Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and efficacy of digital health education: An overview of systematic reviews

Objective: The primary aim of this overview was to synthesise results from studies including digital education and its effect on knowledge or learning outcomes, student satisfaction, student enrolment, attendance rate, course completion rate, clinical practice, health outcomes for patients and cost-effectiveness in health-care education. A secondary aim was to report on successful instructional design strategies, and barriers or contextual factors influencing the effectiveness of online learning course delivery in healthcare education. Method: We conducted an overview of systematic reviews (SRs) for digital education interventions delivered to health-care students and practitioners. Results: We scanned 848 titles, reviewed 247 abstracts and assessed 49 full-text articles against pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. This overview includes data collected from 31,730 participants across 16 SRs. The quality of evidence included in the SRs ranged from very low (n = 2), low (n = 6) to moderate (n = 8). The best available SRs were of moderate quality (7.4 of 11 AMSTAR). SR authors did not report other teaching methods as being superior to digital learning. In most cases (n = 9), digital education when used in addition to traditional methods augmented knowledge acquisition. Other SRs (n = 7) did not show statistically significant differences across interventions including digital education as a replacement, or additive resource to traditional intervention. Conclusion: Student enrolment, attendance rates, course completion rates, cost-effectiveness and changes in clinical outcomes for patients are underreported in the existing evidence. Although the quality and quantity of data are limited, evidence-based instructional design for digital education is becoming more possible, especially as educators establish learning activities that track to learning objectives for knowledge acquisition in health care.
Corporate Taxes and High-Quality Entrepreneurship: Evidence from a Tax Reform

We examine the impact of corporate taxation on entrepreneurship, using a quasi-natural experiment, which substantially reduced the corporate tax rate for start-ups located in inland municipalities in Portugal. The combination of a high quality and universal firm level database for Portugal allows the detailed study of firm's behaviour. We use BPlim’s harmonized Central Balance Sheet panel for the period of 2006 to 2015 to evaluate the different behaviour of exporters and non-exporters in Portugal. We follow on the self-selection and learning-by-exporting literature, estimating several exporter productivity premiums. After finding solid evidence of a productivity advantage of exporters compared to non-exporters, which seems to emerge several years before firms start to export, we expand our study in order to explore the causality of the previous findings. Thus, we estimate a logit fixed effects model to assess the impact of several variables in the export propensity of a firm. We corroborate the self-selection theory, given the significance of labour productivity in probability of a firm exporting, as well, as significant effects of firm absolute size, relative market share, sector concentration and investment.
Heat transfer modelling of dropwise condensation behaviour of magnesium vapours in the electrothermal production of magnesium

ABSTRACT During the extraction of magnesium by the electrothermal process, the condensation of magnesium vapours in the condenser is critical to achieve operational efficiency. In the present work, a mathematical heat transfer model has been developed to predict the growth rate of a single liquid metal drop during dropwise condensation (DWC) of magnesium vapours in the electrothermal process. Homogeneous DWC model has been developed considering negligible thermal resistance at the liquid–vapour interface for a single cycle of liquid magnesium layer formed at vapour–liquid interface. The heterogeneous DWC has been modelled taking into account all possible thermal resistances. The role of constriction resistance on transient droplet growth behaviour has been studied and the parametric sensitivity analysis has been conducted. Parameters i.e. degree of undercooling (ΔT), contact angle (θ), thickness of condenser wall (δ )and constriction effect cause (β) has been studied for droplet growth behaviour. Heat transfer and specially the constriction resistance was found to be quite significant for heterogeneous DWC of magnesium metal vapours. Alongwith other parameters, the thermally inactive region (β) on the condenser surface inversely affects the growth. The model-based predicted Mg droplet growth profiles during condensation have been validated with published data on similar DWC studies.
Providing Environmental Public Goods under the Common Agricultural Policy as a Cure for Market Failure

Purpose: In the reality of the marketplace, a situation often arises where an economic surplus (rent) achieved by agricultural producers is partly taken over by related non-agricultural sectors. In this sense the category of economic rent embraces market failures related to such factors as price flexibility, and thus represents an effect of the misallocation of resources in the agricultural sector. The question therefore arises of whether there exists a developmental model of agriculture in which such market failures would be reduced. Apparently the only coherent response to this need is action taken under the paradigm of sustainable agriculture. This type of model for the sector’s functioning is supported by the objectives of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including through support for the supply of public goods in rural areas. Design / Methodology / Approach: To verify the hypothesis, a panel regression analysis was performed on three sets: the EU-15 countries and the EU-12 countries. The analysis covered two hitherto accomplished CAP programming periods: 2004-2006 and 2007-2013. Findings: Increase in the level of payments for public goods, as a percentage of total subsidies to agriculture, leads on average to a reduction in the drainage of economic rents through prices. It was also found that the financing of public goods under the CAP is more effective in reducing market failures in the EU-15 countries than in the EU-12. Practical Implications: This article addresses the question of whether CAP payments for public goods are a desirable systemic solution serving to reduce market failures. It is hypothesised that the financing of activity relating to the supply of public goods mitigates the “market treadmill”, since it reduces the unexpected outflows of economic surplus away from farms, caused by agricultural prices.
Is resilience a favourable concept in terrorism research? The multifaceted discourses of resilience in the academic literature

