Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REVISITING THE VOWELS OF HONG KONG ENGLISH – THE POST-HANDOVER GENERATION

Previous research investigating the vowels of Hong Kong English (HKE), a postcolonial variety of English, has suggested mergers between several pairs of vowels. This evidence stems from speakers who grew up before the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China. Given the enormous political and social changes since then, we investigate whether we can detect recent diachronic change in the vowels of HKE. Wordlist vowel data (in carrier phrases) sampling 14 lexical sets from 20 L1 Cantonese-speaking university students was analysed with regard to F1 and F2 (Lobanov-normalised) and duration. Potential vowel mergers were assessed through Support Vector Machines (SVM). Re-sults confirm previous research with regard to mergers between DRESS - TRAP , THOUGHT - LOT and FLEECE - KIT due to great overlap in F1, F2 and duration. However, GOOSE and FOOT are relatively distinct, in contrast to previous research, possibly indicating recent diachronic change.
THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF AMPLITUDE VARIATION ON PERCEIVED SPEAKER DOMINANCE

The purpose of this study is to examine how suprasegmental amplitude manipulation on different linguistic levels (sentence, word, syllable) would affect perceptual dominance ratings. Six (Canadian) English speakers produced sentences/paragraphs with neutral valence. Amplitudes were then manipulated on three levels: (i) sentence/paragraph (i.e. amplitude enhancement of entire phrases or paragraphs), (ii) word (one specific word in focus, realized with enhanced amplitude), and (iii) syllable (i.e. increasing/decreasing amplitude differences between all stressed versus unstressed syllables).
The characteristics and pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke in COVID-19 patients

Objective: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2). Although the respiratory system is mainly affected, multiple organ systems like the central nervous system (CNS) might be complicated by COVID-19. Stroke is one of the most common complications of COVID-19. In the literature, the symptoms and effects of COVID-19 on stroke have been reported but potential reasons and results remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine whether COVID-19 plays a role in stroke and affects the prevalence of stroke and mortality by investigating blood parameters, day of stroke after COVID-19, death status, and infarct volume. Methods: In this cross-sectional clinical research, 74 individuals participated. Twenty-two patients were COVID-19 cases without stroke; thirty participants were patients with COVID-19 and stroke, while twenty-two were cases of non-COVID-19 and stroke. Data were collected from a single center, Basaksehir Cam and Sakura City Hospital and were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Results: There was a statistically significant relationship among the age, D-dimer, INR, and lymphocyte values of the living group compared to those of the exitus group. The association between death and COVID-19 status was found to be statistically significant, indicating that the number of deaths in the COVID-19 and stroke group was higher than in the only stroke group (i.e., non-COVID-19 cases). No statistically significant relationship was observed between the alive and exitus groups in terms of the volume of infarction. Conclusions: This study comprehensively evaluated the relationship between COVID-19, stroke, and mortality. Given the relatively limited number of cases in this study, further investigation is needed to elucidate the connection among COVID-19, neurological complications of the disease, and mortality. In the meantime, the results of this study contribute to the understanding of the relationship between COVID-19, neurological complications, and mortality, providing additional valuable data to the existing literature.
Assessing the drift of ﬁsh aggregating devices in the tropical Paciﬁc Ocean

