Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Drives Animal Fluency Performance in Cantonese-Speaking Chinese Patients with Adult-Onset Psychosis?

Among the numerous studies investigating semantic factors associated with functioning in psychotic patients, most have been conducted on western populations. By contrast, the current cross-sectional study involved native Cantonese-speaking Chinese participants. Using the category fluency task, we compared performance between patients and healthy participants and examined clinical and sociodemographic correlates. First-episode psychosis patients (n = 356) and gender- and age-matched healthy participants (n = 35) were asked to generate as many ‘animals’ as they could in a minute. As expected, patients generated fewer correct responses (an average of 15.5 vs. 22.9 words), generated fewer clusters (an average of 3.7 vs. 5.4 thematically grouped nouns), switched less between clusters (on average 8.0 vs. 11.9 switches) and, interestingly, produced a larger percentage of Chinese zodiac animals than healthy participants (an average of 37.7 vs. 24.2). However, these significant group differences in the clusters and switches disappeared when the overall word production was controlled for. Within patients, education was the strongest predictor of category fluency performance (namely the number of correct responses, clusters, and switches). The findings suggest that an overall slowness in patients may account for the group differences in category fluency performance rather than any specific abnormality per se.
High-resolution x-ray scattering measurements: I. Surfaces

X-ray scattering investigations of surfaces and interfaces in soft-condensed matter are reviewed. Both high-resolution structural determinations in the direct space and investigations of fluctuations with long-range correlations requiring a high resolution in the Fourier space are discussed. All the scattering cross-sections for diffraction or diffuse scattering are derived within a unified frame, and the experimental aspects related to their measurement are discussed in detail. The general principles are illustrated by various examples of studies of the liquid-vapour interface, Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films, wetting films, polymer films, liquid crystals and liquid-liquid interfaces.
Edge transport studies in the edge and scrape-off layer of the National Spherical Torus Experiment with Langmuir probes

Transport and turbulence profiles were directly evaluated using probes for the first time in the edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) of NSTX [Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)] in low (L) and high (H) confinement, low power (Pin∼ 1.3 MW), beam-heated, lower single-null discharges. Radial turbulent particle fluxes peak near the last closed flux surface (LCFS) at ≈4×1021 s−1 in L-mode and are suppressed to ≈0.2×1021 s−1 in H mode (80%–90% lower) mostly due to a reduction in density fluctuation amplitude and of the phase between density and radial velocity fluctuations. The radial particle fluxes are consistent with particle inventory based on SOLPS fluid modeling. A strong intermittent component is identified. Hot, dense plasma filaments 4–10 cm in diameter, appear first ∼2 cm inside the LCFS at a rate of ∼1×1021 s−1 and leave that region with radial speeds of ∼3–5 km/s, decaying as they travel through the SOL, while voids travel inward toward the core. Profiles of normalized fluctuations feature levels o.
Rapid manufacturing of lattice structures with selective laser melting

Since the development of layered freeform manufacturing processes some technologies have emerged such as the Selective Laser Melting process (SLM) which uses layers of metal powder to manufacture 3D-objects from CAD-data by melting targeted geometries. The main goal using this process is to obtain functional products from engineering materials that feature desired properties such as given strength, hardness, surface roughness and residual stress behaviour. Rapid production with short throughput times due to only few process steps, a high individuality and a high degree of geometric freedom are considered to be its major advantages. However one disadvantage to all laser-based freeform manufacturing is the immense consumption of time since only considerably small quantities of material can be processed per time unit. Therefore it is desirable to review oldfashioned engineering design rules and develop part geometries that allow for hollow shaped parts with interior lattice structures providing the part with virtually the same stiffness and strength. Thus the process cost could be massively cut down due to reduced production time and less need for costly powder material. The SLM-process is meeting the requirements to fulfil this intention. Based on using fiber laser technology that delivers high beam quality the process is capable of producing thin walled structures of high tensile strength. Here development, production and testing of such lightweight yet sustainable SLM-parts will be presented along with their possible applications.
Malaysian Apprenticeship Implementation: Issues and Challenges Towards Effective Employers Engagement