ABSTRACT The concept of resilience is frequently found in academic documents describing the favoured solution for how to address the threat of terrorism. Despite this, few attempts have been made to critically examine what resilience means and whether it is a favourable concept in terrorism research. Since multiple researchers in other disciplines have claimed that the resilience concept serves as an umbrella concept for a range of positive attributes, this study investigates the different discourses that resilience in the academic terrorism literature is built upon. The analysis outlines five different discourses in the academic literature that contain different descriptions of what it means to be resilient regarding terrorism. It is concluded that the meaning of terrorism resilience in the academic literature is multifaceted, ambiguous and sometimes contradictory. The positive connotation embedded in the concept of resilience and the absence of a description of what it means not to be resilient is problematic because it turns resilience into a utopian goal rather than a realistic counterterrorism project. Moreover, resilience normalises the view of terrorism as a ubiquitous omnipresent threat and legitimises counterterrorism measures as a positive, depoliticised necessity. Resilience is serving ideological purposes, and thus researchers should not uncritically accept resilience as the solution to the threat of terrorism.
Partial Discharge Characteristics of Electrical Treeing in XLPE insulation utilizing Multi Level PWM Waveforms

Applying pulse width modulated (PWM) shaped voltages allows a flexible control of power and energy. The downside is that under such operating conditions, the voltage stress imposed on the insulation systems increases, particularly as the frequency content is considerably higher than at the conventional 50 Hz power frequency. Among various degradation mechanisms, electrical treeing is one important process and it can be linked to the presence of partial discharge (PD) activity. In this paper, the changes in PD characteristics at different stages of the degradation by electrical treeing were investigated for XLPE based insulation exposed to rapidly changing voltages of different inverter level. The test specimen in the investigation were subjected to two and three level wave form, each characterized by applying a short rise-time. Here the rise time was 0.75 µs and all tests run applying 414 Hz carrier frequency. To compare the voltage endurance, the voltage level was gradually increased until detectable PD activity and tree initiation could be observed, both electrically and optically. As a rule, continuous PD appearance was observed between 23 and 37 kV pp , however the inception voltage was on average found higher for the three level inverter. The total number of PDs and their amplitude per cycle were monitored at the degradation process. Here the experimental results show that the trees had a significantly less branched appearance compared to longer voltage rise times and sinusoidal waveform in previous work. The conclusions from two and three level inverters suggest this method present new opportunities to study the PD characteristics during treeing processes.
Just a Progressive Step: Women’s Empowerment in Turkish Microcredit Practices

In developing countries, the economic potential of women has long been under-utilized as a means of lifting households and communities out of poverty. In this respect, microcredit schemes offer an innovative form of social welfare, widely accessible to women. This study examines one such program from the Turkish context: the Maya Enterprise for Micro Finance , a conditional credit opportunity for women to start and/or develop their own businesses, granted by the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work (KEDV). Our study aimed to explore the impact of KEDV's credit transfer scheme on the lives of users, especially in terms of the psychological and economic empowerment of women. Deploying a mixed methods research strategy, we administered and analyzed quantitative surveys (n=336) in order to determine the perceptions, thoughts, insights and reactions of KEDV program users, also conducting qualitative interviews with 21 participants. Our findings indicate that the program was influential in empowering women by increasing their self-confidence and changing their relationship with other people in the household.
EXCHANGE RATE MOVEMENTS AND THE EXPORT SECTOR: NEW EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM NIGERIA

The impact of exchange rate movements on the export sector in Nigeria is examined in this study through the use of time series data and the classical linear regression model (CLRM) estimation technique. The variables employed in this study are exchange rate, agric. output, manufacturing output, total export earnings, government capital expenditure, foreign direct investment and broad money supply (M2). From the result, it becomes apparent that exchange rate movements play a significant role in the performance of the export sector in Nigeria. More specifically, the findings show that exchange rate, manufacturing output, agric. output, government capital expenditure and foreign direct investment are positively related to export earnings while the broad money supply (M2) is negatively related. It is therefore recommended that the apex bank should keep a close watch on exchange rate developments in order to enhance exchange rate stability, which will in turn contribute to the development of the export sector in Nigeria.
Wildfire in the West: An Initial Analysis of Wildfire Impacts on Hydrology and Riverbed Grain Size in Relation to Salmonid Habitat