The tropical Paciﬁc Ocean is characterized by its dominant zonal ﬂow, strong climate dependence on the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and abundant tuna stocks. Tuna ﬁsheries in the West and Central Paciﬁc Ocean accounted for 55 % of the world-wide tuna catch in 2019 and are one of the main sources of income in many Paciﬁc island nations. One of the dominant ﬁshing methods in this region relies on the use of drifting ﬁsh aggregating devices (dFADs): rafts with long underwater appendages (on average 50 m deep) that aggregate ﬁsh. Although currents such as the North Equatorial Countercurrent (NECC) and South Equatorial Current (SEC) in the tropical Paciﬁc Ocean vary strongly with ENSO, little is known about the impact of this variability in ﬂow on dFAD dispersion. In this study, virtual Lagrangian particles are tracked for the period 2006 to 2021 over the domain in a 3D hydrodynamic model and are advected in simulations with only surface ﬂow, as well as simulations using a depth-averaged horizontal ﬂow over the upper 50 m, representing virtual dFADs. Zonal displacements, eddy-like behaviour and ENSO variability are then studied for both types of virtual particles. It was found that virtual particles advected by surface ﬂow only are displaced up to 35 % farther than virtual dFADs subjected to a depth-averaged ﬂow, but no other major differences were found in dispersion patterns. The strongest correlations between ENSO and virtual dFAD dispersion for the assessed variables were found in the West Paciﬁc Ocean, with Pearson correlation coefﬁcients of up to 0.59 for virtual dFAD displacement. Connections between ENSO and eddy-like behaviour were found in the western part of the SEC, indicating more circulation and meandering during El Niño. These ﬁndings may be useful for improving sustainable deployment strategies during ENSO events and understanding the ocean processes driving the distribution of dFADs.
Why Near-Inertial Waves Are Less Affected by Vorticity in the Northeast Pacific Than in the North Atlantic

Over 35 years ago, the influential Ocean Storms Experiment (OSE) in the Northeast Pacific documented, for the first time, the generation of near-inertial waves (NIWs) by a storm and the subsequent radiation of the waves away from the forcing. The NIWs were observed to radiate equatorward and downward, consistent with the theory of β-refraction, which attributes such NIW propagation to the gradient in Earth’s planetary vorticity, β. Surprisingly, there was no evidence that gradients in the vorticity of mesoscale eddies in the region affected the NIWs, despite the fact that these gradients were nearly 10 times larger than β. In contrast, NIWs observed in the recent Near-Inertial Shear and Kinetic Energy in the North Atlantic Experiment (NISKINe) were strongly affected by the mesoscale eddy field in the region. In this article we explain the distinct behavior of the NIWs observed in the two experiments through a careful reanalysis of the observations, which are then interpreted using simulations and NIW-mean flow interaction theory. The observed differences can be partially attributed to how NIWs were measured in the two experiments. But more interestingly, we find that wind energy was injected primarily into low vertical modes during OSE and more broadly into higher modes during NISKINe. This, combined with the stronger stratification in the Northeast Pacific, implies that NIWs are more dispersive and hence less susceptible to being modified by vorticity there than they are in the North Atlantic.
Personality traits and job performance among academic staff in a private academic institution

This study investigates the association between the personality traits of academic staff members and their job performance in a Malaysian private educational institution. The personality traits were based on the Big Five model, which has five dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. About 110 participants from this institution were surveyed using a quantitative questionnaire, and their data were gathered. Throughout the study, the data were examined utilizing multiple regression analysis and factor analysis. According to the study’s findings, conscientiousness, and openness to experience significantly positively affect job performance. However, it was determined that extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism were not statistically significant and had no connection to job performance. As a result, in this institution, openness to experience is the most essential predictor of job performance. The findings of this study showed the management that openness to experience and conscientiousness are crucial for improving job performance inside the institution. Therefore, the management should pay more attention to these areas and recruit new employees with openness to experience and conscientious personality traits.
Research on mathematical beliefs: systematic literature review

This study uses the systematic literature review (SLR) method to identify knowledge trends in beliefs about the nature of mathematics, learning mathematics and identify new development opportunities for further research. The Scopus database was used, and 41 documents were found as the primary source for further analysis. The results show that mathematical beliefs have become a current research trend. The number of publications increased significantly starting in 1989, accompanied by many citations. Based on these primary documents, it is known that the development of mathematical beliefs research topics. The foundation of this topic begins with studying the topic of knowledge, activities, and learning mathematics. Then it is developed into other, more varied studies, including teacher’s beliefs transition; mathematical beliefs comparison; mathematics teacher’s belief, teaching, and learning; mathematical beliefs and problem-solving; inquiry-based learning (IBL); affective factors; technology utilization; common misconceptions; and development of mathematics teacher’s beliefs instrument. This research investigates the core of scientific work to provide information to researchers and institutions as material for consideration of research to be carried out.
A Systematic Review on Clinical and Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes following Total Gastrectomy in Patients with Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer

