Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intermediary Proﬁts in a Time of Scarcity

We study the impact of scarcity on intermediary proﬁts through an analysis of the eﬀects of the 2011 Japanese tsunami on the U.S. used car market. The tsunami devastated Japanese new car production for several months, which we show led to a demand surge for used cars. Wholesale and retail prices on used Japanese cars rose, but dealer proﬁts declined by $ 170 per car, a drop of roughly 4%. The post-tsunami temporary scarcity reduced the ratio of future collateral value to current price for these used cars, which diminished the supply of ﬁnancing and weakened intermediaries’ power to extract bargaining surplus from buyers.
Intravital imaging of splenic classical monocytes modifying the hepatic CX3CR1+ cells motility to exacerbate liver fibrosis via spleen-liver axis

CX3CR1+ cells play a crucial role in liver fibrosis progression. However, changes in the migratory behavior and spatial distribution of spleen-derived and hepatic CX3CR1+ cells in the fibrotic liver as well as their influence on the liver fibrosis remain unclear. Methods: The CX3CR1GFP/+ transgenic mice and CX3CR1-KikGR transgenic mice were used to establish the CCl4-induced liver fibrosis model. Splenectomy, adoptive transfusion of splenocytes, in vivo photoconversion of splenic CX3CR1+ cells and intravital imaging were performed to study the spatial distribution, migration and movement behavior, and regulatory function of CX3CR1+ cells in liver fibrosis. Results: Intravital imaging revealed that the CX3CR1GFP cells accumulated into the fibrotic liver and tended to accumulate towards the central vein (CV) in the hepatic lobules. Two subtypes of hepatic CX3CR1+ cells existed in the fibrotic liver. The first subtype was the interacting CX3CR1GFP cells, most of which were observed to distribute in the liver parenchyma and had a higher process velocity; the second subtype was mobile CX3CR1GFP cells, most of which were present in the hepatic vessels with a faster moving speed. Splenectomy ameliorated liver fibrosis and decreased the number of CX3CR1+ cells in the fibrotic liver. Moreover, splenectomy rearranged CX3CR1GFP cells to the boundary of the hepatic lobule, reduced the process velocity of interacting CX3CR1GFP cells and decreased the number and mobility of mobile CX3CR1GFP cells in the fibrotic liver. Transfusion of spleen-derived classical monocytes increased the process velocity and mobility of hepatic endogenous CX3CR1GFP cells and facilitated liver fibrosis progression via the production of proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines. The photoconverted splenic CX3CR1+ KikRed+ cells were observed to leave the spleen, accumulate into the fibrotic liver and contact with hepatic CX3CR1+ KikGreen+ cells during hepatic fibrosis. Conclusion: The splenic CX3CR1+ monocytes with classical phenotype migrated from the spleen to the fibrotic liver, modifying the migratory behavior of hepatic endogenous CX3CR1GFP cells and exacerbating liver fibrosis via the secretion of cytokines. This study reveals that splenic CX3CR1+ classical monocytes are a key driver of liver fibrosis via the spleen-liver axis and may be potential candidate targets for the treatment of chronic liver fibrosis.
Breaking the Flow: A Study of Interruptions During Software Engineering Activities

In software engineering, interruptions during tasks can have significant implications for productivity and well-being. While previous studies have investigated the effect of interruptions on productivity, to the best of our knowledge, no prior work has yet distinguished the effect of different types of interruptions on software engineering activities. This study explores the impact of interruptions on software engineering tasks, analyzing in-person and on-screen interruptions with different levels of urgency and dominance. Participants completed code writing, code comprehension, and code review tasks while experiencing interruptions. We collect physiological data using the Empatica EmbracePlus wristband and self-perceived evaluations through surveys. Results show that on-screen interruptions with high dominance of requester significantly increase time spent on code comprehension. In-person and on-screen interruptions combined significantly affect the time spent on code review, with varied effects based on specific interruption combinations. Both interruption type and task significantly influence stress measures, with code comprehension and review tasks associated with lower stress measures compared to code writing. Interestingly, in-person interruptions present a positive impact on physiological measures, indicating reduced stress measures. However, participants’ self-perceived stress scores do not align with physiological data, with higher stress reported during in-person interruptions despite lower physiological stress measures. These findings shed light on and emphasize the potential importance of considering the complex relationship between interruptions, objective measures, and subjective experiences in software development. We discuss insights that we hope can inform interruption management and implications on stress among software engineers.
SPARC is a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for Ovarian Cancer and Associated with Immune Signatures and Drug Response

