Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of ICT-Enhanced Blended Learning on Elementary School Students’ Achievement in English and Attitudes towards English Lesson

The purpose of the present study was to comparatively examine the effects of ICT-enhanced blended curriculum and traditional teaching practices in elementary school English courses. The research was carried out in accordance with the pretest posttest experimental model with a control group. The study was carried out in a elementary school in Kazakhstan with the participation of 60 elementary school students (30 experiment and 30 control) attending 4th grade. In the research, a pretest was applied to the experimental and control groups before the experimental procedure. As a pretest, the English achievement and attitude scales towards the same course were applied to the subjects. In the study, computer aided blended instruction was used in the experimental group and traditional instruction was applied in the control group. Experimental applications lasted eight weeks. In the study, the same scales were applied to the experimental and control groups as a posttest. Two weeks after the posttest, the English achievement test was administered to both groups as a retention test. According to the research findings, the computer-aided blended teaching application applied in the experimental group enabled the students to achieve higher English achievement, positive attitude and learning permanence compared to the control group in which traditional teaching was applied.
Genetic Analysis of Fluoroquinolone Resistant Genes in Mycoplasma gallisepticum Field Isolates

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) causes economic losses to poultry industry all over the world. This study aimed to investigate the emergence of fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance in MG field isolates using sequence analysis of genes encoding the subunits of the drug’s target enzymes. The results showed that two MG isolates were resistant to fluoroquinolones. Amino acid mutations were recorded in gyrA at codons 59, 73, 157 and 174, gyr B at codons 415 in addition to Glu at 416 and Par C at codons 92 and 167. No mutations were observed in gyr E. Two-dimensional analyses illustrated that mutations in the resistant genes; gyr A , gyr B, and Par C were associated with alterations in the predicted protein structures of quinolone-resistance determining regions (QRDRs). These mutations were accompanied by elevation of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) profiles to FQ. It was concluded that the mutations in genes encoding DNA gyrase enzyme were the important causes for the appearance of FQ resistance MG isolates.
Airy Function-Based Model for 2-DEG Charge and Surface Potential in N-Polar Gallium Nitride Heterostructures

A systematic, analytical method to obtain the charge density and surface potential in an N-polar GaN/AlGaN heterostructure is presented. This method also provides the wave functions, subband energies, and band diagram. The model accounts for the greater leakage of the wave functions into the spacer and barrier layers in the N-polar structure as compared to the Ga-polar structure. The framework is based on the solution of Schrödinger–Poisson equations for an approximately triangular well potential with finite confinement, achieved using first-order perturbation theory. No fitting parameters are used. Results obtained using our model are in good agreement with numerical results (obtained using the finite difference method) for a wide range of bias conditions (from OFF- to ON-states) and Al<sub><italic>x</italic></sub>Ga<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{{1}-{x}}\text{N}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> spacer mole fractions.
Specific eating disorders – selected aspects of pathogenesis and risk factors

Although research into the aetiology and pathogenesis of eating disorders has been ongoing for many years, it has not yet been possible to identify all the factors responsible for their development. Current research does not focus on a single risk factor, but looks for correlations between them. This article presents selected aspects of the pathogenesis and risk factors of specific eating disorders. Family and individual factors, social and cultural factors, and biological factors are described. Particular attention has been paid to the aspect of parenting styles and behaviours exhibited, e.g. excessive punishment and emotional coldness. The coexistence of personality disorders with specific and non-specific eating disorders is also described. The social aspect highlights the development of social media and their impact on selfesteem, body dissatisfaction, and promotion of pathological thinness. Cultural factors include progressive “westernisation” and the rapid increase in the prevalence of eating disorders in the areas of the world where they did not previously exist. Among biological factors, publications on appetite neuromodulators, genetic factors, gut microbiota disorders, and the so-called brain-gut axis were analysed. Modern science is not as yet able to answer the question of which of the mentioned factors has the greatest impact on the development of eating disorders, however, ongoing research offers hope for effective treatment of these diseases in the future. Knowing the factors predisposing to their occurrence will allow early identification of risk groups and undertaking preventive and therapeutic actions, including psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.
Comparison of Three Tonometers in Measuring Intraocular Pressure in Eyes That Underwent Myopic Laser in situ Keratomileusis and Photorefractive Keratectomy

