Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unknown Eruption Source Parameters Cause Large Uncertainty in Historical Volcanic Radiative Forcing Reconstructions

Reconstructions of volcanic aerosol radiative forcing are required to understand past climate variability. Currently, reconstructions of pre‐20th century volcanic forcing are derived from sulfate concentrations measured in polar ice cores, mainly using a relationship between the average ice‐sheet sulfate deposition and stratospheric sulfate aerosol burden based on a single explosive eruption—the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. Here we estimate volcanic radiative forcings and associated uncertainty ranges from ice‐core sulfate records of eight of the largest bipolar deposition signals in the last 2,500 years using statistical emulation of a perturbed parameter ensemble of aerosol‐climate model simulations of explosive eruptions. Extensive sampling of different combinations of eruption source parameters using the emulators reveals that a very wide range of eruptions in different seasons with different sulfur dioxide emissions, eruption latitudes, and emission altitudes produce ice‐sheet sulfate deposition consistent with ice‐core records. Consequently, we find a large range in the volcanic forcing that can be directly attributed to the unknown eruption source parameters. We estimate that the uncertainty in volcanic forcing caused by many plausible eruption realizations leads to uncertainties in the global mean surface cooling of around 1°C for the largest unidentified historical eruptions. Our emulators are available online (https://cemac.github.io/volcanic-forcing-deposition) where eruption realizations for given ice‐sheet sulfate depositions can be explored.
Assessment of trace element accumulation on the Tunisian coasts using biochemical biomarkers in Perinereis cultrifera

1 Laboratory of Ecology, Biology and Physiology of Aquatic Organisms, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, 2092 Tunis, Tunisia. (MB) (Corresponding author) E-mail: marwa.bouhedi@fst.utm. tn. ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2705-7483 (MA) E-mail: antit_mouna@yahoo.fr. ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0420-7119 (MC) E-mail: Marwachaibi89@gmail.com. ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5958-4213 (AA) E-mail: atf.azzouna@fst.utm. tn. ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5606-5239 2 Mer Molécules Santé, Department of Biology Environment, Faculty of Sciences, UCO Angers, France. (HP-E) E-mail: hperrein@uco.fr. ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4195-3137 (PG) E-mail: pgillet@uco.fr. ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7183-9685
Prevalence of Inducible Clindamycin Resistance and Nanotechnological Control of Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Isolates

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the pathogens that may cause a wide range of infections in humans. Clindamycin has been considered as an important medication in treating these infections especially skin and soft tissue infections. Inducible clindamycin resistance (ICR) is a complication in treating S. aureus infections in humans. It is difficult to detect S. aureus strains expressing ICR by using standard susceptibility test methods. Recently, there is an increasing need to find alternatives to antibiotics. Nanoparticles, especially silver nanoparticles, were reported as potential alternatives for traditional antibiotics (or in combination with traditional antibiotics) against the emergence of bacterial multidrug resistance. This research aimed to study the prevalence of ICR among S. aureus clinical isolates and investigate the antibacterial effects of AgNPs solely and in combination with clindamycin against these isolates with evaluation of the acute toxicity of intraperitoneal administrated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Out of one hundred isolates of S. aureus studied over a period of one year, 70 isolates were identified as MRSA and 30 isolates were MSSA. Results revealed that the percentage of cMLSB, iMLSB, and MS phenotypes were 40%, 10% and 9% respectively. Overall, 41% isolates of S. aureus showed susceptibility to Erythromycin. Both iMLSB and cMLSB phenotypes were the most predominated among MRSA isolates. AgNPs was found to have strong antibacterial effect with MIC of 1μg/ml and partially synergistic activity with clindamycin towards S. aureus. Intraperitoneal administration of AgNPs was found to be moderately toxic.
1D-2D Numerical Model for Wave Attenuation by Mangroves as a Porous Structure

In this paper, we investigate wave attenuation caused by mangroves as a porous media. A 1-D mathematical model is derived by modifying the shallow water equations (SWEs). Two approaches are used to involve the existing of mangrove: friction term and diffusion term. The model will be solved analytically using the separation of variables method and numerically using a staggered finite volume method. From both methods, wave transmission coefficient will be obtained and used to observe the damping effect induced by the porous media. Several comparisons are shown to examine the accuracy and robustness of the derived numerical scheme. The results show that the friction coefficient, diffusion coefficient and vegetation’s length have a significant effect on the transmission coefficient. Moreover, numerical observation is extended to a 2-D SWEs, where we conduct a numerical simulation over a real bathymetry profile. The results from the 2-D numerical scheme will be validated using the data obtained from the field measurement which took place in Demak, Central Java, Indonesia. The results from this research will be beneficial to determine the characteristics of porous structures used for coastal protection.
The Characteristics and Self-Regulation of Undergraduate Students in Online English Learning: A Case Study of A Private University in Thailand