Background : The calcium-binding matricellular glycoprotein (SPARC, secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine) belongs to the extracellular-matrix-protein family, and its functions mainly focus on tissue injury, remodeling, and tumorigenesis. The role of SPARC in ovarian cancer remains controversial at present. Methods : We searched SPARC using The Cancer Genome Atlas/Genotype-Tissue Expression (TCGA/GTEx) and other databases to analyze the relationship between its expression level and survival, immunity signatures, and chemical drug response, in ovarian cancer. Additionally, we overexpressed SPARC with plasmids in ovarian cancer SKOV3 and ID8 cell lines, then measured the effects of SPARC on the proliferation, migration, invasiveness, clonality, and stemness of ovarian cancer cells by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), Transwell, wound healing assay, adhesion assay, plate cloning assay, and soft agar spheroid formation in vitro . The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses showed the potential signaling pathway for SPARC. Results : The higher expression of SPARC in ovarian cancer is related to more advanced tumor stage, poorer clinical survival, and worse chemical drug response, whereas it is positively correlated with immune signatures. For ovarian cancer phenotypes, higher SPARC expression level promotes cell proliferation, migration, colony formation, and spheroid formation. The GO and KEGG enrichment highlighted the potential molecular mechanisms for SPARC with PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling regulation. Conclusions : SPARC promotes ovarian cancer progression through proliferation, migration, invasiveness, clonality, and stemness. A high level of expression of SPARC in ovarian cancer patients can be used as a marker of poor prognosis and poor drug response.
Studies on the Phyto-Toxicity of Heavy Metal Mercury in Wheat (Triticum AestivumL) I–Germination Percentage (GP) and Speed of Germination Index (SGI)

In the present investigation studies were made on the Phyto-toxicity of Heavy Metal Mercury (Hg) in four Wheat ( Triticum aestivumL ) varieties taking into consideration Germination Percentage (GP) and Speed of Germination Index (SGI) to bring out varietal tolerance behavior. It was observed that the germination decreased in the four wheat varieties viz., V1 Lok-1, V2 UP-2338, V3 PBW-154 and V4 PBW-502 with increasing concentration of Hg. A comparison with controls in the four varieties recorded in the controls: at 24 hours GP was lowest in the variety V1 (23.66%) and highest in V4 (26.66%); at 48 hours lowest in V1 (51.0%) and highest in V4 (54.66%); at 72 hours lowest in V1 (61.33%) and highest in V3 (66.66%); at 96 hours lowest in V2 (82.0%) and highest in V3 and V4 (84.33%) and at 120 hours lowest in V2 (86.0%) and highest in V3 (94.0%) respectively. On the other hand, in 100, 200 and 300ppm of mercury in the var. V2 in 100ppm Hg treatment. With this SGI showed the trend as highest (811.66) in controls of V3 while lowest of (102.0) in V2 in 300ppm Hg treatment while data on percent over control basis showed highest (43.08) in 100ppm Hg treatment in the var. V1 while lowest (13.03) in 300ppm Hg treatment in the var. V2. Showing maximum decrease of (-86.96) in the var. V2 in 300ppm Hg treatment and minimum decrease of (-56.91) in the var. V1 in 100ppm Hg treatment.
Remote Work and Long-term Organizational Performance: Modeling Consequences and Potential Mitigations*

Remote work (RW) is likely to become a permanent feature of organizational life. However, we lack advice on managing it and evidence to predict who will gain or lose from this change. To address this gap, we use a computational model to explore the impact of RW on organizational learning—an important determinant of performance—and highlight how structural design choices might mitigate ensuing negative consequences. We show that complexity and turbulence in the organizational environment, in conjunction with organizational structure, all play a crucial role in determining the impact of RW. While some organizations may be relatively unaffected by RW, others may need significant reorganization to maintain performance. We suggest factors to consider in its implementation and urge further research to understand this paradigmatic shift better.
Target Reliability Approach to Study the Effect of Fiber Target Reliability Approach to Study the Effect of Fiber Reinforcement on UCS Behavior of Lime Treated Semi-Arid Soil Reinforcement on UCS Behavior of Lime Treated Semi-Arid Soil