Widespread development and shifts from rural to urban areas within the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) has increased fire risks to local populations, as well as introduced complex and long-term costs and benefits to communities. We use an interdisciplinary approach to investigate how trends in fire characteristics influence adaptive management and economies in the Intermountain Western US (IMW). Specifically, we analyze area burned and fire frequency in the IMW over time, how fires in urban or rural settings influence local economies, and whether fire trends and economic impacts influence managers’ perspectives and adaptive decision-making. Our analyses showed some increasing fire trends at multiple levels. Using a non-parametric event study model, we evaluated the effects of fire events in rural and urban areas on county-level private industry employment, finding shortand long-term positive effects of fire on employment at several scales and some short-term negative effects for specific sectors. Through interviewing 20 fire managers, we found that most recognize increasing fire trends and that there are both positive and negative economic effects of fire. We also established that many of the participants are implementing adaptive fire management strategies, and we identified key challenges to mitigating increasing fire risk in the IMW. 1 Coauthors: Liana Prudencio, Ryan Choi, Emily Esplin, Muyang Ge, Jeffery Haight, Patrick Belmont, and Courtney Flint.
A comparison of the oxidative stress response in single-incision laparoscopic versus multi-trocar laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair

Introduction Surgical treatment is always associated with tissue damage and the subsequent development of oxidative stress. Aim To compare the oxidative stress response in patients treated operatively for inguinal hernia with multi-trocar laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal technique (TEP) or single-incision laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal technique (TEP-SI). Material and methods A randomized group of 34 patients with one-sided inguinal hernia was enrolled in the study. Seventeen patients were treated with a standard TEP method (group 1) and the other 17 patients were treated with the TEP-SI technique (group 2). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) as the oxidative stress markers were measured before surgery (0), 1 day (1) and 4 days (2) after surgery. Results A decrease in TAS on the first day after surgery was observed in both groups. Sustained reduction on the fourth day after surgery was observed in group 1, whereas in group 2 an increase followed. A statistically significant difference was observed in TAS (2 : 0) ratio with a meaningful decrease in group 1. TBARS concentration was elevated 1 day after surgery in both groups. It remained at an elevated level on the fourth day after surgery in group 1, while it decreased in group 2. The duration of surgery was higher in group 2 (mean: 57.5 min) than in group 1 (mean: 50.0 min) (p = 0.0286). Conclusions Oxidative stress levels are lower in patients treated operatively by TEP-SI technique than by TEP. TEP-SI may be considered as a less invasive technique associated with less tissue injury.
The costs of tax havens: evidence from industry-level data

ABSTRACT Multinational enterprises make use of tax havens to avoid paying corporate income taxes and this costs 100 billion USD and more in lost government revenue worldwide according to an increasing number of recent studies. None of those studies assigns these costs to industries. I aim to shed more light on this gap by using some of the best available industry-level US data to determine to what extent the location of the MNEs’ profit is aligned with the location of their economic activities. My first finding is that the most important tax havens for US multinational enterprises are the Netherlands, Ireland and Luxembourg (all EU member states). Second, I systematically identify the specific industries in specific tax havens responsible for the costs, which should be useful information for tax authorities aiming to reduce tax avoidance. Finally, I argue that the current data are not detailed enough to provide a reliable industry breakdown of the costs, but the prospect of combining input-output tables with forthcoming country-by-country data seems more promising.
Exploratory study of attitudes towards counselling among medical students in India

ABSTRACT The process of professional development during the course of medical education is frequently faced with stressors and setbacks in academic, personal, familial and social domains. The present research explored the attitudes, barriers and perceived benefits of counselling services among 692 undergraduate medical students using the Counselling Need Assessment Questionnaire. It was found that 50% of the participants accepted that there was a need for counselling for both themselves as well as for friends and 75% also felt that that mild stress could be relieved with the help of counselling. The barriers that students faced for approaching counselling services as well as the perceived areas of benefits were also explored.
Effect of sinusoidal electrical cortical stimulation on brain cells

