Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR DURING SOCIAL ISOLATION AND SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION: A PERSPECTIVE IN BRAZIL AND PORTUGAL

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on consumer behavior in social isolation and sustainable consumption, from the perspective of the 2030 Agenda, given the perception of 2403 residents in Brazil and Portugal, through four research hypotheses. Method/approach: The methodology used was quantitative and descriptive research, through exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression. Main findings: The results highlight that all hypotheses were confirmed, and the most relevant relationship, that is, the most significant impact, occurred between the COVID-19 Pandemic and consumer behavior in social isolation, as well as differences in the perception of respondents between the Countries. Theoretical, practical/social contributions: Regarding the managerial and social contributions of the research, they allow managers and health professionals to have knowledge about the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic, assisting them in developing strategies to face the Pandemic. In addition to information for public policies at the regional and national le’vels to support cities and regions in facing the Pandemic. Originality/relevance: Another important contribution of the research is the availability of an analysis framework, which has been statistically validated (observable variables and constructs). In this context, the Framework proposed in the research can be replicated in different regional, national, and international contexts.
Effect of nanofluids on thermal performance of heat pipes

A relatively new way for utilizing the thermal performance of heat pipes is to use nanofluids as working fluids in the heat pipes. Heat pipes are effective heat transfer devices in which the nanofluid operates in the two phases, evaporation and condensation. The heat pipe transfers the heat supplied in e.g. a laptop, from the evaporator to condenser part. Nanofluids are mixtures consisting of nanoparticles (e.g. nano-sized silver particles) and a base fluid (e.g. water). The aim of this bachelor’s thesis has been to examine the effect of nanofluids on heat pipes on the subject of temperature parameters and thermal resistance in the heat pies, through findings in literature and an applied model.The study, based on literature and an applied model, found that higher particle conductivity and higher concentration of nanoparticles consequently decrease the thermal resistance in the heat pipes, resulting in an enhanced thermal performance of the heat pipes with nanofluids as working fluids.It is however concluded that difficulties in finding the optimal synthesis of nanofluids, the concentration level of nanoparticles and the filling ratio of nanofluids in heat pipes, set bounds to the commercial use of nanofluids in heat pipes.It is suggested that, in order to enhance the heat transfer performance of nanofluids in heat pipes, to conduct further research concerning e.g. synthesis of nanofluids and concentration level of nanoparticles in nanofluids.
Summertime Incursions of Midlatitude Air into Subtropical and Tropical South America

Abstract Transient incursions of midlatitude air to the east of the Andes Mountains into subtropical and tropical latitudes are a distinctive feature of the synoptic climatology over South America. The mean synoptic-scale structure of these incursions is documented in this paper on the basis of a compositing analysis of NCEP–NCAR reanalyzed meteorological fields and satellite-based outgoing longwave radiation measurements. Although these incursions are a year-round phenomenon, with relatively modest seasonal changes in their structure, this analysis is focused on the austral summer, when they have their largest impact in the precipitation field. The summertime incursions move equatorward at a mean speed of 10 m s−1 and retain their identities over intervals of about 5 days. The upper-level circulation is characterized by a midlatitude trough–ridge couplet that provides the quasigeostrophic forcing of the system. Before the onset of the incursions of midlatitude air, the approaching upper-level trough tend.
Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia and the Need for Revascularization

Background: Patients presenting with critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) have been increasing in number over the years. They represent a high-risk population, especially in terms of major amputation and mortality. Despite multiple guidelines concerning their management, it continues to be challenging. Decision-making between surgical and endovascular procedures should be well established, but there is still a lack of consensus concerning the best treatment strategy. The aim of this manuscript is to offer an overview of the contemporary management of CLTI patients, with a focus on the concept that evidence-based revascularization (EBR) could help surgeons to provide more appropriate treatment, avoiding improper procedures, as well as too-high-risk ones. Methods: We performed a search on MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus from 1 January 1995 to 31 December 2022 and reviewed Global and ESVS Guidelines. A total of 150 articles were screened, but only those of high quality were considered and included in a narrative synthesis. Results: Global Vascular Guidelines have improved and standardized the way to classify and manage CLTI patients with evidence-based revascularization (EBR). Nevertheless, considering that not all patients are suitable for revascularization, a key strategy could be to stratify unfit patients by considering both clinical and non-clinical risk factors, in accordance with the concept of individual residual risk for every patient. The recent BEST-CLI trial established the superiority of autologous vein bypass graft over endovascular therapy for the revascularization of CLTI patients. However, no-option CLTI patients still represent a critical issue. Conclusions: The surgeon’s experience and skillfulness are the cornerstones of treatment and of a multidisciplinary approach. The recent BEST-CLI trial established that open surgical peripheral vascular surgery could guarantee better outcomes than the less invasive endovascular approach.
Coalition Structures and Proportional Share Analysis for TU Cooperative Games