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of stabilizing expansive soil with two different types of fibers, Fiber Mesh® (FM) and Fiber Cast® (FC), in conjunction with chemical stabilization. The intention of this study is to evaluate the effect of these fibers and lime in stabilizing expansive soil by improving its UCS behavior. The effect of varying lengths (6 mm and 12 mm) and amounts (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6% dosage by weight of soil) of FC and FM fibers and curing periods (0, 7, 28, 60, 120, 180 and 360 days) on the UCS and on secant modulus of a semi-arid expansive soil, in the presence of lime, was investigated. The main focus of this paper is on the determination of optimum fiber reinforcement parameters (in terms of fiber type, length and dosage) for the stabilization of expansive soil in terms of UCS, which is of a prime importance in soil stabilization projects for practicing engineers. In deterministic optimization, the uncertainties associated with subgrade soil of the pavement system are not explicitly taken into account. Hence, resulting optimal solutions may lead to reduced reliability levels of the pavement. Therefore, this paper also focuses on determining the optimum amounts of reinforcement for desired UCS performance of lime blended expansive soil using target reliability approach (TRA). The experimental data was used to develop a parabolic model using factors such as, length and dosage of fiber types to predict UCS as a response variable. In addition, it was concluded that the TRA can be successfully employed in expansive soil stabilization applications in determining the optimum length and dosage of fiber reinforcements.
Oklahoma Bow ﬁ shing Values and Perspectives toward Nongame Fishes and Their Management

In response to lacking information on bow ﬁ shing, bow ﬁ shers, and management planning nationwide, a survey was sent to 15,000 licensed Oklahoma anglers (bow ﬁ shers and non-bow ﬁ shers) in 2021. Respondents ( n = 1,346) were mainly male (73%) and white (74%), had an annual/5-year license (46%) or a lifetime license (39%), and had an average age of 48 (1,182 respondents provided demographics). Questions to bow ﬁ shers gauged the importance of bow ﬁ sh-ing compared to other ﬁ shing activities; trip frequency and motivation; where, when, and which species were targeted; the utilization of ﬁ sh taken; and attitudes regarding bow ﬁ shing regulations. An estimated 24% of licensed anglers had bow ﬁ shed before. Bow ﬁ shing participation in the previous year had more than doubled (4% in 2018 to 9.1% in 2020). Most (57%) had bow ﬁ shed for 3 years or less; 49% identi ﬁ ed as beginners, 43% identi ﬁ ed as intermediate, and 8% identi ﬁ ed as advanced. Overall, most bow ﬁ shing occurred by day (54%), in early summer (May – July), from shore (49%), and in rivers and streams (67%) or reservoirs (53%). Bow ﬁ shers sought carps (85%), gars (74%), and buffalo ﬁ shes (32%). Bow ﬁ shers typically used shot ﬁ sh for fertilizer or buried them (48%), used them for animal consumption (35%) or human consumption (32%), or returned them to the water (20%). Compared to non-bow ﬁ shers, bow ﬁ shers reported a wider diversity of acceptable outcomes for ﬁ sh species taken with any ﬁ shing method, particularly the nongame ﬁ shes. Most bow ﬁ shers (86%) and non-bow ﬁ shers (94%) trusted the state management agency to appropriately manage native, nongame ﬁ shes. Bow ﬁ shers were mixed on their support for or opposition to having bow ﬁ shing regulations for these species. Some respondents noted that regulations would result in them bow ﬁ shing less (23%) or quitting bow ﬁ shing completely (6%). Thirty-two percent of non-bow ﬁ shers expressed interest in bow ﬁ shing in the future. The results of this survey will be used in Oklahoma and elsewhere to aid in designing sustainable bow-ﬁ sheries that serve the broader public interest while conserving native, nongame species.
Impact of a tropical cyclone on biogeochemistry of the central Arabian Sea

