Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“I Want to See People’s Reactions to the Selfies”: A Lefebvrian Analysis of the Impact of Social Networking Sites on Physical, Mental, and Emotional Functioning

Since the conception and exponential growth of social networking sites (SNSs), technology has advanced sufficiently to allow access to them at any moment for any reason. This has given users a “virtual space” (VS) in which to communicate and “live” within (e.g., Facebook), a space which disparate research has shown to have an impact on users’ behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. The present study aimed to examine the potential for SNSs to influence the physical, mental, and social well-being of undergraduate students. To explore this in a unified fashion, we conducted in-depth interviews with 25 participants across three qualitative studies. All interview transcripts were analyzed using a recursive deductive thematic analysis. Lefebvre’s trialectic of space was examined for its applicability to students’ experiences of VS vis-à-vis SNSs. Lefebvre’s spatial triad provides a novel and coherent framework to untangle and explain the multifaceted and often complicated nature of SNS use. Analysis found correspondence between Lefebvrian triadic space and SNSs to explain the pervasive, dominant, and sometimes pathological role that SNSs can have upon everyday functioning. Implications are that a Lefebvrian approach can inform future research as a means to untangle and explain the multifaceted and often complicated nature of SNS use.
A Low-Profile Dual-Band Patch Antenna With Simultaneous Wide Beamwidth and High Gain by Using Multiresonant Modes

A low-profile aperture-coupled microstrip patch antenna (MPA) under multiresonant modes for wide half-power beamwidth (HPBW), high gain and enhanced-bandwidth is proposed. Firstly, the radiation patterns of the MPA are studied to improve the radiation performance. It demonstrates that the HPBW of the lower TM10 mode could be progressively widened by properly selecting the dielectric constant of the substrate. Meanwhile, by etching a rectangular slot, the high sidelobe in E-plane of the upper TM30 mode could be obviously reduced, resulting in enhancing the normal gain. Secondly, the improved feeding network is introduced and studied. The results show that the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is successfully extended over dual operating bands. Finally, the proposed antenna is fabricated and tested. Experimental results show that the antenna has improved-bandwidths (|S11| < –10 dB) with two-minimum poles in the range of 1.42–1.45 GHz for the lower band and 3.95–4.13 GHz for the upper band, respectively, which is about two times wider than that of the traditional counterpart. Besides, the antenna maintains the small thickness of about 0.02 free-space wavelength. Particularly, the wide E-plane HPBW and broadside gain of the MPA are simultaneously enhanced to around 130° and 9.0 dBi at the lower and upper bands, respectively.
The Distribution of Voting Rights to Shareholders

Abstract This is the first comprehensive study of the distribution of voting rights to shareholders. Only individuals owning stock on a record date may vote. Firms, however, reveal record dates after the fact 91% of the time. With controversial votes, firms are more likely to do the opposite, and this tendency is associated with a lower passage rate for shareholder-initiated proposals. The New York Stock Exchange sells nonpublic record-date information to select investors. When stocks go ex vote, prices decline and trading volume surges, suggesting that activist investors are buying marginal votes. These trends are most pronounced with controversial votes.
Modification of a Fixed Bed Reactor System for Pyrolytic Conversion of Royal Poinciana Pods into Alternative Fuels

An existing fixed bed pyrolytic reactor was modified, constructed and tested. Dry and matured royal poinciana (Delonix regia ) pods obtained from Obafemi Awolowo University campus in Ile-Ife were shelled manually to obtain the husk and seed fractions. Some physicochemical properties and proximate composition of the pods and seeds were investigated following standard procedures. Delonix regia pods and seeds samples were pyrolysed considering five temperature levels (300 - 500 o C at 50 o C interval, each lasting 7 h). The reactor utilizes a 3 kW electrical heating source to decompose bio-material subject to different temperatures. The system is fitted with a condenser for cooling and to maximize bio-oil recovery. The alternative fuel products (char and bio-oil) obtained were analysed for yield, ultimate and chemical composition using gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. The yield of bio-oil derived from the seed was found to be relatively higher than that of the pod and husk; however, all samples produced significant amount of char. The chief chemical constituents in the bio-oil were carboxylic acids, amines, amides, pyridines and phenols. This study show that Delonix regia tree, which hitherto, was grown merely as an ornamental plant, can be explored for alternative fuels production.
Examining the promise of ‘the local’ for improving gender equality in agriculture and climate change adaptation