Objective To compare the intraocular pressure (IOP) obtained by Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT), correcting applanation tonometer surface (CATS) and biomechanically corrected IOP (bIOP) of Corvis ST tonometer (CVS); and to determine the effects of manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), central corneal thickness (CCT) and mean corneal curvature (Km) on the IOP measurements of corneal refractive patients. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study of 120 eyes of 64 patients from May 1, 2020 to June 1, 2021 who underwent laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The level of agreement between the three tonometers was evaluated, and correlation between parameters was calculated using Pearson correlation. Results Mean preoperative to postoperative IOP in LASIK and PRK was 15.1 ± 3 to 11.3 ± 2.1 and 14.4 ± 2.6 to 12.1 ± 3 using GAT, 16.4 ± 2.8 to 13.1 ± 2.3 and 15.9 ± 2.6 to 13.7 ± 3 using CATS and 14.8 ± 2.4 to 12.9 ± 1.5 and 14.2 ± 2.4 to 12.6 ± 1.9 using CVS-bIOP. Preoperative IOP correlation between each tonometer pair showed that the lowest mean difference was between GAT and CVS-bIOP (0.32 in LASIK, 0.15 in PRK). Preoperative to postoperative IOP correlation of each tonometer resulted in a difference of 3.77, 2.30 in GAT; 3.32, 2.28 in CATS and 1.88, 1.62 in CVS-bIOP in the LASIK and PRK groups, respectively. Percentage change in CCT and Km was not correlated while change in MRSE had a weak relationship with percentage change in CVS-bIOP. Conclusion Preoperatively, GAT and CVS-bIOP had the best agreement in IOP measurements. CATS recorded the highest IOP preoperatively and postoperatively. IOP decreased in the three tonometers after LASIK and PRK with GAT having the largest decrease. CVS-bIOP had the lowest change between preoperative and postoperative IOP measurements. Only percentage change in MRSE was correlated with percentage change in CVS-bIOP in the LASIK group.
Long-Term GAD-alum Treatment Effect on Different T-Cell Subpopulations in Healthy Children Positive for Multiple Beta Cell Autoantibodies

Objective The objective of this study was to explore whether recombinant GAD65 conjugated hydroxide (GAD-alum) treatment affected peripheral blood T-cell subpopulations in healthy children with multiple beta cell autoantibodies. Method The Diabetes Prevention–Immune Tolerance 2 (DiAPREV-IT 2) clinical trial enrolled 26 children between 4 and 13 years of age, positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody (GADA) and at least one other autoantibody (insulin, insulinoma antigen-2, or zinc transporter 8 autoantibody (IAA, IA-2A, or ZnT8A)) at baseline. The children were randomized to two doses of subcutaneously administered GAD-alum treatment or placebo, 30 days apart. Complete blood count (CBC) and immunophenotyping of T-cell subpopulations by flow cytometry were performed regularly during the 24 months of follow-up posttreatment. Cross-sectional analyses were performed comparing lymphocyte and T-cell subpopulations between GAD-alum and placebo-treated subjects. Results GAD-alum-treated children had lower levels of lymphocytes (109 cells/L) (p = 0.006), T-cells (103 cells/μL) (p = 0.008), T-helper cells (103 cells/μL) (p = 0.014), and cytotoxic T-cells (103 cells/μL) (p = 0.023) compared to the placebo-treated children 18 months from first GAD-alum injection. This difference remained 24 months after the first treatment for lymphocytes (p = 0.027), T-cells (p = 0.022), T-helper cells (p = 0.048), and cytotoxic T-cells (p = 0.018). Conclusion Our findings suggest that levels of total T-cells and T-cell subpopulations declined 18 and 24 months after GAD-alum treatment in healthy children with multiple beta-cell autoantibodies including GADA.
Do the Unexpected Price Change and News Affect Price Volatility in Palestine?