While the jobs recovery is underway in many countries, persistently high rates of youth unemployment remain a significant labour market challenge. In response, there has been increasing interest in apprenticeships both as a route into employment and also in raising the skill levels of the workforce. Apprenticeship is one of the methods to promote young people's employment. It is historically prevalent and successful in Europe and is emulated in other countries around the world to promote employment especially amongst youth. Apprenticeships and other work-based training opportunities are valuable training pathways for improving the transition from school-to-work. At the local level, apprenticeship programmes can contribute to regional development objectives and provide local employers with the skilled workforce they require to remain competitive and create jobs. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the currents issues and challenges faced by Malaysian industrial employers in employer engagement of apprenticeship programmes through action research and descriptive studies. This action-based research as a methodology is to gather the responses of Malaysian local companies’ experiences in the manufacturing sector, across Multinational Companies (MNC), Government-Linked Corporations (GLC) and Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SME) and identify the key issues and solutions that could create a beneficial prospect for TVET graduates and participating companies. Both descriptive quantitative and qualitative data from the survey questionnaires and interviews, respectively, were employed. 71 companies involved in the online survey and 6 manufacturing companies participated in the interviews and discussions as well as brainstorming. From the perspective ofindustries, this study found that the main key issues and challenges are: scarcity of competent industries instructors and coaches; provision of CPD; availability of apprenticeship bridging programs; teaching capacity; skills to deliver high quality employer focused apprenticeship; and industries and training providers collaboration. These six main issues are fundamentally systemic and highly intertwined in nature and will have to be resolved by all the stakeholders based on an agreeable working framework of apprenticeship in Malaysia. The findings of this study could provide policy makers and social partners with specific learnings to remove barriers to engaging employers in apprenticeship programmes, broaden access to training opportunities and improve the economic development and labour market performance of local areas.
A Critical Rationalist Inquiry of Managerial Epistemology. Toward the Confrontation of the Unawareness Problem.

This study applies Critical Rationalism (CR), a stance associated with the philosophy of science, to solve a practical problem: management unawareness. Managers (as any other human being) hold a theory through which they explain the world and rationalize their decisions. Like any other theory, the one held by managers may be false. The problem of unawareness is a state in which the theory holder does not imagine the very possibility that the theory may be indeed false. Since managers’ theories underlie the recognition of potential problems that managers have to address (as well as the subsequent solving process), the state of unawareness prevents problem recognition, and consequently problem solving. This study confronts the problem of unawareness and overcomes it.
Creep Properties and Analysis of Cross Arms’ Materials and Structures in Latticed Transmission Towers: Current Progress and Future Perspectives

Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have been selected as an alternative to conventional wooden timber cross arms. The advantages of FRP composites include a high strength-to-weight ratio, lightweight, ease of production, as well as optimal mechanical performance. Since a non-conductive cross arm structure is exposed to constant loading for a very long time, creep is one of the main factors that cause structural failure. In this state, the structure experiences creep deformation, which can result in serviceability problems, stress redistribution, pre-stress loss, and the failure of structural elements. These issues can be resolved by assessing the creep trends and properties of the structure, which can forecast its serviceability and long-term mechanical performance. Hence, the principles, approaches, and characteristics of creep are used to comprehend and analyse the behaviour of wood and composite cantilever structures under long-term loads. The development of appropriate creep methods and approaches to non-conductive cross arm construction is given particular attention in this literature review, including suitable mitigation strategies such as sleeve installation, the addition of bracing systems, and the inclusion of cross arm beams in the core structure. Thus, this article delivers a state-of-the-art review of creep properties, as well as an analysis of non-conductive cross arm structures using experimental approaches. Additionally, this review highlights future developments and progress in cross arm studies.
The Challenge of Periprosthetic Joint Infection Diagnosis: From Current Methods to Emerging Biomarkers

Due to the increase in the life span and mobility at older ages, the number of implanted prosthetic joints is constantly increasing. However, the number of periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs), one of the most severe complications after total joint arthroplasty, also shows an increasing trend. PJI has an incidence of 1–2% in the case of primary arthroplasties and up to 4% in the case of revision operations. The development of efficient protocols for managing periprosthetic infections can lead to the establishment of preventive measures and effective diagnostic methods based on the results obtained after the laboratory tests. In this review, we will briefly present the current methods used in PJI diagnosis and the current and emerging synovial biomarkers used for the prognosis, prophylaxis, and early diagnosis of periprosthetic infections. We will discuss treatment failure that may result from patient factors, microbiological factors, or factors related to errors during diagnosis.
Bisexual Galton–Watson branching processes with superadditive mating functions

For a bisexual Galton–Watson branching process with superadditive mating function there is a simple criterion for determining whether or not the process becomes extinct with probability 1, namely, that the asymptotic growth rate r should not exceed 1. When extinction is not certain (equivalently, r > 1), simple upper and lower bounds are established for the extinction probabilities. An example suggests that in the critical case that r = 1, some condition like superadditivity is essential for ultimate extinction to be certain. Some illustrative numerical comparisons of particular mating functions are made using a Poisson offspring distribution.
X ray and EUV emission spectra of oxygen ions precipitating into the Jovian atmosphere