Abstract Building on the conceptualisation of ‘the local’ in gender and development discourse, we explore how national and sub-national policy actors in Uganda perceive gender equality policy in the context of agriculture and climate change, to assess the potential of localised solutions to achieve gender equality. Using data from national and sub-national policy actors in Uganda (37 semi-structured interviews, 78 questionnaires), the study found that policy actors largely adhered to global gender discourses in proposing context-specific solutions to gender inequality. Our results show that although local actors identified local norms and culture as major barriers to gender equality, their proposed solutions did not address local gender norms, focussed on formal policy and did little to address underlying causes of gender inequalities. Based on the findings, we suggest that ‘the local’ should be reconstructed as a deliberative space where a wide variety of actors, including local feminist organisations, critically engage, assess and address local gender inequality patterns in agriculture and climate change adaptation processes.
Usefulness of the B-Type Natriuretic Peptides in Low Ejection Fraction, Low-Flow, Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis Results from the TOPAS Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study

ABSTRACT Background: Patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), low-flow, low-gradient (i.e. classical low flow [CLF]) aortic stenosis (AS) have a dismal short-term outcome without aortic valve replacement (AVR) but high operative mortality. We hypothesized that brain natriuretic peptides (BNP/NT-proBNP) can risk stratify patients with CLF AS and may assist in clinical decision-making. Methods: Patients with aortic valve area ≤1.2 cm2, mean transvalvular gradient <40 mmHg, and left ventricular ejection fraction <50%, were prospectively recruited. BNP and/or NT-proBNP were measured at baseline. Results: Among 234 patients (77 [68–83] years, 76% male), BNP > 550 pg/ml or NT-proBNP > 1,600 pg/ml (85% and 93% sensitivity, respectively, to correctly classify 1-year death) strongly predicted all-cause mortality (adjusted HR = 2.53 [1.68–3.81], p < 0.001) outperforming flow reserve and baseline LVEF (all likelihood ratio p ≤ 0.02). For both natriuretic peptides, spline curve analysis showed gradual increase in mortality with higher biomarkers levels, which was blunted by AVR. In a head-to-head comparison (n = 104), NT-proBNP appeared to have superior incremental prognostic value than BNP (likelihood-ratio p < 0.001 vs. p = 0.07). Baseline NT-proBNP ≥ 1,600 pg/ml or BNP ≥ 550 pg/ml, identified: i) a high-risk cohort with a dismal outcome under conservative management, but a markedly better survival associated with early AVR (adjusted HR = 0.41 [0.25–0.65], p < 0.001); and ii) a low-risk cohort with an excellent 1-year survival (94 ± 4%) with conservative management or deferred AVR. Conclusion: In patients with CLF AS, BNP/NT-proBNP have the potential to identify high-risk patients who may benefit from early AVR.
Factors Affecting the Decision of Patients to Utilize Health Services for Recycling

Patients in health services have different behaviors in deciding to take advantage of health services. Patients used various considerations to make decisions based on the health products or services for re-treatment. The study aimed to analyze the factors that influence the patient's decision in using health services for re-treatment. This research was quantitative with cross-sectional design and conducted at Tanjung Pura Regional Hospital. The population was 3.946 people, and the sample were 247 respondents taken by using purposive sampling. Data analysis was univariate and bivariate using chi-square and multivariate using multiple logistic regression at the 95% confidence level (a= .05). The results showed that the factors that influenced the patient's decision to use health services for re-treatment at the Tanjung Pura Regional Hospital were the service quality of doctors / nurses (p= .000), distance (p=.049), facilities (p=0.000), and service speed (p = .000). The factors that did not influence we age (p=.461). gender (p=.895), education (p=.371), occupation (p=.593). The most dominant factor influencing is facilities with Exp (B)/OR =14.477, meaning that respondents who stated that the hospital facilities were good, had the opportunity to use health services for re-treatment by 14.4 times higher the respondents who stated that the hospital facilities were not good. It is suggested to Tanjung Pura Regional Hospital to propose and allocate a budget for improving hospital facilities that are still lacking and adding new service facilities so that it can increase public confidence for repeat treatment
Double pulse effect of pico-second laser ablation on transparent materials

Laser processing of transparent materials, particularly deep hole machining, has been extensively studied from the viewpoint of its industrial use. This time, we tried to improve the processing depth by laser ablation processing for back surface of fused silica glass using a picosecond laser with a wavelength of 532 nm. The numerical aperture of lens was 0.4, and the laser was focused on the back surface of the glass. In addition, the input laser was divided into double pulses and compared with the processing results of a single pulse. As a result, it was shown that the processing depth of back surface ablation is higher than that of surface ablation. It was also found that by using a double-pulse that sets the first laser to a laser output below the fluence threshold and the second laser to the laser over the threshold, a deeper processing depth can be obtained. At the same time, when the shapes of the processing traces were observed, the processing traces were not a simple concave-shaped hole, but a donutshaped processing traces with a raised center. In double-pulse laser processing where the first laser is set above the threshold, we find that the processing traces show traces that are close to single-pulse traces.
The role of wages in the Eurozone