Online learning is readily available in Thailand, and scholars acknowledge its importance in assisting language learners to accomplish their foreign language goals. Currently, with the COVID-19 global pandemic, self-distancing is helping to reduce the infection rate. Since learning must continue, technologies play a vital role. Educators and students have managed to adjust to the unprecedented situation and continue with classes despite the many obstacles. Thus, this study examines the characteristic variables (motivation, belief in language, and anxiety) and self-regulation in online English learning classes, as well as investigating the relationship between the characteristic variables and self-regulation of undergraduate students at a private university in Thailand. The study involves 132 participants enrolled in an online English course during the pandemic, with a questionnaire and focus group interviews employed as the research instruments. The results showed that the students were highly motivated, exhibited positive beliefs, moderate anxiety, and high self-regulation toward online English learning. Two variables, namely motivation and positive beliefs, were found to be correlated with self-regulation in online English learning at the 0.01 and 0.05 significance level, respectively. Anxiety in online English learning was found to have no significant relationship with self-regulation in online English learning, indicating that students experiencing some level of anxiety during the online class could still exhibit self-regulated behavior. These findings are expected to provide a foundation for further research in the online learning field.
Multidimensional Codebook Design Using Deep Learning Techniques for Rayleigh Fading Channels

A new approach based on deep learning techniques for multidimensional codebook (MDC) design over Rayleigh fading channels is proposed in this letter. Different from autoencoder (AE) techniques, the proposed deep neural network (DNN) can generate codebooks directly without a decoder structure. Two loss functions, one exploiting essential figures of merit (FoMs) and the other based on theoretical symbol error probability over fading channels, are introduced for the proposed DNN structure. Simulation results reveal that the resulting codebooks of the proposed approach have similar symbol error rate (SER) performance when adopting different loss functions. They have substantial SER performance gain over the codebooks learned by AEs, and reach close SER performance with codebooks conventionally designed by state-of-the-art. Moreover, the proposed approach guarantees good FoMs for the learned MDCs.
Strain engineering and thermal conductivity of a penta-BCN monolayer: a computational study

Two-dimensional (2D) pentagonal nanostructures have been caught research attention down to their electronic, optical, mechanical and thermal transport properties. Among them, the newly proposed ternary penta-BCN monolayer shows a great potential for piezoelectric materials according to intrinsic piezoelectricity and spontaneous polarization. Nevertheless, the effect of strain toward these properties of the penta-BCN has not been elucidated. In this study, using density-functional theory with the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) functional, we have investigated the impact of a uniform biaxial strain on the electronic structure and the thermal conductivity of the semiconducting penta-BCN single sheet. The strain-free penta-BCN monolayer is mechanically and dynamically stable with an indirect band gap of 1.70 eV. The sheet is rather soft as judged from the low in-plane Young’s moduli. The pentagonal structure is preserved up to the yielding point of 18.4%, beyond this point the irreversible transition into the dynamically unstable, honeycomb-like system is observed. In contrast, the penta-BCN has dynamically instability under the compressive strain as small as −4%. The PBE band gap of the penta-BCN monolayer could be tuned within a range of 1.36–1.70 eV, falling into the infrared spectrum. The calculated lattice thermal conductivity of penta-BCN is around 97 W m−1 K−1 at temperature of 300 K, and decreases with increasing temperature.
Football players and asset manipulation: the management of football transfers in Italian Serie A

ABSTRACT Research question: We consider player trading as one of the distinctive features of football clubs’ business models and how these models have been influenced since the implementation of Financial Fair Play (FFP). Considering the Italian financial and economic context in the football sector, we investigate whether Serie A football clubs adopt earnings manipulation as a result of trading players’ economic rights. Research methods: The empirical analysis includes the football clubs competing in the Italian Serie A from 2005 to 2018. Using an unbalanced panel dataset composed of 275 club-year observations (38 different clubs), our estimations are run by using fixed effects OLS models. Clubs’ net capital income from sales of football players is used as a proxy of earning manipulation. We control for clubs’ football performance, size and reputation. Results and Findings: By applying Bartov’s model based on asset sales, our results confirm the adoption of asset manipulation behaviours in the football industry, wherein players’ economic rights sales are a preponderant financial item affecting economic performance. Specifically, net income from trading players is significant and positively linked with Serie A clubs’ profitability, while leverage is significant after the introduction of FFP and especially for the most prominent Serie A clubs. Implications: Our results confirm that Italian Serie A has been chronically dependent on player trading to maintain their financial sustainability. UEFA’s regulations could be assessed and modified to enable them to prevent and reveal the real activities and dynamics behind the player transfer market (profit smoothing behaviours).
INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY-LEVEL ASSOCIATES OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE IN PAKISTAN: A MULTI-LEVEL MIXED EFFECT ANALYSIS (PDHS 2017-18)