Simple Summary Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is associated with early onset diffuse gastric cancer. Definitive treatment is surgery to remove the stomach, which has potential long-term effects on health and quality of life. As such, regular endoscopies may be offered as an alternative. This systematic review aims to evaluate outcomes following surgery for HDGC patients that will aid in patient management. Three hundred and fifty-three patients were examined in 15 studies that reported surgical outcomes. The major complication and mortality rates were 19.2% and 0.3%, respectively. Common complications included wound infection (4.8%), anastomotic leak (4.5%) and lung complications (4.5%). Following surgery, 88.6% of patients had early lesions amongst 414 patients with no lymph node involvement. There was a wide range of psychosocial effects following surgery closely related to the physical symptoms. Overall, surgery is a safe option, and it is important to be under the care of a multidisciplinary team. Abstract Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) is an autosomal-dominant syndrome associated with early onset diffuse gastric cancer. Definitive treatment is prophylactic total gastrectomy (PTG) associated with significant morbidity. Studies published from January 2000 to December 2022 reporting clinical, histopathological or health-related quality of life outcomes in HDGC patients undergoing PTG were identified. The study quality was assessed by the “Newcastle–Ottawa scale”. Of the 257 articles screened, 21 were selected. A total of 353 patients were examined in 15 studies that reported surgical outcomes. The median age was 42 years old. The median major complication and mortality rates were 19.2% and 0.3%, respectively. The most common complications were wound infection at 4.8% followed by anastomotic leak and pulmonary complications at 4.5% each. Following PTG, 88.6% of patients had early lesions amongst 414 patients. The mean/median number of signet ring cell carcinoma foci in the gastrectomy specimens was from 2 to 78. All cases were stage 1 with no lymph node involvement. There was a wide range of psychosocial effects following PTG closely related to the physical symptoms. It is imperative for patients to receive comprehensive preoperative counselling to make an informed decision and be followed up under the care of a multidisciplinary team.
Neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy or chemoradiation plus consolidative chemotherapy followed by radical operation for locally advanced rectal cancer

Introduction Limited evidence compares short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) and long-course chemoradiotherapy (LCCRT), both of which are followed by consolidative chemotherapy before radical rectal surgery. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess treatment response, survival outcomes, and toxicity in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Materials and methods Patients (cT3–4 and/or N+) treated with SCRT or LCCRT, consolidative chemotherapy, or total mesorectal excision between 2013 and 2021 were identified. the cause-specific cumulative incidence of disease-related treatment failure, locoregional recurrence, distant metastases, and overall survival were evaluated using flexible parametric competing risk analysis and Kaplan–Meier methods, adjusted for treatment regimens and clinicopathological factors. A pathological complete response (pCR), tumor downstaging, and toxicity have been reported. Results Among the 144 patients, 115 (80%) underwent curative rectal surgery. The LCCRT and SCRT groups achieved pCR in 10 (18%) and seven (12%) patients, respectively (odds ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59–4.78). The adjusted cause-specific hazard ratio for disease-related treatment failure with LCCRT versus SCRT was 0.26 (95% CI, 0.08–0.87). Three-year cumulative probability of disease-related treatment failure was 10.0% and 25.6% for LCCRT and SCRT, respectively. No significant differences in T-downstaging, N-downstaging, significant pathologic downstaging (ypT0-2N0), locoregional failure, distant metastasis, or overall survival were found. Late rectal toxicity occurred in 10 (15%) LCCRT and two (3%) SCRT patients, respectively. Conclusion LCCRT with consolidative chemotherapy demonstrated improved disease-related treatment failure compared with SCRT, despite higher late rectal toxicity. Further research is needed to assess the long-term oncologic outcomes and toxicity.
Light Influences the Growth, Pigment Synthesis, Photosynthesis Capacity, and Antioxidant Activities in Scenedesmus falcatus