Selten in 1972 developed a new theory called �equal share analysis�. This theory was expressed in the form of three hypothesis about the outcome of characteristic function games with restricted coalition structures. First hypothesis says that there will be a strong tendency to form an �exhaustive coalition structure� which means that in the final coalition structure there are no coalitions who have incentives to merge. The second hypothesis asserts that the payoff vector will have a strong tendency to be in the equal division core, which is a new game theoretic concept introduced by Selten. A payoff vector is in the equal division core, if no coalition can divide its value equally among its members and in this way give more to each of the members than they receive in the payoff vector. After giving an order of strength within the players, the third hypothesis says that within a coalition a stronger player will not receive less than a weaker player. The result of the play is a configuration, that consists of a coalition structure which is a partition of N into permissible coalitions and a payoff vector. A configuration that satisfies the three hypothesis above is called regular configuration. Selten showed that a regular configuration exists for any game. In this paper we extend Selten�s result assuming that every player has an initial weight ai > 0 i = 1, . , n. We introduce the concept of the proportional division core which depends on the vector a and is very related to the equal division core. We say that a payoff vector is in the proportional division core if no coalition can divide it�s value proportionally to a among it�s members and in this way give more to all its members than they receive in the payoff vector divided by ai. On the other hand we introduce a new order of strength with respect to a within the players, and we consider that a coalition structure and a payoff vector is a proportional regular configuration if the coalition structure is exhaustive, the payoff vector is in the proportional division core and it preserves the order of strength with respect to a between the players in the same coalition. The main result in the paper is that for any cooperative TU game and for any vector a > 0 we can always guarantee the existence of a proportional regular configuration.
Nonlinear state observers by gradient descent method

This paper concerns with a new nonlinear state observer of deterministic general nonlinear systems; which is designed based on the gradient descent method for decreasing squared estimation errors. The convergence of the proposed observer is proved by using the Bihari type inequality which generalizes the Gronwall inequality. We confirm from various simulations that our method works very well as a nonlinear state observer with superior convergence properties.
Young children’s comprehension of comparative adjectives: problems of experimental design and interpretation

Previous investigations have shown that children between the ages of three and five years give consistently correct responses to re quests for one of a pair of quantities which has more elements and in correct responses to requests for the one containing less. On such a basis it has been hypothesized that the word more is properly understood before the word less and, at some point in the acquisition of these terms, less is understood to have the meaning of more. However, such a response bias is not demonstrable in a ll of the studies which have required children to deal with the terms more and less. As a consequence, the various experimental methodologies are examined for differences which may have accounted for the disparity of results, i.e., for the presence or absence of the response bias described. The present study investigates the performance of thirty children between the ages of 2; 6 and 4;6 on comparisons which involve the terms more/less and longer/shorter. Two types of comparison were made: (1) the choice of one stimulus in response to the words more and less and longer and shorter, and (2) the choice of one of the terms in the comparison of one stimulus with a given standard. Very few of the children tested demonstrated a response bias in favour of the positive terms, more and longer, and their scores on the comprehension of more and less were found to be highly dependent on the design of the task. The 'Semantic Feature Hypothesis' proposed by E. Clark (1973) suggests that the confusion of polar opposites (i.e., opposing comparative
General Solution of Linear Fractional Neutral Differential Difference Equations

This paper is concerned with the general solution of linear fractional neutral differential difference equations. The exponential estimates of the solution and the variation of constant formula for linear fractional neutral differential difference equations are derived by using the Gronwall integral inequality and the Laplace transform method, respectively. The obtained results extend the corresponding ones of integer order linear ordinary differential equations and delay differential equations.
Magnetite Nanoparticles and Carbon Nanotubes for Improving the Operation of Mesophilic Anaerobic Digesters

