Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE WITH THE MEDIATING ROLE OF STUDENT’S ENGAGEMENT: REASSESSING KURT LEWIN MODEL IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTES OF SINDH PROVINCE, PAKISTAN

Technology has become ever more interwoven into the fabric of academic life. With the interventions of technological innovations, Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) of the world are transforming their ways of disseminating knowledge, in every classroom setup, the inclusion of technological facilities includes Internet in classrooms, multimedia, affordable digital devices, installation of e portal LMS (Learning Management System) for sharing the learning content which generates students’ engagement. Students’ engagement in academic system is considered as a major factor to assess the behavioral wise involvement of students for learning and achieving academic performance. In present study, quantitative research method has been utilized and data was collected from the sample size of 798 students from public and private sector Higher Education Institute of Sindh Province. The study intended to examine the hypotheses involving direct and indirect relationship between variables which are being developed based on Kurt Lewin Model and Social Exchange Theory. The study investigated that technological change has a positive and significant impact on the students engagement which exhibited the acceptance of H1, subsequently, the relationship between students’ engagement and academic performance carries strong and significant impact which also exhibits the acceptance of H2, lastly the indirect relationship of the variables explained that student’s engagement mediates the relationship positively and significantly between technological change and academic performance of the student of higher Education Institutes of Sindh Province, thus indicating the acceptance of H3. So, it is concluded that Technological change has a positive and significant impact on the academic performance of the student with the mediating role of student’s engagement.
Efficient hepatic differentiation of hydrogel microsphere-encapsulated human pluripotent stem cells for engineering prevascularized liver tissue

Liver tissue engineering is promising as an alternative strategy to treat liver failure. However, generating functional hepatocytes from stem cells is conventionally restricted by the immature status of differentiated cells. Besides, embedding hepatocytes in bulk scaffold is limited by a lack of vascularity and low cell-packing density. Here, we fabricate collagen type I (COL1) microspheres for efficient hepatic differentiation of pluripotent stem cells and subsequent assembly of prevascularized liver tissue (PLT). Using a microfluidic platform, we demonstrate that hydrogel COL1 microspheres (mCOL1) encapsulating human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be reproducibly generated and efficiently differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) microspheres for the first time. Compared with other culture configurations such as encapsulation of hESC in a bulk COL1 hydrogel and 2D monolayer culture, mCOL1 with high uniformity produce HLC microspheres of improved maturity based on comprehensive analyses of cell morphology, transcriptome profile, hepatic marker expression and hepatic functions. In addition, these HLC microspheres can be applied as building blocks to self-assemble with endothelial cells to construct a dense PLT. The PLT resembles native liver tissue with high cell-packing density, shows successful engraftment in mice liver following implantation, and exhibits improved hepatic function in vivo. Overall, it is believed that this multiscale technology will advance the fabrication of stem cell-based liver tissue for regenerative medicine, drug screening, and in vitro liver modeling.
Synthesis and Antibacterial Activities of Bimetallic Complexes of Cobalt ( II ) and Nickel ( II ) Acetophenolate By

Bimetallic complexes of cobalt (II) and nickel (II) acetophenone with tin chloride were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, conductivity measurement, magnetic and spectral data. The complexes are 1:2 adducts and non-electrolytes in solution. The ligands and their complexes were screened for antibacterial activities against Staphyloccus aureus and Escherichia coli. Cobalt (II) bimetallic complexes were found active against the tested microorganisms.
The Physical Structure of Orion-KL on 2500 AU Scales Using the K-Doublet Transitions of Formaldehyde

The physical characteristics of a molecular cloud which relate most closely to star formation within it occur on the finest spatial scales. Generally, several transitions of a specific molecule must be mapped to securely determine molecular cloud physics. Toward this goal, interferometric observations of the 1 10 →1 11 and 5 14 →5 15 transitions of H 2 CO have been made toward the Orion-KL molecular cloud. With synthesized beamwidths of 5″. 1 (2400 AU) and 7″. 6 (3500 AU), respectively, we identify emission from the hot core, compact ridge, and northern cloud regions
Population origin determines the adaptive potential for the advancement of flowering onset in Lupinus angustifolius L. (Fabaceae)