Remotely sensed data are combined with shipboard measurements to investigate biogeochemical changes caused by a moderate tropical cyclone in the central Arabian Sea in December 1998. The sea surface temperature decreased by ∼4°C, whereas surface nitrate and chlorophyll concentrations increased by >5 μM and up to 4 mg m−3, respectively, over a large area affected by the cyclone. Nutrient enrichment in the surface layer of the cyclone‐affected zone is estimated to have supported a new production of ∼4.2 Tg C, approximately 5% of the annual organic carbon export to the deep sea (beyond the continental margin) for the entire Arabian Sea. Entrainment of nitrous oxide from the thermocline led to more than doubling of its concentration in the mixed layer. The cyclone also resulted in an increase in nitrous oxide inventory within the oxygen minimum zone. Our results imply that, should there be an increase in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones as a result of global warming, as projected in some recent reports, carbon production and respiration, and redox processes within the oxygen minimum zones, such as the production of nitrous oxide through nitrification/denitrification, and of molecular nitrogen through denitrification/anaerobic ammonium oxidation, may be significantly impacted.
evaluating the antiemetic administration consistency to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting with the standard guidelines: a prospective observational study

: Nausea and vomiting (NV) are the most prevalent adverse effects of chemotherapy (CT). This study was conducted to evaluate adherence of the health care team to standard guidelines for antiemetics usage to prevent acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in a large CT center. A prospective study was performed during an 11-month period on patients receiving CT. A form was designed to collect patients’ demographic information and their chemotherapeutic and antiemetic regimen data. The Likert scale was used to measure the effectiveness of the antiemetics in patients. In this study, the effect of patient-related risk factors on the incidence rate of CINV was examined. Based on the results, CINV events were reported by 74.4% of patients. The antiemetic regimen of 71.2% of the patients complied with the guidelines. The complete response, complete protection, and complete control end points did not differ significantly between patients undergoing guidelines-consistent prophylaxis or guidelines-inconsistent prophylaxis. The females clearly showed a higher incidence rate of CINV ( P = 0.001) during the first course of CT ( P = 0.006). A history of motion sickness did not affect the incidence of NV. The maximum compliance error occurred for the use of aprepitant, as 16.16% of the patients who were receiving aprepitant did not comply with its instructions. The results of this study highlight how CINV was controlled in this center, which was significantly lower than that of the global standard. Perhaps, factors such as noncompliance to antiemetic regimens with standard guidelines and the failure to adhere to the administration instructions of the antiemetics were involved in the incomplete control of CINV.
Groundwater in fractured bedrock environments: managing catchment and subsurface resources – an introduction

Extract Hard rocks, including crystalline igneous, metamorphic and strongly cemented sedimentary and carbonate rocks, cover about 50% of the Earth's land surface (Singhal & Gupta 2010). Globally, the volume of groundwater contained in hard rock aquifers is not well constrained (Comte et al. 2012) but locally they can be important aquifers (MacDonald et al. 2012), albeit with low groundwater storage and poor primary porosity and permeability. Groundwater flow in these hard rocks is commonly observed to be associated with water-bearing discontinuities, such as fractures, joints and faults (Mazurek 2000; Berkowitz 2002; Font-Capo et al. 2012), and in the weathered regolith (Wright 1992; Chilton & Foster 1995; Deyassa et al. 2014). Structural elements such as fault zones also strongly govern the behaviour of these systems (Forster & Evans 1991; López & Smith 1995; Bense et al. 2013). The nature, abundance, orientation and connectivity of these water-bearing features are largely governed by the history and nature of structural deformation of the bedrock, and commonly impose strong anisotropic flow and transport parameters on these bedrock aquifers (Hsieh et al. 1985; Bour & Davy 1997; Mortimer et al. 2011). Weathering processes furthermore lead to an alteration of bedrock composition and associated aquifer properties resulting in enhanced fracture connectivity and an overall vertical stratification/zonation of bulk aquifer properties, ranging from highly altered shallow regolith horizons to more competent sparsely fractured bedrock at depth (Dewandel et al. 2006; Krásný & Sharp 2007; Lachassagne et al. 2011).
Becker Digital