Abstract There are two main political economy explanations of the Eurocrisis. The labor market view regards cross-country differences in wage bargaining institutions as the root cause of the crisis. The finance view, instead, emphasizes cross-border financial flows and downplays labor market institutions. For the first time, we attempt to assess these two explanations jointly. We find that financial flows are better predictors of nominal wage growth than labor market institutions. At the same time, we show that wage moderation matters for bilateral export performance in the important case of Germany, but not for other countries. These results suggest that imposing wage moderation and labor market reforms onto the countries of the European periphery was unlikely to improve their plight. In contrast, stimulating wage growth in Germany might have contributed to rebalancing the Eurozone.
A chemo-micromechanical damage model of concrete under sulfate attack

It is essential to explore the corrosion cracking of concrete under sulfate attack to predict the service performance and durability of concrete structures. The damage degree of concrete caused by sulfate attack is quantitatively investigated. Based on the damage mechanism of the local cracking stage, a chemo-micromechanical damage model of sulfate attack of concrete is established by elasto-damage mechanics. The progressive degradation behavior of concrete under sulfate attack is divided into three zones, including the chemical corrosion zone, the damaged concrete zone by expansive stress, and the intact concrete zone. The proposed chemo-micromechanical damage model can quantitatively determine the effects of chemical sulfate corrosion on mechanical properties of concrete. In addition, the present model considers the interaction among corrosion products, the damaged concrete, the intact concrete and uncorrupted hydration products. The comparison between the calculation results and the available experimental data shows that the proposed model is feasible for corrosion cracking analysis. Based on the proposed model, the influencing factors of concrete damage are discussed. With the increase of corrosion degree, the content of corrosion products, the expansion coefficient of corrosion products and the initial radius of corrosion products, the elastic moduli of concrete decrease after sulfate attack. When the tensile strength and rigidity of concrete matrix reduce, the effective elastic moduli of concrete after sulfate attack also deteriorate. The numerical results exhibit that the proposed chemo-micromechanical model is of notable significance to the application of the chemo-mechanical coupling problems of cementitious composite materials.
Antecedents and consequences of green supply chain management in Taiwan's electric and electronic industry

PurposeEnvironmental sustainability is one of the most pressing issues faced by the electric and electronics industry today. Industries are being challenged to incorporate environmental initiatives in their corporate strategies. Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of stakeholder pressures (regulatory, internal and market) on green supply chain management and green corporate resources as well as their effects on the economic and environmental performance of Taiwan's electric and electronic industry.Design/methodology/approachA total of 194 valid questionnaires were collected out of the 1,000 questionnaires distributed to Taiwan's electric and electronic product manufacturers. A structural equation modeling, using Amos 22.0, was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results of the analyses show that stakeholder pressure has a significant positive impact on corporate green resources and green supply chain management practices while green supply chain management practices have a significant and positive impact on organizational performance. Moreover, corporate green resources provide a mediation between organizational stakeholder pressure and green supply chain management.Practical implicationsThe results may be of value and interest to supply chain managers and policymakers on the push factors for implementing green supply chain management practices and their consequences.Originality/valueThis paper shows the complementarity of stakeholder and resource-based theories in influencing organizational performance in the electric and electronic industry in the context of sustainable development. This also enhances the understanding of the antecedents and consequences of green supply chain management and provides robust findings on the relationship between environmental and economic performance.
Camel Milk-Clotting Using Plant Extracts as a Substitute to Commercial Rennet

The transformation of camel milk into cheese is an operation considered very delicate because of several difficulties encountered in achieving coagulation. The present study aims to improve coagulation abilities of camel milk using enzyme extracts from pineapple, kiwi, and ginger. Our results concerning the characterization of the enzymatic extract showed an extraction yield that varies according to the type of extract (pineapple: 75.28% ± 4.59, kiwi: 63.97% ± 5.22, and ginger: 28.64% ± 1.47). The optimum coagulation conditions of the 3 types of extract were as follows: for pineapple: pH = 5 and temperature = 45°C; for kiwifruit: pH = 6.6 and temperature = 40°C; and for ginger: pH = 6.6 and temperature = 45°C. A fresh cheese was made from camel milk with a particular nutritional quality and consistency. The kiwi proteases displayed chymosin-like properties and thus hold the best potential for use as a milk coagulant in cheese production.
Night lighting and anthropogenic noise alter the activity and body condition of pinyon mice (
 Peromyscus truei
 )