Purpose of the study: This research aims to investigate the impact of mass media exposure and women's autonomy on the use of contraceptives, along with other potential determinants at the individual level and community level among women in Pakistan. Methodology: Data was extracted from Pakistan Demographic & Health Surveys 2017-18. The sample size included 10,461 non-pregnant and married women from a total of 15,068 ever-married women. The analysis was done using two-level mixed-effects logistic regression for the binary outcome variable, i.e., current contraceptive use (yes/no). Main Findings: Significant factors positively associated with contraceptive use at the individual level were women's education, wealth index, parity, age at first cohabitation, child mortality experience, and mass media exposure. Community attributes like region (Sindh, KPK, Balochistan as compared to Punjab), residence (rural as compared to urban) had an inverse relationship with contraceptive use. At the same time, women's education and an ideal number of children were the significant positive associates. Women's empowerment has though insignificant, but it has a positive impact on the use of contraceptives at both individual and community levels. Applications of this study: Family planning programs can be extended by focusing on women residing in rural settings or in high fertility intentions communities, less educated and unprivileged younger women who had reduced the uptake of contraceptives. An increase in women's access to education, media exposure, employment, and women's empowerment can help attain Pakistan's contraceptive prevalence targets. Novelty/Originality of this study: The current study's effect of individual and community-level factors was investigated using National-level data, mainly focusing on the role of mass media and women's autonomy.
After the Race to the Top: State and District Capacity to Sustain Professional Development Innovation in Florida

The Race to the Top (RTTT) program incentivized states to use innovation for systemwide improvement of student outcomes, but little is known about how RTTT-funded innovation was sustained after the RTTT program ended. This mixed-methods study examined state and district approaches to sustaining an international innovation called lesson study, a teacher-driven, collaborative, inquiry-based teacher learning process imported from Japan and promoted statewide in Florida. While the state’s role in sustaining lesson study was limited, we found that districts that integrated lesson study into the district instructional system through a clear expectation and strategic adaptation, supported school and teacher ownership of lesson study practice, and provided necessary support and funding were more likely to sustain lesson study. In contrast, the districts that focused on implementation fidelity and district-led facilitation eventually phased out lesson study. Policy implications for sustaining federally funded professional development innovations are discussed.
Rigid Adherent-Resistant Elastomers (RARE): Nano-, Meso-, and Microscale Tuning of Hybrid Fluorous Polyoxetane–Polyurethane Blend Coatings

A series of hybrid elastomers were prepared by a combination of (1) condensation cured, −Si(OC2H5)3 end-capped, poly(3-trifluoroethoxymethyl-3-methyloxetane), “3F”, and a siliceous domain “builder”, bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane, and (2) a linear 3F polyurethane “U-3F”. Hybrid compositions U-3F-x are designated by polyurethane weight percent “x”. Bulk characterization includes thermal transitions (DMA, DSC), mechanical properties (DMA, tensile), and susceptibility to swelling by a hydrocarbons (hexadecane). Increased mechanical properties, particularly toughness, was found with increasing U-3F wt %. Near surface U-3F depletion was established by ATR-IR spectroscopy with Ge and diamond crystals. To describe the length scale for near surface U-3F depletion, the term mesosurface is introduced, which in this context is a depth of ∼1000 nm. Peak removal force in shear (Pc-s) for a rigid adherent, namely epoxied aluminum cylinders (ECs), was determined with a TA Instruments RSA III. A striking compositional depende.
Projected sea-level changes in the marginal seas near China based on dynamical downscaling

Projections of future sea-level changes are usually based on global climate models (GCMs). However, the changes in shallow coastal regions, like the marginal seas near China, cannot be fully resolved in GCMs. To improve regional sea-level simulations, a high-resolution (~8 km) regional ocean model is set up for the marginal seas near China for both the historical (1994-2015) and future (2079-2100) periods under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5. The historical ocean simulations are evaluated at different spatiotemporal scales, and the model is then integrated for the future period, driven by projected monthly climatological climate change signals from 8 GCMs individually via both surface and open boundary conditions. The downscaled ocean changes derived by comparing historical and future experiments reveal greater spatial details than those from GCMs, e.g., a low dynamic sea level (DSL) centre of -0.15 m in the middle of the South China Sea (SCS). As a novel test, the downscaled results driven by the ensemble mean forcings are almost identical with the ensemble average results from individually downscaled cases. Forcing of the DSL change and increased cyclonic circulation in the SCS are dominated by the climate change signals from the Pacific, while the DSL change in the East China marginal seas is caused by both local atmosphere forcing and signals from the Pacific. The method of downscaling developed in this study is a useful modelling protocol for adaptation and mitigation planning for future oceanic climate changes.
Enhancement of Carbofuran Degradation by Immobilized Bacillus sp. Strain DT1