Light plays a significant role in microalgae cultivation, significantly influencing critical parameters, including biomass production, pigment content, and the accumulation of metabolic compounds. This study was intricately designed to optimize light intensities, explicitly targeting enhancing growth, pigmentation, and antioxidative properties in the green microalga, Scenedesmus falcatus (KU.B1). Additionally, the study delved into the photosynthetic efficiency in light responses of S. falcatus. The cultivation of S. falcatus was conducted in TRIS-acetate-phosphate medium (TAP medium) under different light intensities of 100, 500, and 1000 μmol photons m−2·s−1 within a photoperiodic cycle of 12 h of light and 12 h of dark. Results indicated a gradual increase in the growth of S. falcatus under high light conditions at 1000 μmol photons m−2·s−1, reaching a maximum optical density of 1.33 ± 0.03 and a total chlorophyll content of 22.67 ± 0.2 μg/ml at 120 h. Conversely, a slower growth rate was observed under low light at 100 μmol photons m−2·s−1. However, noteworthy reductions in the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) and actual quantum yield (Y(II)) were observed under 1000 μmol photons m−2·s−1, reflecting a decline in algal photosynthetic efficiency. Interestingly, these changes under 1000 μmol photons m−2·s−1 were concurrent with a significant accumulation of a high amount of beta-carotene (919.83 ± 26.33 mg/g sample), lutein (34.56 ± 0.19 mg/g sample), and canthaxanthin (24.00 ± 0.38 mg/g sample) within algal cells. Nevertheless, it was noted that antioxidant activities and levels of total phenolic compounds (TPCs) decreased under high light at 1000 μmol photons m−2·s−1, with IC50 of DPPH assay recorded at 218.00 ± 4.24 and TPC at 230.83 ± 86.75 mg of GAE/g. The findings suggested that the elevated light intensity at 1000 μmol photons m−2·s−1 enhanced the growth and facilitated the accumulation of valuable carotenoid pigment in S. falcatus, presenting potential applications in the functional food and carotenoid industry.
Waltham International Symposium: Pet Nutrition Coming of Age The Use of Sorghum and Corn as Alternatives to Rice in Dog Foods 1,2

Rice is commonly used in premium Australian dog foods because of its highly digestible and hypoallergenic nature (1). Sorghum and corn are grains available in Australia that are considerably less expensive than rice. Sorghum and corn are known to contain starch that is less digestible in the intestinal tract because of a strong starch–protein matrix (2); however, the extrusion process involved in the manufacture of dog food is likely to gelatinize the starch and make it more digestible (3). The purpose of this study was to evaluate fecal nutrient digestibility of diets containing rice, sorghum and corn, and to determine the effect these diets had on fecal quality through evaluation of fecal score.
Immunization Status of Children 12–36 Months Age of Migrant Workers and Factors Associated with it in Urban Areas of Bangalore East

Background: Immunization is a cost-effective weapon against vaccine preventable diseases. Children of migrant workers suffer from lack of immunization because of frequent shift of places, poor knowledge, and low socioeconomic status. To assess the immunization status of children 12–36 months of age of migrant workers and factors associated it. To identify the reasons for non-immunization or partial immunization among these children. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 migrant workers’ children aged 12–36 months residing in Urban Bangalore east from February 2019 to August 2020. A cluster sampling method was incorporated. The data were collected using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Epi-info™ Version 7.2. 1 and SPSS version-21. Data were summarized in percentages, mean, standard deviation, and logistic regression. Results: The mean age of the children was 25.2340 ± 8.42 months. Out of 500 children, 88.60% were fully immunized, 11.40% were partially immunized, and no child was unimmunized. Significant predictors of immunization status of children were education of father and immunization card. Common reasons for dropout were inconvenient time (80.70%), unaware of need (77.19%), and busy schedule of parents (75.44%). The dropout rate of BCG to MR-1, Penta-1 to Penta-3, and Penta1to MR-1 was 6.49%, 0.85%, and 2.12%, respectively. Conclusions: Immunization coverage in the present study was 88.60%. Inconvenient time was the main reason behind partial immunization.
Effect of plant spacing and variety on weed and performance of orange-fleshed sweet potato in humid agro-ecological zone of Nigeria