Anthropogenic noise and arti ﬁ cial night lighting have been shown to have substantial effects on animal behavior, physiology, and species interactions. Despite the large body of previous work, very few studies have studied the combined effects of light and noise pollution, especially experimentally in the ﬁ eld. Rodents are a highly diverse group that are predominantly nocturnal and occupy a wide range of habitats worldwide, frequently in close association with human development, placing them at a height-ened risk from sensory disturbances. To test the singular and combined effects of various levels of anthropogenic light and noise exposure on pinyon mouse ( Peromyscus truei ) activity and body condition, we used standard trapping methods across a gradient of light and noise and the two combined and accounted for variation of moonlight, vegetation structure, and weather. We hypothesized that increased levels of arti ﬁ cial light would decrease trap success and lead to lower body condition due to an increase in perceived predation risk and that increased noise levels would increase trap success and body condition due to a reduction in predation risk and/or release from competition. Pinyon mouse trap success declined as light intensity increased, and the effect was comparable to that of moonlight, which is well known to in ﬂ uence rodent activity and perception of predation risk. Although noise pollution did not alter trap success of pinyon mice, individuals captured in noisier areas at the beginning of the season had lower body condition than those from quieter areas. Body condition was unin ﬂ uenced by noise and light later in the season. We also found no evidence of any additive or synergistic effects of the two stimuli. Our results provide evidence that alterations to the sensory environment from anthropogenic activity can affect wild rodents in several ways. As anthropogenic development increases to meet the demands of growing human popula-tions, more ecosystems will be exposed to increased levels of sensory disturbance, making the understanding of how these changes affect wildlife critical to ongoing conservation efforts.
The impact of wearing an abdominal corset to achieve compression on colonoscopy outcomes: a randomised controlled trial

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of abdominal corset use on colonoscopy outcomes in patients undergoing colonoscopy. This randomised controlled trial was conducted between March 2019 and January 2020, with the participation of 60 patients who underwent colonoscopy in the endoscopy unit of a university hospital. Half (n=30) of these patients were included in the experimental group and wore an abdominal corset during colonoscopy. It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between the groups according to variables, including caecal intubation time (p=0.371), the need for position change in the colonoscopy process (p=0.554), position change in caecum imaging (p=1.000) and manual abdominal compression during the procedure (p=0.091). The results of this study reveal that abdominal corset usage does not provide a significant extra benefit compared with conventional colonoscopy in improving colonoscopy outcomes.
Modelling uniform and preferential flow in bioretention systems

Bioretention systems are increasingly used worldwide to mitigate the impacts of urban stormwater runoff on the water cycle. The proper management of bioretention systems requires accurate modeling of physical processes occurring within these systems. This study developed and tested a generic and physically-based model called Infiltron-mod. This model makes use of the Darcian approach (assuming Mualem-van Genuchten model for the description of the soil hydraulic properties) and mass conservation. The first version of the model considers evapotranspiration, overflow, exfiltration to surrounding soils, along with the filter hydraulic head and underdrain discharge. The proposed model was tested against field data from a monitored bioretention basin in Melbourne, Australia. We used two rainfall events to calibrate the model and 20 rainfall events for its validation. We achieved quite nice fits of experimental data with median NSE values in the order of 0.7-0.75 for the outflow rates. Despite good performance for outflow rates, we noticed the potential for improvement for the simulation of the height of water in the systems. Such discrepancy is probably the result of preferential flows.
Evaluation of Salvage Logging Productivity and Costs in the Sensitive Forests of Bulgaria

Steep terrain harvesting can only be implemented by a limited set of operational alternatives; therefore, it is important to be efficient in such conditions, in order to avoid incurring high costs. Harvesting abiotically-disturbed forests (salvage harvests caused by wet snow), which is becoming common these days, can significantly impact the operational efficiency of extraction operations. This study was implemented in order to evaluate the performance of truck-mounted uphill cable yarding operations in salvage logging deployed in coniferous stands. A time study was used to estimate the productivity and yarding costs, and predictive models were developed in order to relate the time consumption and productivity to the relevant operational factors, including the degree of wood damage. The average operational conditions were characterized by an extraction distance of 101 m and a lateral yarding distance of 18 m, resulting in a productivity rate of 20.1 m3 h−1. In response to different kind of delays, the productivity rate decreased to 12.8 m3 h−1. Under the prevailing conditions, lateral yarding accounted for 32% of the gross work cycle time, and for 50% of the delay-free work cycle time of the machine. Decreasing the lateral yarding distance and increasing the payload volume to the maximum capacity of the machine would eventually lead to a yarding productivity of close to 30 m3 per SMH (scheduled machine hour). The calculation of the gross costs of uphill yarding showed that the labor costs (35.7%) were slightly higher than the fixed costs (32.9%), and twice as high compared to the variable costs (17.7%). The remote control of the carriage, mechanical slack-pulling mechanisms, and radio-controlled chokers are just some of the improvements that would have led to increments in operational efficiency.