Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acceptance of Violence and Its Concomitants Among Students from Three Types of Schools in Pakistan

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate associations between acceptance of violence and victimisation from physical punishment by teachers, self-esteem, and psychological concomitants among students from three school systems in Pakistan. A questionnaire was completed by 550 girls, and 550 boys. The mean age for girls was 13.3 years, and for boys 14.1. Boys accepted violence significantly more than girls. Students in Urdu Medium schools accepted violence significantly more than students in the Madrassa, and students in English Medium schools accepted it significantly least of all. In English Medium schools, girls accepted violence significantly more than boys, in Urdu Medium schools there was no sex difference, and in the Madrassa, boys accepted it significantly more than girls. Respondents who scored higher than average on acceptance of violence scored significantly higher on victimisation from physical punishment by teachers, anxiety, depression, and hostility, and had significantly lower self-esteem.
Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Mucormycosis in France: A Rare but Deadly Complication

Abstract We studied COVID-19 associated mucormycosis based on 17 cases reported nationwide and assessed the differences with India. They differed by frequencies of diabetes mellitus (47% in France versus up to 95% in India), hematological malignancies (35% versus 1%), anatomical sites (12% versus >80% rhino-orbito-cerebral) and prognosis (88% mortality versus <50%).
WATER QUALITY OF THE KLANG RIVER, SELANGOR, MALAYSIA AND HEAVY METAL REMOVAL USING PHYTOREMEDIATION

In this study, nine physicochemical parameters including dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, ammoniacal nitrogen, conductivity, temperature, pH and heavy metal contents from five sampling stations were measured to determine the water quality index (WQI) of the Klang River, Selangor, Malaysia. The WQI of the first and second sampling stations were classified as classes II and III, respectively. Biological analysis of total coliform and fecal coliform bacteria shows that three sampling stations were highly polluted with 17,500, 11,300 and 10,700 CFU/100 mL of these bacteria. The efficiency of phytoremediation in removing heavy metals (i.e. As, Cd, Cu, Mg, Fe, Pb, Zn and Hg) was determined using Pistia stratiotes and Lemna minor L. Phytoremediation using Pistia stratiotes was able to reduce the concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Mg and Hg to 96.62%, 95.65%, 60.38%, 61.67%, 99.24%, 32.97%, 53.23% and 96.59%, respectively. Lemna minor L. was able to remove approximately 10.97%, 83.33%, 35.75%, 39.97%, 100%, 15.32%, 23.81% and 90.91% of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Mg and Hg, respectively. Both plants were able to reduce the heavy metal contents in river water samples at the end of the treatment day.
Use of carbon dioxide to prevent zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) settlement and effects on native mussels (Order Unionoida) and benthic communities

We determined the efficacy of carbon dioxide (CO2) for preventing larval (veliger) settlement of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and compared the response of native juvenile mussels and macroinvertebrate and periphyton communities to hypercapnia. A microcosm system of control (ambient Camb) and CO2 treatments [low partial pressure of carbon dioxide, PCO2 (Clow) = 35,094 μatm, and high PCO2 (Chigh) = 66,685 μatm)] was supplied with river water for 11 weeks. We measured zebra mussel settlement, juvenile native mussel (Lampsilis cardium and L. siliquoidea) growth and condition, and macroinvertebrate and periphyton community composition. Zebra mussels settled in all Camb tanks (n = 4) from early July through August compared to one mussel in a CO2 treatment tank over the same period. Native mussel growth, tissue condition, and shell condition were reduced in CO2, particularly in the highest treatment. Benthic biomass (excluding zebra mussels) was similar in Camb and Clow but was reduced in Chigh. Macroinvertebrate community composition differed among treatments due to greater abundance of Chironomidae in Clow and Oligochaeata in Chigh. Periphyton abundance and richness increased in both CO2 treatments and was driven by increases in Cyanobacteria, Bacillariophyta, and Chlorophyta. Our results indicate that efficacious levels of CO2 (~ 35,000 μatm PCO2) for reducing biofouling by dreissenids are tolerable to most freshwater benthic taxa. Chronic elevated CO2 infusion (> 35,000 μatm PCO2) may reduce native mussel growth and condition and alter benthic invertebrate and periphyton community composition. Further refinement of CO2 application strategies is needed to determine minimum effective dose and duration to prevent dreissenid settlement and minimize effects on nontarget organisms.
Acceptance of contactless technology in the hospitality industry: extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2

ABSTRACT Contactless service has gained popularity in the hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of customers and employees. This study extends the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2), incorporating optimism and trust, to explore the use of contactless technology in hospitality service encounters. Importance–performance map analysis (IPMA) is applied to evaluate the performance of latent constructs and enrich the findings of PLS-SEM. This study contributes to the existing literature on hospitality service innovation and technology acceptance, and has managerial implications for service design in the context of the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Soil bacterial and fungal communities are linked with plant functional types and soil properties under different grazing intensities

