of fertilizer was: nitrogen fertilizer was 260.74 kg/hm2;phosphorus fertilizer was 120.07 kg/hm2.At this time cotton(ginned cotton) can get the highest yield:Y=1 214.98 kg/hm2. 【Conclusion】Different levels of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers decide different cotton yields. Interaction between Nitrogen and Phosphorus is very significant.
Nonlinear hysteretic parameter identification using improved artificial bee colony algorithm

Hysteresis is a common phenomenon arising in many engineering applications. It describes a memory-based relation between the restoring force and the displacement. Identification of the hysteretic parameters is central to practical application of the hysteretic models. To proceed so, a noteworthy thing is that the hysteretic models are often complex and non-differentiable so that getting the gradients is never straightforward and therefore, the swarm-based algorithm is often preferable to inverse hysteretic parameter identification. Along these lines, an improved artificial bee colony algorithm is developed in this paper for general hysteretic parameter identification. On the one hand, several hysteretic models along with the extensions to tackle the degradation and pinching behaviours are considered and how to model a structure with hysteretic components is also elaborated. As a result, the governing equation for the direct problem is established. On the other hand, the differential evolution mechanism is introduced to improve the original artificial bee colony algorithm. Numerical examples are conducted to testify the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method in nonlinear hysteretic parameter identification.
Insight into the adaptive evolution of mitochondrial genomes in intertidal chitons

The intertidal zone is one of the most stressful environments, with extreme shifts in temperature, salinity, pH and oxygen concentration. Marine molluscs, particularly chitons that belong to the category of ecologically significant organisms, survive in this extreme environment, and are ideal systems for studying stress adaptation. Mitochondria are known to be critical for energy homeostasis, and changes in environmental factors result in their dysfunction and consequent injury to the organism. Intertidal organisms are exception in this respect because they are capable of maintaining mitochondrial integrity. Here, we used mitochondrial genetic components from seven chitons of the intertidal zone to infer phylogenetic relationships. Selection analyses on individual protein-coding genes (PCGs) were performed to identify and map potentially adaptive residues in the modelled structures of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. The results showed significant amino acid changes in sites under diversifying selection for all the PCGs, indicating that the mitochondrial genome in chitons is undergoing adaptive evolution. Such sites were observed in the proton pump as well as in the translocation channel of the transmembrane helices and the surrounding loop regions, thus implying functional modification of the mitochondrial proteins essential for survival in the dynamic environment of the intertidal zone.
Measurement of volume fractions of solid, liquid and gas in kraft and CTMP paper at varying moisture content

The consolidation of paper during drying is of interest to increase the understanding of the development of the paper quality. The mercury displacement technique proved suitable to measure the apparent solid density and the volume fractions of solid, liquid and gas in wet paper sheets. Measurements were performed on handsheets of chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP), bleached and unbleached softwood kraft and bleached hardwood kraft. The measured apparent solid density and volume fractions were independent of the basis weight in the range of 100-250 g/m 2 . This investigation shows that pressing, refining and bleaching do not change the consolidation of the sheets fundamentally
Determining the Dynamic Contrast - Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE- MRI) in Diagnosis of Pulmonary Nodules

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of dynamic contrast _ enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in diagnosis of pulmonary nodules. Patients and methods: The study was a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 30 patients with lung nodules referred to Radio diagnosis and imaging department from chest and oncology departments. By performing repeated CT within 30 days, we identified malignant nodules. The CT was repeated at 3 and 6 months which showed that the malignant pulmonary nodules increased in size and number. Results: The maximum enhancement curve was a significant discriminator. At cut-off value of ≥ 375, the maximum enhancement curve yielded a sensitivity of 92.6% and specificity of 96% (figure 3). In contrary, the ADC value had poor diagnostic accuracy in differentiating between malignant and benign cases. Conclusion: Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is valuable for diagnosis of pulmonary nodules and discrimination of benign from malignant ones. Original Research Article El-Nenaey et al.; JAMMR, 33(12): 115-129, 2021; Article no.JAMMR. 68754 116
The relationship between NLRP3 rs10159239 and Vaspin rs2236242 gene variants and obstructive sleep apnea