Spectra of soft X ray and EUV emissions of oxygen ions, precipitating into the Jovian atmosphere, are calculated, taking into account the dynamical evolution of the energy and charge distributions of the ions as they propagate. Monte Carlo simulations are performed using experimental and theoretical cross sections of ion collisions with the atmospheric gases. The numbers of X ray and EUV photons produced per precipitating oxygen ion are calculated as functions of the initial ion energy and charge. The energy and charge distribution functions are used to evaluate the intensities of characteristic X ray and EUV emission lines of oxygen ions in Jovian auroras. Radiative cascade transitions from highly excited ion states are shown to be an important source mechanism of soft X ray and ultraviolet emission lines.
Fabrication of Hybrid Electrodes by Laser-Induced Forward Transfer for the Detection of Cu2+ Ions

Composites based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)—graphene oxide (GO) are increasingly considered for sensing applications. In this work we aim at patterning and prototyping microscale geometries of PEDOT:PSS: GO composites for the modification of commercially available electrochemical sensors. Here, we demonstrate the laser-induced forward transfer of PEDOT:PSS: GO composites, a remarkably simple procedure that allows for the fast and clean transfer of materials with high resolution for a wide range of laser fluences (450–750 mJ/cm2). We show that it is possible to transfer PEDOT:PSS: GO composites at different ratios (i.e., 25:75 %wt and 50:50 %wt) onto flexible screen-printed electrodes. Furthermore, when testing the functionality of the PEDOT:PSS: GO modified electrodes via LIFT, we could see that both the PEDOT:PSS: GO ratio as well as the addition of an intermediate release layer in the LIFT process plays an important role in the electrochemical response. In particular, the ratio of the oxidation peak current to the reduction peak current is almost twice as high for the sensor with a 50:50 %et PEDOT:PSS: GO pixel. This direct transfer methodology provides a path forward for the prototyping and production of polymer: graphene oxide composite based devices.
Multifrequency observations of blazars. 5: Long-term millimeter, submillimeter, and infrared monitoring

Multifrequency monitoring data are presented for 17 blazars between 375 and 22 GHz. These data are used to study the overall flaring behavior of blazars, and, in particular, to test predictions of shock models for the early phases of flare evolution. It is shown that time delays between light curves and flare amplitudes at different frequencies are in good agreement with existing shock models. Evidence is found for the flares in BL Lac objects to reach maximal development at lower frequency than those of optically violent variable quasars. On short timescales the variability behavior is complex, with 'flickering' over a range of amplitudes. Most objects that underwent a large outburst during the monitoring period show a flattening of the 375-150 GHz spectral slope with increasing 270 GHz flux.
Innovative Photonic Sensors for Safety and Security, Part II: Aerospace and Submarine Applications

The employability of photonics technology in the modern era’s highly demanding and sophisticated domain of aerospace and submarines has been an appealing challenge for the scientific communities. In this paper, we review our main results achieved so far on the use of optical fiber sensors for safety and security in innovative aerospace and submarine applications. In particular, recent results of in-field applications of optical fiber sensors in aircraft monitoring, from a weight and balance analysis to vehicle Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) and Landing Gear (LG) monitoring, are presented and discussed. Moreover, underwater fiber-optic hydrophones are presented from the design to marine application.
Determining the internal quantum efficiency of highly efficient polymer solar cells through optical modeling

A power conversion efficiency of 4.2% (AM1.5, 1000W∕m2) is measured for an organic solar cell based on an active layer of an alternating copolymer, containing a fluorene and a benzothiadiazole unit with two neighboring thiophene rings, and a fullerene derivative. Using optical modeling, the absorption profile in the active layer of the solar cell is calculated and used to calculate the maximum short circuit current. The calculated currents are compared with measured currents from current-voltage measurements for various film thicknesses. From this the internal quantum efficiency is estimated to be 75% at the maximum for the best device.
Optimal Bounds Used in Dollar-Unit Sampling: A Comparison of Reliability and Efficiency

Abstract Auditors typically employ one-sided confidence bounds to estimate the total error in an audit population. This estimate provides an auditor with a given level of assurance that the total error does not exceed the upper confidence bound. This paper summarizes the results of an extensive simulation study using both real and simulated data comparing 14 bounds. No one method was found to be superior in terms of reliability and efficiency. A 95% upper bound is reliable if, when used repeatedly, the bound exceeds the true audit error 95% of the time. Efficiency measures the size of the bound; the smaller the bound is, the more efficient it is said to be. The multinomial-Dirichlet method [Tsui, K. W. , Matsamura, E. M. , Tsui, K. L. (1985). Multinomial-Dirichlet bounds for dollar-unit sampling in auditing. Acc. Rev. 60(1):76–96] demonstrated the best reliability for a variety of populations. The Bayesian normal bound [Menzefricke, U. , Smieliauskas, W. (1984). A simulation study of the performance of parametric dollar unit sampling statistical procedures. J. Acc. Res. 22(2):588–604] and the Cox and Snell bound [Cox, D. R. , Snell, E. J. (1979). On sampling and the estimation of rare errors. Biometrika 66(1):125–132] are reliable and more efficient than the multinomial-Dirichlet bound for particular populations. The Augmented Variance Estimator bound [Rohrbach, K. J. (1993). Variance augmentation to achieve nominal coverage probability in sampling from audit populations. Auditing J. Practice Theory 12(2):79–97] is reliable and efficient for populations with error rates of less than 10%. The extended multinominal-Dirichlet bound [Matsumura, E. , Tsui, K. , Wong, W.K. (1990). An extended multinomial-Dirichlet model for error bounds for dollar-unit sampling. Contemporary Acc. Res. 6:485–500] is reliable and efficient for most of the real populations studied.
Spatial Distribution of Bedding Attributes in an Open Compost-Bedded Pack Barn System with Positive Pressure Ventilation in Brazilian Winter Conditions