As a grassland management strategy in the typical steppe, livestock grazing can affect soil microbes and ecosystem functions via vegetation removal, trampling and manure deposition. However, the effects of grazing and its main consequences (e.g. the shifts in plant functional types and alterations in soil properties) on soil bacterial and fungal community composition remain unresolved. Taking advantage of a 5‐year grazing exclosure experiment that tested different grazing intensities [control: no grazing (G0); light: 0.75 sheep ha−1 (G1); moderate: 1.50 sheep ha−1 (G2); heavy: 2.25 sheep ha−1 (G3); and overgrazing: 3.00 sheep ha−1 (G4)], we examined grazing‐related changes in plant communities, soil chemistry and soil microbial communities. Grazing intensity affected the diversity and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities via changes in plant species and soil nutrient contents. Increased grazing intensity reduced soil organic carbon (OC), suppressed the dominant bacterial phyla Proteobacteria and Bacteriodetes, and increased the abundance of oligotrophic bacteria in subordinate phyla (e.g. Verrucomicroba and Chloroflexi). Increased grazing intensity also promoted the dominant fungal phylum Ascomycetes because of the poor‐nutrient soil environment. The decreased soil carbon‐to‐nitrogen (C/N) ratio in the G2 treatment was associated with an effect on the fungal community composition. Structural equation modelling demonstrated that responses of the bacterial community to grazing intensity were related to changes in soil OC and soil pH, whereas the combination of C4 plant community biomass and soil pH drove changes in the fungal community. Our study provides novel evidence that grazing affects plant functional group and soil chemistry through the soil pH and C/N ratio, which in turn affects bacterial and fungal communities.
Association of Serotonergic Pathway Gene Polymorphisms With Behavioral Parameters in Patients With Opioid Dependence

Background and aims Opioid dependence is a chronic, relapsing substance use disorder with a multifactorial etiology, including a genetic component. Serotonin pathway gene polymorphisms have been an important focus of research for psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. This study aimed to identify the association of serotonin pathway gene polymorphisms with self-harm, depressive symptoms, impulsiveness, and aggression in patients with opioid dependence. Method The study group comprised 366 subjects with opioid dependence and 200 healthy volunteers. Patients were assessed for a history of self-harm, depressive symptoms, impulsiveness, and aggression using standard tools. Genomic DNA was used for genotyping of four polymorphisms - 5-HTTLPR, STin2 VNTR, TPH1 A218C, and TPH2 G703T. Results The short allele of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism showed a significant difference between cases (59.8%) and controls (40.1%) (p=0.001) and revealed an association with age at opioid dependence (p=0.033). There was a borderline significance of the short allele of 5-HTTLPR with the duration of opioid use (p=0.061) and non-plan impulsivity (p=0.076), suggesting a role of 5-HTTLPR in the susceptibility of opioid dependence. The other markers did not differ between cases and controls. However, the STin2A polymorphism revealed a significant association with anger scores, which may indicate its role in aggressive behavior. Conclusions The present study, the first of its kind, suggests an association of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism with opioid dependence and STin2A polymorphism with aggressive behavior among opioid-dependence patients, signifying the role of these markers in our patient population.
Forest energy procurement: state of the art in Finland and Sweden

The EU should produce 20% of their energy from renewable sources, including bioenergy, by 2020. Each member state has their own target, for example, Finland should produce 38% and Sweden 49% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020. In this context, the development of forest energy utilization and more effective and economic supply systems plays an important role in both countries. The Nordic countries are the world leaders in the utilization of forest biomass for energy production. This paper provides a short overview of the driving forces behind the current technical solutions of forest energy procurement systems in Finland and Sweden and some perspectives on possible future developments. At the moment, the by‐products from forest industries (e.g., sawdust, black liquor) have a high degree of utilization in both countries. Additional raw materials for energy production include logging residues, stump and root wood, small diameter wood, and other wood not in demand by the traditional forest industries. Forest energy supply chains may be characterized based on the location of comminution into roadside comminution, terminal comminution, or comminution at a plant. The productivity of the generally highly sophisticated and costly procurement machinery is, to a large extent, dependent on the operator's skills and thus new technological solutions should be developed to improve their usability and consequently efficiency.
Detection statistics of multiple-pulse optical signals through atmospheric turbulence

Advisor Date Acknowledgments I would like to thank my parents who made it possible for me to begin my education in electrical engineering and for the love and support that they provided along the way. Similarly, I would like to thank my girlfriend who provided me with love and support as I pursued my Ph.D. She gave me much needed emotional support when times were tough, especially before my first conference presentation.
Short Debt Maturity and Corporate Investment: New Evidence from Chinese Listed Firms