The widespread application of carbofuran has raised increasing concerns about health damage and environmental pollution. To degrade carbofuran in liquid and soil media, Bacillus sp. strain DT1 was isolated from soil. The isolated bacterial strain used the compound as a sole source of carbon and energy. Using rice straw as a material for bacteria immobilization resulting in 97.5% of the insecticide was degraded in a biofilm-batch reactor at the 3rd cycle, which was about 20% higher than using glass slides for immobilization. The chemical degradation in soils by bacteria immobilized in rice straw was also from 12.5% to 19.8% higher than by free counterparts. Furthermore, the dissipation rates in the previously-treated soils were higher than those in the untreated soils. Besides, the degradation of carbofuran by Bacillus sp. DT1 produced 3-hydroxycarbofuran, carbofuran 7-phenol and 2-hydroxy3-(3-methypropan-2-ol) phenol as intermediate products. These findings demonstrated that Bacillus sp. DT1 immobilized in rice straw has a high potential for bioaugmentation of carbofuran in biofilm-batch reactor and in soils.
“Don’t Label Them as Addicts!” Student Pharmacists’ Views on the Stigma Associated with Opioid use Disorder

Abstract Background: Student pharmacists represent an important potential population for targeted educational interventions focused on skill and confidence development in order to improve interactions with opioid users and to decrease stigma. The objective of this study was to understand student pharmacists’ perceptions of opioid users. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with student pharmacists across Tennessee over two months in 2020. Concepts from the Transtheoretical Mode, Social Cognitive Theory, stigma, and results from a survey sent to student pharmacists were used to develop the open-ended questions. Thematic analysis was conducted to inductively identify main themes. The recruitment of student pharmacists continued until thematic saturation was obtained. Results: Three focus groups were conducted with a total of 16 student pharmacists in second, third, and fourth professional years. Thematic analysis revealed two themes: Don’t label them as addicts, Student Insight into OUD-Associated Stigma and five sub-themes: developing a judgment-free environment; unconscious bias; a possible connection between physical appearance and addiction; socio-cultural factors, addiction, and isolation; and motivators to decrease stigma. This study not only presents the pharmacy students experiences and their significance, but also reports their recommendations for addressing the stigma associated with OUD in the pharmacy curriculum. Conclusions: These ﬁndings highlight the need to normalize appropriate language when describing patients with OUD and avoid negative labels such as “addict. ” The ﬁndings also indicate where the roots of stigma lie and provide some of the tools to fight stigma on different fronts. Future research should explore and address potential implicit biases throughout pharmacy curriculum.
To integrate a language focus in a linguistically diverse physics classroom

Abstract It has previously been suggested that there is a need for a more language focused science instruction, especially in linguistically diverse classrooms, where many students are second language learners. But it has also been suggested that teachers may feel uncertainty about how to teach in ways that promote learning of both subject matter and language. Previous studies have revealed how the language of science, especially the written language of science, is used to create a certain meaning. Research on interventions shows how this knowledge, through a functional metalanguage, can be used successfully. However, few studies explore how teachers in science instruction themselves integrate a language focus in their linguistically diverse classrooms. This ethnographic case study investigates how a teacher, through her planned metalanguage activities, integrated language in her physics classrooms in Year 5. The results reveal that (1) the activities focused on the students’ literacy development; (2) the activities sometimes had an integrated language and subject focus and sometimes an isolated language focus; and (3) the students put a great deal of effort into understanding how they were to perform the various framed activities. The study has implications for how a language focus can be integrated in subject teaching.
Electoral administration and the problem of poll worker recruitment: Who volunteers, and why?

Elections depend on the thousands of people who give up their time to administer this crucial public service. They staff polling stations and ensure votes are issued, cast and counted. Poll workers are effectively ‘stipended volunteers’, receiving some limited financial compensation, but working for the broader public good. It is important to understand why people choose to give up their time to provide this fundamental public service to their fellow citizens. Using original data from a poll worker survey conducted in the 2015 British general election, this article investigates the motivations and incentives for poll workers volunteering to administer major elections in an important advanced democracy. Exploratory expectations are set out about the motivations of poll workers, and the relationship to their socio-economic characteristics, and levels of social capital and satisfaction with democracy. Contrary to expectations, the findings note that, earning some extra money is important to many, although motivations are more broadly structured around solidary, purposive and material motivations. The article establishes a range of relationships between each set of incentives, and poll workers’ socio-economic, social capital and satisfaction profiles.