Inflation is an essential issue in the economy. Many countries try to target inflation to reduce the erosion of savings for citizens, so many researchers have focused on this topic. The current study attempts to determine whether the news or an unexpected change in the consumer prices index basket affects the volatility of the prices asymmetrically. The result shows that four of twelve sectors are not affected by the news, either because they have a constant variance or because of the not significance of EGARCH. The rest sectors show different responses to high price news and low-price news either by magnitude or signs. Generally, we can notice that high prices with significant negative shocks have a more massive effect on future fluctuation. The shocks that affect its future fluctuation are positive and negative for low prices.
Effect of Rural Human Settlement Environment around Nature Reserves on Farmers’ Well-Being: A Field Survey Based on 1002 Farmer Households around Six Nature Reserves in China

Numerous countries actively consider the human settlement environment and have implemented rural governance strategies to ameliorate the living conditions of rural dwellers. The construction of a rural human settlement environment is an important goal of China’s rural revitalization strategy and improving farmers’ well-being is a key element of China’s policies on agriculture, farmers, and villages. However, whether a rural human settlement environment enhances farmers’ well-being remains untested. By adopting the method of random stratified sampling, this study investigated 1002 farmers inside and outside six nature reserves in Liaoning, China. OLS and ordered probit regression models were used to assess the impact on the well-being and the satisfaction of farmers with their settlement environment around nature reserves from three aspects: the natural ecological environment, the hardware facility environment, and the daily governance environment. The results of this study proved that the construction of a human settlement environment can significantly boost the well-being of farmers. Moreover, the satisfaction towards the natural ecological environment, hardware facility environment, and daily governance environment exerts a substantial impact on the well-being at the significance level of 1%, with a positive sign, showing a stable enhancement role. Among them, the satisfaction with the hardware facility environment was the most essential for improving happiness, with a coefficient of 0.126. A heterogeneity analysis suggests that the positive effect of satisfaction with the human settlement environment on farmers’ well-being within nature reserves was more significant in the natural ecological environment, with a coefficient of 0.244; the hardware facility environment had the greatest positive effect on the well-being of farmers outside nature reserves, with a coefficient of 0.224; and the daily governance environment had a greater enhancing effect on the well-being of farmers both inside and outside nature reserves. Based on these results, it is recommended that governments encourage farmers around nature reserves to participate in wildlife accident insurance, strengthen ecological environmental protection, and enhance the hardware facility environment. Furthermore, local governments should disseminate knowledge of human settlement management to farmers and improve the efficiency of human settlement environment management at the grassroots level. Finally, governments should prioritize human settlement environment development and identify the farmers’ needs of human settlement environment to enhance their well-being.
Participating in Authentic Engineering Projects Improves Teachers’ Ability to Teach the Design Process to Middle School Students

Kris Billiar is Department Head and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, an M.S.E and Ph.D. in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. His current research interests are soft tissue mechanics and mechanobiology – the study of how mechanical forces regulate the development and healing of connective tissues and the pathogenesis of disease.
English has Always Been Present: Transnational Youths Illustrating Language Dynamics in Zacatecas, Mexico

This paper aims at describing the impact of transnationalism on the reconfiguration of linguisticrepertoires of transnational people and how this is manifested in their discursive practices, their residing communities, and the geographical places they connect. Narratives from three participants are analyzed from the perspective of translanguaging theory (Wei, 2011, 2018b), which allows to capture moments of language creativity and criticality that are then linked to the transnational dimension of the participants, exemplifying how these elements interact with each other. Through participants’ flexible languaging and metalinguistic commentaries manifested in various domains of their daily lives, their creativity and criticality emerge as natural and significant features of their routine and bilingualism.
Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Genes Related to Sex Determination and Differentiation in Sugarcane Borer (Chilo sacchariphagus Bojer)