Among the crops grown in the tropics, sweet potato ranks second after cassava. Field research was conducted at the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, south-eastern Nigeria, to evaluate the response of orange-fleshed sweet potato varieties to intra-row spacing. Treatments included four varieties ( Umuspo 1, Umuspo 3, Ex-Igbariam and Ex-Oyunga ) and three intra – row spacings (20, 30 and 40 cm). Weed density and growth decreased, but sweetpotato leaf area index (LAI), fresh shoot biomass and storage root yield increased significantly (P<0.05) at the closer spacing (20 cm) than at the wider spacings (30 and 40 cm). Umuspo 1 had higher LAI and shoot biomass; and suppressed weeds more than other varieties. Also, storage root yield of Umuspo 1 (27.2t/ha) was significantly higher than that of Umuspo 3, Ex-Igbariam and Ex-Oyunga by 35, 103 and 325%, respectively. Keywords: Plant spacing, variety, yield, orange-fleshed, sweet potato, Nigeria
A new trophic interaction between invasive weed, its biological control agent, and local insects: A case study of Chromolaena odorata

Abstract. Authors. 2019. A new trophic interaction between invasive weed, its biological control agent, and local insects: a case study of Chromolaena odorata. Biodiversitas 20: 1006-1011. Invasive species have been known to cause biotic homogenization. The presence of Chromolaena odorata, an alien invasive weed, in agricultural habitat has outcompeted many crop plants. The presence of alien invasive weed creates a new trophic interaction especially with local herbivores as well as other associate insects. This study was aimed to investigate a new trophic interaction that has been established between C. odorata, its introduced biological control agent, and local insects. The research was conducted in various land-use types in both of Arjuno and Bromo mountain landscape. In each landscape, we surveyed the population density of C. odorata and its biological control agent (a gall fly, Cecidochares connexa) as well as observed the diversity and abundance of other insects associated with C. odorata. Samples were taken along the transect lines at various altitudinal gradients, from 400 to 1100 m asl. In total, 124 species of insects were found associated with C. odorata which include herbivores, parasitoids, and predators. The difference of land-use types affected the population density of C. odorata but not its herbivores (i.e. C. connexa and aphids). A new association was found between the introduced insect, C. connexa and local parasitoids. The field survey also discovered new associations between the invasive weed with local herbivores such as aphids that are found with high abundance. The aphids were found to have a symbiosis interaction with ants such as Anoplolepis gracilipes (invasive species) and Dolichoderus thoracicus. In conclusion, the ecological consequence of the presence of invasive weed species is the shaping of a new trophic interaction with local insects, even with other invasive ant species. This interaction arguably is part of an ecological process that formed an equilibrium interaction which may cause either a negative or positive impact on C. odorata.
The last glaciation in Orkney, Scotland: glacial stratigraphy, event sequence and flow paths

Three separate till units are recognized on Orkney deposited during the last ice sheet glaciation: the Digger, Scara Taing and Quendal Till members. The Digger Till records an ice advance from the south that extended on to the Atlantic shelf. The Scara Taing Till records a later period of full ice cover when ice moved from the SE out of the Moray Firth and reached Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) limits on the shelf edge. The Quendal Till records a late phase of ice sheet flow from the SE to limits c. 20 km west of Orkney. No till unit or flow set has been identified to confirm the presence of a local ice cap on southern Orkney during the last glaciation. Whilst the blocking presence of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS) and the Shetland Ice Cap may have contributed to the deflection of ice flow over Orkney, similar flow patterns also occurred before and after the LGM. Scandinavian erratics on northern Orkney are probably reworked and provide no direct support for the passage of the FIS. Middle to Late Carboniferous palynomorphs found in tills in eastern Orkney may have been reworked from nearby Permian mudstones.