Simple Summary The use of compost-bedded pack barn (CBP) systems for dairy cattle housing can improve animal welfare and herd productivity, but it is necessary that the bedding is properly managed. Therefore, evaluating the bedding quality conditions in this confinement system is paramount, as the results obtained can be used as a basis for adequate management. In this study, bedding attributes were mapped in a CBP with positive pressure ventilation. From the mapping, it was possible to identify areas with unsuitable conditions for the staying of the cows (surface) and for the composting process (at 0.2 m depth). The results achieved in this study can be used to guide decision-making processes regarding bedding management in this housing system. Abstract The objective of this study was to characterize the dependence and spatial distribution of bedding attributes in an open compost-bedded pack barn (CBP) system with positive pressure ventilation during the winter period in Brazil. The study was conducted in July 2021, in the Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The bedding area (shavings and wood sawdust) was divided into a mesh with 44 equidistant points. At each point, the bedding temperature at the surface (tB-sur) and at a depth of 0.2 m (tB-20) and the air velocity at bedding level (vair,B) were measured, and bedding samples were collected. The bedding samples were used to determine the moisture level and pH at the surface (MB-sur e pHB-sur) and at a depth of 0.2 m (MB-20 and pHB-20). The spatial behavior of the variables was evaluated using geostatistics techniques. For all variables, the occurrence of strong spatial dependence was verified. Through the maps, it was observed that tB-sur, tB-20, MB-sur, MB-20, and vair,B showed high spatial variability, whereas pHB-sur and pHB-20 demonstrated low variation. On the surface, values of tB-sur < 20 °C and MB-sur > 60% were observed. At the subsurface, there was a predominance of tB-20 < 40 °C, MB-20 > 60%, and pH > 9, which are indications of low bedding composting activity.
Nanopore Technology Applied to Targeted Detection of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Allows Sequencing of Related Viruses and the Diagnosis of Mixed Infections

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants from a commercial glasshouse were identified with symptoms compatible with a tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) infection. Reverse transcription-PCR and quantitative PCR confirmed the presence of ToBRFV. Subsequently, the same RNA sample and a second from tomato plants infected with a similar tobamovirus, tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV), were extracted and processed for high-throughput sequencing with the Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT). For the targeted detection of ToBRFV, the two libraries were synthesized by using six ToBRFV sequence-specific primers in the reverse transcription step. This innovative target enrichment technology enabled deep coverage sequencing of ToBRFV, with 30% of the total reads mapping to the target virus genome and 57% mapping to the host genome. The same set of primers applied to the ToMMV library generated 5% of the total reads mapping to the latter virus, indicating that sequencing of similar, non-target viral sequences was also allowed. Further, the complete genome of pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) was also sequenced from the ToBRFV library, thus suggesting that, even using multiple sequence-specific primers, a low rate of off-target sequencing can usefully provide additional information on unexpected viral species coinfecting the same samples in an individual assay. These results demonstrate that targeted nanopore sequencing can specifically identify viral agents and has sufficient sensitivity towards non-target organisms to provide evidence of mixed virus infections.
The National Hurricane Center—Past, Present, and Future

Abstract The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is one of three national centers operated by the National Weather Service (NWS). It has national and international responsibilities for the North Atlantic and eastern North Pacific tropical and subtropical belts (including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea) for tropical analyses, marine and aviation forecasts, and the tropical cyclone forecast and warning programs for the region. Its roots date back to the 1870s, and it is now in the forefront of the NWS modernization program. Numerous changes and improvements have taken place in observational and forecast guidance tools and in the warning and response process over the years. In spite of all these improvement, the loss of property and the potential for loss of life due to tropical cyclones continues to increase rapidly. Forecasts are improving, but not nearly as fast as populations are increasing in hurricane prone areas such as the United States East and Gulf Coast barrier islands. The result is that lo.