Simple Summary Chilo sacchariphagus Bojer is an important sugarcane pest globally. The identification of key genes associated with sex determination and differentiation will provide important basic information for the sterile insect technique control strategy. In this study, the comparative transcriptomic analysis of female and male adults revealed sex-biased gene expression, indicating putative genetic elements of sex determination and differentiation in this species. Abstract Chilo sacchariphagus Bojer is an important sugarcane pest globally. Along with genetic modification strategies, the sterile insect technique (SIT) has gained more attention as an environment-friendly method for pest control. The identification of key genes associated with sex determination and differentiation will provide important basic information for this control strategy. As such, the transcriptome sequencing of female and male adults was conducted in order to understand the sex-biased gene expression and molecular basis of sex determination and differentiation in this species. A total of 60,429 unigenes were obtained; among them, 34,847 genes were annotated. Furthermore, 11,121 deferentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 8986 were male-biased and 2135 were female-biased genes. The male-biased genes were enriched for carbon metabolism, peptidase activity and transmembrane transport, while the female-biased genes were enriched for the cell cycle, DNA replication, and the MAPK signaling pathway. In addition, 102 genes related to sex-determination and differentiation were identified, including the protein toll, ejaculatory bulb-specific protein, fruitless, transformer-2, sex-lethal, beta-Catenin, sox, gata4, beta-tubulin, cytosol aminopeptidase, seminal fluid, and wnt4. Furthermore, transcription factors such as myb, bhlh and homeobox were also found to be potentially related to sex determination and differentiation in this species. Our data provide new insights into the genetic elements associated with sex determination and differentiation in Chilo sacchariphagus, and identified potential candidate genes to develop pest-control strategies.
The effect of postpartum sleep quality on mothers’ breastfeeding self-efficacy level

ABSTRACT This study was performed to investigate the effect of sleep quality of new mothers on their breastfeeding self-efficacy. The data of 52 mothers were analysed in the study. Data were collected by the midwife at the first, sixth and 12th weeks after the birth. In the analysis, the repeated measures ANOVA, independent samples t-test, chi-square test and correlation analysis were used. Sleep quality was poor in 38.5%, 17.3% and 15.4% of the participants in the first, the second and the third follow-ups respectively. Breastfeeding self-efficacy levels of the mothers whose sleep quality was good improved. In promoting breastfeeding, the sleep factor should be considered, and it should be included in social support and postpartum care services.
Cross-National Social Influence: How Foreign Votes Can Affect Domestic Public Opinion

Do voters follow the preferences of foreign mass collectives? Despite the growing research on policy diffusion and theoretical debates on the emergence of transnational public spheres, we know little about the impact of foreign votes on domestic public opinion. Yet, the results of elections and referendums may provide a signal to people in other countries and trigger a process of contagion. This study leverages the coincidence of the 2005 French referendum on the European Constitution and the fieldwork of two surveys to analyze the causal effect of cross-national social influence. Results show that the French rejection increased public opposition to the Constitution abroad. A process of cognitive activation explains why knowledgeable voters also grew Eurosceptic after the vote. These findings attest to the interdependence of national publics and contribute to our understanding of mechanisms of social contagion.
A new species of Notacanthella Jacobus & McCafferty, 2008 (Ephemeroptera, Ephemerellidae) from Yunnan, China