Anaerobic waste processing contributes to the development of the bioenergy sector and solves environmental problems. To date, many technologies have been developed for increasing the rate of the anaerobic digestion process and yield of methane. However, new technological advancements are required to eliminate biogas production inefficiencies. The performance of anaerobic digesters can be improved by adding conductive materials. In this study, the effects of the separate and shared use of magnetite nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes in anaerobic digesters converting high-nitrogen-containing waste, chicken manure, were investigated. The tested nanomaterials accelerated the methane production and increased the decomposition of products from the acidogenesis and acetogenesis stages. The combined use of magnetite nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes gave better results compared to using them alone or without them. Members of the bacterial classes Bacteroidia, Clostridia, and Actinobacteria were detected at higher levels in the anaerobic digesters, but in different proportions depending on the experiment. Representatives of the genera Methanosarcina, Methanobacterium, and Methanothrix were mainly detected within the methanogenic communities in the anaerobic digesters. The present study provides new data for supporting the anaerobic treatment of substrates with a high content of inhibitory compounds, such as chicken wastes.
An alternative construction of uninorms on bounded lattices

In this article, we first introduce a method for obtaining uninorms on a bounded lattice with the identity element using an interior operator on and a t-conorm on Next, based on a closure operator on and a t-norm on a construction method for uninorms on with the identity element is proposed. Furthermore, we state that these methods are generalizations of those described in [Çaylı, G. D. 2018. “A Characterization of Uninorms on Bounded Lattices by Means of Triangular Norms and Triangular Conorms. ” International Journal of General Systems 47: 772–793. doi:10.1080/03081079.2018. 1513929; Dan, Y. , and B. Q. Hu. 2020. “A New Structure for Uninorms on Bounded Lattices. ” Fuzzy Sets and Systems 386: 77–94. doi:10.1016/j.fss. 2019.02. 001. ]. Some corresponding examples are also provided to illustrate that our methods differ from the existing ones.
The Current Status, Challenges, and Future Potential of Therapeutic Vaccination in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain tumor and confers a dismal prognosis. With only two FDA-approved therapeutics showing modest survival gains since 2005, there is a great need for the development of other disease-targeted therapies. Due, in part, to the profound immunosuppressive microenvironment seen in GBMs, there has been a broad interest in immunotherapy. In both GBMs and other cancers, therapeutic vaccines have generally yielded limited efficacy, despite their theoretical basis. However, recent results from the DCVax-L trial provide some promise for vaccine therapy in GBMs. There is also the potential that future combination therapies with vaccines and adjuvant immunomodulating agents may greatly enhance antitumor immune responses. Clinicians must remain open to novel therapeutic strategies, such as vaccinations, and carefully await the results of ongoing and future trials. In this review of GBM management, the promise and challenges of immunotherapy with a focus on therapeutic vaccinations are discussed. Additionally, adjuvant therapies, logistical considerations, and future directions are discussed.
Causal factors and consequences of parent involvement growth : the second-order latent growth curve model

The purposes of this research were to 1) assess the training needs of teachers and parents in parent involvement and 3M principle roles (M1: moral supporter, M2: monitor, and M3: mentor), 2) investigate the results of the school-based training on the teachers’ skills, and 3) examine the effects of causal factors and the consequences of the parent involvement growth on the student achievement growth. Participants were 25 teachers and 564 parents of 1-6 grade students at Watpairongwua school. Data were collected via 3 sets of 5 rating scales questionnaire. The mean difference method, the content analysis, and the second-order latent growth curve analysis were the major analytic tools. Results indicated that volunteering dimension was the need of teachers and parents in parent involvement. However, the dimensions that need to improve their mind set were the collaborating with community, the learning at home, and the decision-making. As for the 3M principle roles, it was found that the dimension that needed the development was M1 (moral supporter); the inspiration by general rewards and inspired learning rewards. After the school-based training, teachers obtained research skills, designing and planning the activities that promoted parent involvement, and the effective implementation of activities in accordance with the goals of the development of students. The teachers also learn techniques of coordinating with parents of various groups and could get to know students individually indeed. The implementation of the activities that promoted the involvement of parents enhanced the relationship between teachers and parents. Teachers could gain the wisdom from parents for the development of students. It also created the close relationship between parents and children, which promoted the learning of students accordingly. Furthermore, results showed that the factors that had influences on the parent involvement growth significantly at 0.01 level were the parents’ life context and the teachers’ skills. Considering the influences of the parent involvement growth on student achievement growth, it was found that the latent slope variable of parent involvement had influences on the latent level variable of student achievement significantly at 0.05 level.
Resilience of Hybrid Ensemble/3DVAR Analysis Schemes to Model Error and Ensemble Covariance Error