Background: Medical students have a high risk of burnout from tremendous academic stress, and previous cross-sectional studies have explained this risk from the personality perspective. However, the relationship between complex personality pro ﬁ les and developmental trajectory of burnout has not been delineated yet. Methods: The longitudinal changes in burnout were measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) at baseline (1st week), mid-term (9th week), and end-term (17th week), and personality was examined at baseline using the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Latent trajectory groups based on the MBI-SS total scores were extracted using the General Growth Mixture Model (GGMM), and signi ﬁ cant differences in personality pro ﬁ les among the latent groups were identi ﬁ ed using pro ﬁ le analysis and Analysis of Variance. Results: Three burnout trajectory groups of high-increasing (HI), moderate-increasing (MI), and low-stable (LS) were identi ﬁ ed, and these groups had signi ﬁ cantly different TCI subscale pro ﬁ les. The HI group had the highest score in Harm-Avoidance (HA) and lowest score in Self-Directedness (SD), and the MI group had a higher score in HA and lower scores in SD and Cooperativeness (CO) when compared to the LS group with the lowest score in HA and highest scores in SD and CO. Conclusion: The current study showed that the HA, SD, and CO subscales of the TCI might explain the longitudinal development of academic burnout in medical students. Prevention of burnout and promotion of well-being in medical education concerning personality are discussed.
OUTSOURCING: A SEMIOTIC VIEW

Outsourcing work relies on the supplier’s interpretation of the work delegated by the client. Existing streams of outsourcing literature tend to assume that the supplier should use the same convention as the client to make sense of the work package. In this research, we use a semiotic lens to challenge this assumption by viewing such sensemaking as a process of decoding symbolic representations. This complementary view involves innovative use of digital technology for re-representing the outsourced work through new conventions. We studied a Chinese business process outsourcing supplier in-depth to learn how such re-representation is achieved through the creation of special-purpose languages. Our research contributes to the Information Systems (IS) outsourcing literature by providing a semiotic view on the design of outsourcing work supported by digital technologies. Three re-representation practices (i.e., dissociating the signifiers, signifying through new conventions, and embedding new conventions in the digital infrastructure) constitute the core of this view. The results are highly significant for outsourcing theory and practice, not least since they suggest that the use of semiotics and visuals for re-representation may enable suppliers to reformulate outsourcing work and the expertise needed to deliver services. 1
Converging Human Intelligence with AI Systems to Advance Flood Evacuation Decision Making

The powers that artificial intelligence (AI) has developed are impressive, with recent success in 12 leveraging human expertise at various stages of model development. AI can attain its full potential only if, 13 as part of its intelligence, it also actively teams with humans to co-create solutions. Combining AI 14 simulation with human intelligence through data convergence can improve decision-making processes and 15 provide a capacity akin to a "teaming intelligence. " This research, for the first time, introduces the concepts 16 of Human-AI Convergence (HAC) capabilities for flood evacuation decision-making. The objective of this 17 study was to develop a unique, computationally effective surrogate HAC system for flood evacuation 18 decision-making that integrates the distinctive features of AI with transportation geospatial data, a river 19 hydraulic model, and human data from X (previously Twitter) to visualize flood inundation areas and 20 suggest re-routing. The HAC system is smartly designed to forecast flood stage levels using AI across the 21 US Geological Survey gauging stations and combine the results with Manning's equation results and 22 transportation data, integrated into a web-based Google Earth visualization architecture. The technology 23 has been tested in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, where previous flooding disasters caused considerable 24 damage to the transportation networks and increased traffic on evacuation routes. This state-of-the-art HAC 25 system— a flood evacuation product— stands to advance the frontier of human-AI collaborative research 26 in the context of real-time flood emergency management and response.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY: APPLIED BUSINESS AND EDUCATION RESEARCH

This study examined the relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment among SUC faculty members and their perception of the PBB system. It also explored the underlying issues in the PBB system and how it could be improved. Mixed design method of research was used. It was found that the faculty members’ perception of the PBB system directly affects their job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Addressing issues in the PBB system becomes urgent given the prevailing wariness and lack of confidence among faculty members towards the way the PBB system is being implemented.