Background In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), recurrent upper airway obstruction and apnea/hypopnea episodes result in endothelial dysfunction, which leads to the release of many proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS induces NLRP3, a protein involved in the synthesis of interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-18; vaspin is a serine protease inhibitor that has an important role in suppressing the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of NLRP3 rs10159239 (rs9239) and vaspin rs2236242 (rs6242) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on OSA development. Methods This study included 220 individuals who underwent polysomnography (118 patients with OSA and 102 healthy controls). NLRP3 rs9239 and vaspin rs6242 mutation frequencies were analyzed. Results The NLRP3 rs9239 SNP genotype analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between the OSA and control groups. In the vaspin gene analysis, the rs6242 AA genotype was significantly more frequent in the OSA group compared with the control group, while the AT genotype was more frequent in controls (P = 0.004, P = 0.02). Comparison of rs6242 allele levels showed that the A allele was significantly more frequent in OSA patients than in controls (P = 0.03). The AA genotype was significantly more frequent in patients with severe OSA than in patients with mild or moderate OSA and the control group (P = 0.001 for all). Serum vaspin levels were significantly lower in carriers of the AA genotype than those with AT and TT genotypes (P = 0.001). Conclusion The vaspin rs6242 SNP AA genotype increased susceptibility to OSA, while the AT genotype appeared to be protective. The lower plasma vaspin levels in OSA compared with the control group and in patients with the AA genotype suggest that vaspin may be a protective biomarker for OSA.
International student-athletes’ perceptions of the long-term impact of the NCAA experience

ABSTRACT Research exploring international student-athletes’ (ISA’s) perceptions of their National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) experience has been limited to studies conducted prior to, during, or immediately following their college careers. Notably lacking has been research conducted with ISA’s who have been removed from college sport for a significant time period. Twenty-three former NCAA Division I athletes representing 16 countries and eight sports participated in semi-structured interviews 30–60 minutes in duration to address this gap in the literature. Each participant had been removed from college sport for a minimum of five years to allow sufficient time to assess the long-term impact of college sport on their lives. Three primary themes emerged from the analysis of data: (1) thinking globally, (2) development and application of life skills, and (3) preparation for sport careers over non-sport careers. Implications of each theme are discussed and recommendations are offered for prospective ISA’s and American post-secondary institutions.
Nodulation of Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ and the Diversity of Symbiotic Frankia Strains

Shepherdia ×utahensis ‘Torrey’ (hybrid buffaloberry) is an actinorhizal plant that can form symbiotic nodules with the actinobacterial genus Frankia. However, little research has been conducted to investigate the presence of Frankia in their nodules and the effects on plant growth. In this study, plants were grown in a Metro-Mix® 820 substrate and inoculated with soils collected from Mohave County, AZ, or in a low organic-matter substrate inoculated with soils from North Logan, UT. The presence of Frankia was quantified using PolF/PolR primers to amplify their nitrogenase (nifH) gene sequences. In the Metro-Mix 820 substrate, plants irrigated with nitrogen (N)-free Hoagland’s solution at pH 6.5 formed nodules at week 12 after experiment initiation, whereas those receiving the same solution with 2 mm ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) appeared healthy, but no nodules formed. In the low organic-matter substrate, nodules formed in 5 weeks when plants were irrigated with N-free Hoagland’s solution at pH 7.5. Four 300-bp fragments of query sequences (SU1, SU2, SU3, and SU4) were obtained from nodules. When compared with nifH gene sequences reported in the literature using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST), more than 90% similarity to the nifH of Frankia spp. was obtained. The Frankia strains in the nodules shared nifH sequences similar to those of the same host-specific group of Shepherdia. Furthermore, Frankia strains with similar nifH genes have been reported in nodules of Shepherdia argentea (silver buffaloberry). Additionally, Frankia strains belonging to cluster 3 infective strains consisting of Elaeagnaceae and Rhamnaceae infective Frankia showed high similarity to the query sequences. This research demonstrates that nodulation of S. ×utahensis is inhibited at 2 mm NH4NO3. Apart from N, nodule formation may be associated with the substrate type and pH of the nutrient solution. Based on nifH gene sequence amplification, Frankia strains in the root nodules may have the potential to fix atmospheric nitrogen (N2). These Frankia strains have signature gene sequence characteristics of Elaeagnaceae-infective Frankia, suggesting that S. ×utahensis shares Frankia strains similar to its parents.
Earnings Volatility, the Use of Financial Derivatives and Earnings Management: Evidence from an Emerging Market

In the face of crises such as Covid-19, businesses become devastated by greater risk exposure, particularly in currency exchange, supply chain disruption, and fluctuation in commodity prices that cause volatile earnings trends. Higher earnings volatility is frequently associated with greater risk. Consequently, firms could be inspired to engage in earnings management or derivative use as attempts to mitigate earnings volatility. Using a sample of 169 of the largest non-financial firms with 507 firm-years observations from an emerging market, the researchers examined the relationship among derivative use, earnings volatility, and earnings management. The results of a panel regression analysis showed that derivative use by Malaysian public listed companies was positively connected with earnings volatility, inferring that the use of derivatives did not mitigate earnings volatility as intended. This study also found that both earnings volatility and derivative use have a positive relationship with earnings management. This implies that firms engage in earnings management to curb earnings volatility under circumstances where derivative use is associated with higher earnings volatility. Evidence derived from this study contributes to extant literature on financial risk management involving financial instruments, an area that is very much understudied in the contexts of emerging markets.