Abstract Previous idealized numerical experiments have shown that a straightforward augmentation of an isotropic error correlation matrix with an ensemble-based error correlation matrix yields an improved data assimilation scheme under certain conditions. Those conditions are (a) the forecast model is perfect and (b) the ensemble accurately samples the probability distribution function of forecast errors. Such schemes blend characteristics of ensemble Kalman filter analysis schemes with three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) analysis schemes and are called hybrid schemes. Here, we test the robustness of hybrid schemes to model error and ensemble inaccuracy in the context of a numerically simulated two-dimensional turbulent flow. The turbulence is produced by a doubly periodic barotropic vorticity equation model that is constantly relaxing to a barotropically unstable state. The types of forecast models considered include a perfect model, a model with a resolution error, and a model with a.
Alpha particles diffusion due to charge changes

Alpha particles diffusion due to charge changes in a magnetized plasma is studied. Analytical calculations and numerical simulations are employed to show that this process can be very important in the pedestal-edge-SOL regions. This is the first study that presents clear evidence of the importance of atomic processes on the diffusion of alpha particles. A simple 1D model that includes inelastic collisions with plasma species, “cold” neutrals, and partially ionized species was employed. The code, which follows the exact particle orbits and includes the effect of inelastic collisions via a Monte Carlo type random process, runs on a graphic processor unit (GPU). The analytical and numerical results show excellent agreement when a uniform background (plasma and cold species) is assumed. The simulations also show that the gradients in the density of the plasma and cold species, which are large and opposite in the edge region, produce an inward flux of alpha particles. Calculations of the alpha particles flux r.
Asymptotic Analysis of Some Stochastic Models from Population Dynamics and Population Genetics

Asymptotic Analysis of Some Stochastic Models from Population Dynamics and Population Genetics Todd Parsons Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Mathematics University of Toronto 2012 Near the beginning of the last century, R. A. Fisher and Sewall Wright devised an elegant, mathematically tractable model of gene reproduction and replacement that laid the foundation for contemporary population genetics. The Wright-Fisher model and its extensions have given biologists powerful tools of statistical inference that enabled the quantification of genetic drift and selection. Given the utility of these tools, we often forget that their model for reasons of mathematical tractability makes assumptions that are violated in many real-world populations. In particular, the classical models assume fixed population sizes, held constant by (unspecified) sampling mechanisms. Here, we consider an alternative framework that merges Moran’s continuous time Markov chain model of allele frequencies in haploid populations of fixed size with the density dependent models of ecological competition of Lotka, Volterra, Gause, and Kolmogorov. This allows for haploid populations of stochastically varying – but bounded – size. Populations are kept finite by resource limitation. We show the existence of limits that naturally generalize the weak and strong selection regimes of classical population genetics, which allow the calculation of fixation times and probabilities, as well as the long-term stationary allele frequency distribution.
Exact travelling wave solutions of three-species competition--diffusion systems

We consider the problem where $W$ invades the $(U,V)$ system in the three species Lotka-Volterra competition-diffusion model. Numerical simulation indicates that the presence of $W$ can dramatically change the competitive interaction between $U$ and $V$ in some parameter range if the invading $W$ is not too small. We also construct exact travelling wave solutions with non-trivial three components and track the bifurcation branches of these solutions by AUTO.
Deviated linear cyclic pursuit

This paper analyses deviated linear cyclic pursuit in which an agent pursues its leader with an angle of deviation in both the continuous- and discrete-time domains, while admitting heterogeneous gains and deviations for the agents. Sufficient conditions for the stability of such systems, in both the domains, are presented in this paper along with the derivation of the reachable set, which is a set of points where the agents may converge asymptotically. The stability conditions are derived based on Gershgorin's theorem. Simulations validating the theoretical results presented in this paper are provided.
A secured and optimized deep recurrent neural network (DRNN) scheme for remote health monitoring system with edge computing

Patients now want a contemporary, advanced healthcare system that is faster and more individualized and that can keep up with their changing needs. An edge computing environment, in conjunction with 5G speeds and contemporary computing techniques, is the solution for the latency and energy efficiency criteria to be satisfied for a real-time collection and analysis of health data. The feature of optimum computing approaches, including encryption, authentication, and classification that are employed on the devices deployed in an edge-computing architecture, has been ignored by previous healthcare systems, which have concentrated on novel fog architecture and sensor kinds. To avoid this problem in this paper, an Optimized Deep Recurrent Neural Network (O-DRNN) model is used with a multitier secured architecture. Initially, the data obtained from the patient are sent to the healthcare server in edge computing and the processed data are stored in the cloud using the Elliptic Curve Key Agreement Scheme (ECKAS) security model. The data is pre-processed and optimal features are selected using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm. O-DRNN algorithm hyper-parameters are optimized using Bayesian optimization for better diagnosis. The proposed work offers superior outcomes in terms of accuracy and encryption latency while using computational cloud services.