ABSTRACT Using a dataset on Chinese listed firms, we study the impact of short debt maturity on capital expenditures. In contrast to the empirical findings from most of the previous works that rely on the US firm-level datasets, our results show that firms invest less rather than invest more when they have relatively shorter debt maturity. We argue that in an economy where short-term bank loans are the major financing resource, such as that of China, firms with shorter debt maturity tend to suffer more from potential rollover risks and hence are more likely to reduce their near future capital expenditures. Such an overhang effect generated by short-term debt becomes stronger when firms present worse financial health, as rollover risks are likely to be more serious when firms’ assets-in-place deteriorate.
Mitochondrial DNA variants segregate during human preimplantation development into genetically different cell lineages that are maintained postnatally

Humans present remarkable mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variant mosaicism, not only across tissues but even across individual cells within one person. The timing of the first appearance of this mosaicism has not yet been established. In this study, we hypothesized it occurs during preimplantation development. To investigate this, we deep-sequenced the mtDNA of 254 oocytes from 85 donors, 158 single blastomeres of 25 day-3 embryos, 17 inner cell mass and trophectoderm samples of 7 day-5 blastocysts, 142 bulk DNA and 68 single cells of different adult tissues. We found that day-3 preimplantation embryos already present blastomeres that carry variants unique to that cell, showing that the first events of mtDNA mosaicism happen very early in human development. We classified the mtDNA variants based on their recurrence or uniqueness across sibling oocytes and embryos, and between single cells and samples from the same embryos or adult individuals. Variants that recurred across samples had higher heteroplasmic loads and more frequently resulted in synonymous changes or were located in non-coding regions than variants that were unique to one oocyte or single embryonic cell. These differences were maintained through developmental stages, suggesting that the mtDNA mosaicism arising in preimplantation development is maintained into adulthood. Further, the results support a model in which close clustering of mitochondria carrying specific mtDNA variants in the ooplasm leads to asymmetric distribution of these mitochondria throughout the cell divisions of the preimplantation embryo, resulting in the appearance of the first form of mtDNA mosaicism in human development.
The MBR Book: Principles and Applications of Membrane Bioreactors for Water and Wastewater Treatment

A Membrane BioReactor (MBR) is the combination of a membrane process (e.g. microfiltration/ ultrafiltration) with a suspended growth bioreactor. When used with domestic wastewater, MBR processes can produce effluent of high enough quality to be discharged to waterways, or to be reclaimed for urban irrigation. Other advantages of MBRs over conventional processes include small footprint, easy retrofit and upgrade of old wastewater treatment plants. The MBR Book covers all important aspects of Membrane BioReactors in water and waste water treatment, from the fundamentals of the processes via design principles to MBR technologies. Industrial case studies help interpret actual results and give pointers for best practice. Useful appendices provide data on commercial membranes and international membrane organizations. The MBR book enables readers to: Understand the fundamental processes involved in membrane and biotreatment technologies Compare and contrast design options and work through sample calculations Review commercial MBR systems in terms of specific applications Learn from case studies involving domestic and industrial effluent treatment and recycling Analyze process design, operation, performance and maintenance to draw conclusions appropriate to their requirements New to the second edition: 45% more content than the first edition. Over 120 contributors from the academic research and municipal/industrial practitioner communities. Review of MBR status in ten countries. Expanded section on anaerobic MBRs, micropollutant fate and hybrid systems. Simplified design methodology, with biokinetics for dynamic modelling and cost benefit analysis. Expanded operation and maintenance section, informed by expert panel of practitioners offering more than 40 years combined experience. Over 40 MBR membrane products described, with most of the technical specifications provided. Over 50 case studies provided, including key design, performance, and operation and maintenance data in almost all cases. Membrane Bioreactors are a major growth area in the water and waste water treatment industries Internationally-known author, one of the leading senior experts in MBR research Principles and practice, backed by industrial case studies
Business Process Technology: A Unified View on Business Processes, Workflows and Enterprise Applications

Currently, we see a variety of tools and techniques for specifying and implementing business processes. The problem is that there are still gaps and tensions between the different disciplines needed to improve business process execution and improvement in enterprises. Business process modeling, workflow execution and application programming are examples of disciplines that are hosted by different communities and that emerged separately from each other. In particular, concepts have not yet been fully elaborated at the system analysis level. Therefore, practitioners are faced again and again with similar questions in concrete business process projects: Which decomposition mechanism to use? How to find the correct granularity for business process activities? Which implementing technology is the optimal one in a given situation? This work offers an approach to the systematization of the field. The methodology used is explicitly not a comparative analysis of existing tools and techniques although a review of existing tools is an essential basis for the considerations in the book. Rather, the book tries to provide a landscape of rationales and concepts in business processes with a discussion of alternatives.
Developing a Clinical Language Model for Swedish: Continued Pretraining of Generic BERT with In-Domain Data