Background Electrical cortical stimulation is often used in patients with neurological disorders but it is unclear how it modulates different types of brain cells. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the effect of sinusoidal electrical brain stimulation (SEBS) on different types of brain cells and to identify the exact types of brain cells that are stimulated. Methods The study subjects were 40 male Sprague Dawley rats (weight 300–350 g; age 9 weeks). SEBS was delivered continuously at frequencies of 20, 40, 60, or 100 Hz to the sensory parietal cortex using epidurally placed electrodes for 1 week. Transverse rat brain tissue sections were immunolabeled with calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and parvalbumin (PV) antibodies and with c-Fos for counting of activated excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Computer simulation was performed to cross-validate the frequency-specific cell stimulation results. Results Inhibitory neurons were more excited than excitatory neurons after epidural EBS. Most excitatory neural activity was evoked at 40 Hz (p<0.05) and most inhibitory neuronal activity was evoked at 20 Hz (p<0.01). The contralateral sensory cortex was activated significantly more at 40 Hz (p<0.05) and the corticothalamic circuit at 20 Hz (p<0.001). Stimulation-induced excitatory and inhibitory neuronal activation was widest at 20 Hz. Conclusions Epidural electrical stimulation targets both excitatory and inhibitory neurons and the related neural circuits. Further exploration is needed to identify circuits that promote the plasticity needed for recovery in patients with specific neurological diseases. Graphical Abstract
The effects of vascular remodeling and blood flow on muscle fatigue during exercise in spinal cord injured individuals

Our purpose was to determine if spinal cord injured subjects (SCI) have decreased femoral artery diameter and maximal hyperemic blood flow when expressed per unit of muscle volume compared to able-bodied (AB) individuals. Blood flow was measured in the femoral artery using Doppler ultrasound. Muscle mass was determined by magnetic resonance imaging. SCI individuals had smaller muscle cross sectional areas (37%, p = 0.001) and volumes (38%, p = 0.001) than AB individuals. Furthermore, femoral artery diameter (0.76 ± 0.14 vs. 0.48 ± 0.06 cm, AB vs. SCI, p < 0.001) and femoral artery maximal flow (2050 ± 520 vs. 1220 ± 240 ml/min, AB vs. SCI, p < 0.001) were lower in SCI than AB individuals. Femoral artery diameter and maximal flow per unit muscle volume did not differ between SCI and AB individuals. Recovery after ischemia was prolonged in SCI compared to AB individuals (p = 0.048) suggesting impaired vascular reactivity. Vascular restructuring appears to be closely linked to muscle atrophy in SCI individuals.
An Investigation on the Existence and Health Hazards of Fascioliasis among Buffaloes in Sohag Governorate, Southern Egypt: Fascioliasis in Buffaloes in Egypt

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, the common parasites of grazing animals in different regions of the globe including Egypt. This study was conducted on buffaloes for investigating the prevalence and health hazards of fascioliasis in Sohag, Egypt. An overall prevalence rate 36/151 (23.84%) was observed among all tested buffaloes. Among the aforementioned animals, fascioliasis was confirmed in living animals via detecting the operculated golden brown egg in the fecal samples in 33/117 (28.21%), whilst adult fluke was detected in liver samples from slaughtered buffaloes of another group 3/34 (8.82%). No difference was observed in the prevalence in housed buffaloes (24.47%) or in farmed ones (22.81%), (P=0.82, Odds ratio=0.5-2.38). Evaluation of health hazards in infected animals (n=33) was employed against a number of non-infected control animals (n=20). Hematological variables in infected buffaloes revealed significant decrease in RBCs count, hemoglobin content, PCV, an increase in WBCs count, neutrophils and eosinophils percents, and decrease in lymphocytes percent, indicating anemia and immunopathology. In addition, hepatic dysfunction was reported as evidenced by a significant decrease in serum albumin and a significant increase in ALT, AST, globulin, and serum total protein in diseased animals in comparison to control ones. Also, there were a significant increase in catalase and malonaldehyde and decrease in superoxide dismutase in diseased animals suggesting altering the redox potential. Postmortem examination revealed the presence of adult worm, necrosis, cirrhosis, mononuclear cell infiltration in hepatocytes and portal canal. These results emphasize the endemicity of fascioliasis among buffaloes in Egypt and the expected significant hazards on animal health and economic aspects.
Vasomotor Impact of Perivascular Adipose Tissue on Coronary Circulation

Research during the past decade has highlighted the functional role of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in regulating the contractility of the underlying vascular smooth muscle cell layer. However, the mechanisms underlying these observations are not fully understood. PVAT has a protective role as it could induce vasorelaxation in different anatomical positions. However, there is a considerable evidence that the development and progression of coronary artery disease could be attributed to coronary PVAT. This review provides a comprehensive review of the vasomotor effect of PVAT that identifies the coronary PVAT as a necessary paracrine organ with a significant role in physiology and associated pathologies, and calls for basic cardiovascular research to solve this issue.