﻿Abstract Notacanthellajinwu Li & Jacobus, sp. nov. is described based on egg, nymph, and winged stages from Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The nymph of the new species is closely related to N.commodema (Allen, 1971), whose nymphs share a similar tuberculation of head, pronotum, and mesonotum. However, the nymph of our new species can be distinguished based on the structures of male sternum IX and abdominal tergal tubercles. In addition, the new species is distributed in subtropical high-altitude areas. The description of the male imago of the new species is the first certain one for the genus Notacanthella. Data associated with our new species allow for expanded discussion and diagnosis of Notacanthella and closely related genera. An identification key for nymphs of these groups is provided.
Effect of Enrichment Items on the Physiology and Behavior of Sows in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Simple Summary Environmental enrichment can mitigate the damage to animal welfare induced by modern intensive pig farming practices, especially when pregnant sows are raised in confined stalls. This study investigated the effects of enrichment items (such as adding pine and scented wood in confinement stalls) on the physiology and behavior of sows during late gestation. Adding both pine and scented wood in confinement stalls was shown to alleviate chronic stress and stereotypical behavior of sows, suggesting their potential as an interesting and feasible way to reduce welfare compromise. Abstract Modern intensive pig breeding harms animal welfare, which is especially noticeable for pregnant sows kept in confinement stalls. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of enrichment items on the movement and physiological parameters of sows in the third trimester of pregnancy. A total of 30 large white pregnant sows were randomly divided into three equal treatment groups (n = 10): control, pine wood, and scented wood groups. Interestingly, compared with the control group, the sows in the pine wood or scented wood groups showed less ventral lying and more lateral lying behavior (p < 0.01), coupled with significant reduction in the frequency of scratching and sham-chewing (p < 0.01), but with no significant difference in the degree of preference for these enrichment items (p > 0.05). Additionally, the sows in the pine wood or scented wood groups also decreased significantly in the concentration of immunoglobulin A (IgA) (p < 0.01) and the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (p < 0.05) throughout the late pregnancy period. Overall, adding enrichment items to confinement stalls can alleviate the chronic stress and the stereotypic behavior of sows, suggesting their potential to reduce welfare compromise.
A Quasi-Elliptic Bandpass Filter-Integrated Single-Pole Double-Throw Switch

Abstract This paper proposes a quasi-elliptic bandpass filter-integrated single-pole double-throw (SPDT) switch. The series-parallel configuration of p-i-n diodes embedded into the impedance matching circuit is proposed to combine two quasi-elliptic response bandpass filters to constitute the proposed SPDT switch. To validate our design approach, a proposed quasi-elliptic bandpass filter-integrated SPDT switch is designed and fabricated with a central frequency of 1.25 GHz and a 3 dB fractional bandwidth of 16 %. Low insertion loss in the on state and good isolation in the off state are achieved. The switch size including bias circuits but excluding feeding lines is 0. 447λg×0. 134λg.
e-beam metrology of thin resist for high NA EUVL

One of the many constraints of high numerical aperture extreme ultraviolet lithography is related to resist thickness. A critical consequence of moving from the current 0.33 to 0.55 NA (high NA) is depth of focus reduction. The question we seek to answer in the present study is how the resist thickness reduction, required to compensate for the drop in NA, impacts the e-beam metrology needed to characterize the process. The impact of film thickness on e-beam metrology was first investigated by critical dimension scanning electron microscopy (CD SEM) using our current best-known methods (BKMs). Optimized settings minimizing such an impact were then studied using CD SEM as well as low-voltage SEM. Atomic force microscopy was used to accurately characterize the sample thickness. Our results indicate that alternative operating conditions and BKMs are sometimes needed to meet the metrology requirements. However, even in the case of materials showing a large sensitivity to resist thinning, we were able to identify e-beam imaging conditions capable of meeting metrology specifications.
Onychomycosis due to Dermatophytes Species in the University Hospital Hassan II of FEZ: Epidemiological and Mycological Profile

disease was more common in women than in men, with a sex ratio of 0.63. Localization on the feet was predominant with a percentage of 93.7%. Trichophyton rubrum was the commonest dermatophyte isolated (95.7%), followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var interdigitalis (3.3%), Trichophyton verrucosum (0.7%), Trichophyton soudanense (0.2%), and Epidermophyton floccosum (0.2%). Conclusion: Trichophyton rubrum is the genus most involved in dermatophyte onychomycosis in accordance with the data in the literature. This work emphasizes the contribution of mycological examination in the confirmation of the fungal origin of nail diseases, thus orienting the treatment.