The use of pretrained language models, fine-tuned to perform a specific downstream task, has become widespread in NLP. Using a generic language model in specialized domains may, however, be sub-optimal due to differences in language use and vocabulary. In this paper, it is investigated whether an existing, generic language model for Swedish can be improved for the clinical domain through continued pretraining with clinical text. The generic and domain-specific language models are fine-tuned and evaluated on three representative clinical NLP tasks: (i) identifying protected health information, (ii) assigning ICD-10 diagnosis codes to discharge summaries, and (iii) sentence-level uncertainty prediction. The results show that continued pretraining on in-domain data leads to improved performance on all three downstream tasks, indicating that there is a potential added value of domain-specific language models for clinical NLP.
Determining patterns in reducing the level of bio-destruction of thermally modified timber after applying protective coatings

This paper reports the analysis of the biological destruction of timber and the use of protective materials, which established that the scarcity of data to explain and describe the process of bioprotection, neglect of environmentally friendly agents lead to the biodegradation of timber structures under the action of microorganisms. Devising reliable methods for studying the conditions of timber protection leads to designing new types of protective materials and application technologies. Therefore, it becomes necessary to determine the conditions for the formation of a barrier for bacteria permeability and to establish a mechanism for inhibiting material biodegradation. Given this, the dependence has been derived to determine the proportion of destroyed material under the effect of microorganisms when using an antiseptic-hydrophobicizer, which makes it possible to evaluate biopenetration. Based on the experimental data and theoretical dependences, the share of destroyed timber was determined under the effect of microorganisms, which is equal to 1 for natural timber. At the same time, this value for thermally modified timber is 0.033, and, when it is protected with oil ‒ 0.009, respectively, exposed to the action of microorganisms for 60 days. It should be noted that the presence of oil, wax, and azure leads to blocking the timber surface from penetration. Such a mechanism underlying the effect of protective coating is likely the factor in the process adjustment, due to which the integrity of the object is preserved. Thus, a polymer shell was created on the surface of the sample, significantly reducing the penetration of microorganisms inside the timber, while the loss of timber mass during biodestruction did not exceed 2.5 %. Therefore, there are grounds to assert the possibility of targeted control over the processes of timber bio-penetration by using coatings capable of forming a protective film on the surface of the material
Relationship between COVID-19 Infection and ABO Blood Groups Differences: A Tertiary Centre Experience in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Controversial factors affecting COVID-19 infection include age, ethnicity, blood groups and Rh factor were investigated here. This study enrolled 2012 participants: COVID-19 cases (1006 patients), and control group (1006 subjects), 50.9% were Saudis and 49.1% were non-Saudis. Mean age for all participants was 36.0±12.7 years and ranged from 8 to 80 years. Mean age was 38.6+15.3 years for COVID-19+ve cases and 33.4±8.6 years for controls. Mean age significantly differed in COVID-19+ve cases from controls (p<0.001). COVID-19 infection was significant in Saudi participants compared to non-Saudi participants (p<0.001). In COVID-19 group, the frequencies of blood groups O, A, B and AB were 44.5%, 31.3%, 19.7% and 4.5%, respectively. The percentage of COVID-19 infection was higher in subjects having blood groups O and A. Regarding Rh factor, 94.0% of all participants were Rh+ve and 6.0% were Rh-ve. Among COVID+ve cases, 93.4% were Rh positive cases and 6.6% were Rh negative cases, while in the controls, 94.5% were Rh+ve and 5.5% were Rh-ve. The number of COVID-19+ve cases exceeded the number of healthy controls in A+ve subjects but not in O+ve and B+ve subjects. In multivariate analysis, people with blood groups B and AB were less likely to be infected (p =0.049) compared to those with groups O and A. In conclusion, older adults had greater risk of COVID-19 infection. Gatherings culture increased COVID-19 infection. Individuals with blood groups B and AB are less likely to get COVID-19 infection than O and A subjects. Rh+ve in O+ve and A+ve is associated with increased COVID-19 infection.
The Changing Epidemiology of Respiratory Viruses in Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Canary in a COVID Time

INTRODUCTION The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported over 200 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 4 million deaths since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Although children predominantly experience asymptomatic or mild infection, representing a minority of hospitalizations and deaths, children have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been increasing concerns raised of “COVID-19 collateral damage” with lock-downs, school closures, and social isolation contributing to delayed presentation of serious illness, reduction in vaccination rates, impaired mental health and increased safeguarding concerns. An additional effect of the nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented in response to COVID-19 has included an unprecedented reduction in children presenting with respiratory illnesses, including those due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza. Here we review how COVID-19 has affected the epidemiology of respiratory infections in children.