In the present framework of global warming, it is unclear whether evolutionary adaptation can happen quick enough to preserve the persistence of many species. Specifically, we lack knowledge about the adaptive potential of the different populations in relation to the various constraints that may hamper particular adaptations. There is evidence indicating that early flowering often provides an adaptive advantage to plants in temperate zones in response to global warming. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the adaptive potential for advancing flowering onset in Lupinus angustifolius L. (Fabaceae). Seeds from four populations from two contrasting latitudes in Spain were collected and sown in a common garden environment. Selecting the 25% of the individuals that flowered earlier in the first generation, over three generations, three different early flowering selection lines were established, involving both self‐crosses and outcrosses. All artificial selection lines advanced their flowering significantly with respect to the control line in the northernmost populations, but not in the southern ones. Selection lines obtained from outcrossing had a greater advancement in flowering than those from self‐crossing. No differences were found in the number or weight of the seeds produced between control and artificial selection lines, probably because plants in the common garden were drip irrigated. These results suggest that northern populations may have a greater adaptive potential and that southern populations may be more vulnerable in the context of climate warming. However, earlier flowering was also associated with changes in other traits (height, biomass, shoot growth, specific leaflet area, and leaflet dry matter content), and the effects of these changes varied greatly depending on the latitude of the population and selection line. Assessments of the ability of populations to cope with climate change through this and other approaches are essential to manage species and populations in a more efficient way.
The evolution of Hurricane Humberto (2001)

AbstractIn 2001, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration marshaled their resources to sample Hurricane Humberto for 3 successive days during the fourth Convection and Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-4). Humberto developed from a tropical storm into a category-2 hurricane despite the deep-layer vertical shear of the environmental horizontal wind (VWS) increasing markedly on the second and third days of sampling. As exhibited in earlier studies, the eyewall convection developed an azimuthal wavenumber-1 (n = 1) asymmetry as the VWS increased. Horizontal divergence and vertical stability within 100 km of the eye exhibited persistent relationships to the VWS vector.The warm core evolved in an unexpected way. The warm anomaly was initially located in the lower troposphere and built upward as the storm intensified. The maximum temperature anomaly remained in the lower troposphere on all 3 days while the development of the upper-tropospheric warm anom.
Piezoelectric torsional actuator

Piezoelectric torsional actuators have been developed from single ceramic cylindrical bodies using PZT based high d constant piezoelectric ceramics. The actuator geometry is able to produce rotational motion directly by DC voltage control without conventional complex conversion from XY direction motions. The key feature of this actuator is the interdigital electrode on the outer surface of the cylinder at an angle of 45° from the length axis of the cylinder, and the design of this electrode is critical for adjusting torsional angle and driving voltage. When the cylinder wall thickness and the ratio between electrode width and pitch are kept constant, the rotational angle is approximately proportional to the electric field, i.e. the narrower electrode gap needs smaller driving voltage in order to obtain a certain rotational angle. Among the three different diameter samples tested, actual rotational displacements are the same under the same conditions. Therefore, the rotational angle is reversibly proportio.
Iterative Solution of Nonlinear Equations Involving Strongly Accretive Operators without the Lipschitz Assumption

Abstract LetEbe a real Banach space with a uniformly convex dual spaceE*. SupposeT:E → Eis a continuous (not necessarily Lipschitzian) strongly accretive map such that (I − T) has bounded range, whereIdenotes the identity operator. It is proved that the Ishikawa iterative sequence converges strongly to the unique solution of equationTx = f,f ∈ E. Our results extend and complement the recent results obtained by Chidume.
Effects of Linagliptin and Pioglitazone on Fracture Healing in an Experimental Type 2 Diabetes Rat Model

Aim: Our study aimed to examine the effects of Linagliptin, Pioglitazone, and their combination on fracture healing in a diabetes rat femur fracture model. Material and methods: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induced rats were randomly divided into four groups: non-treated diabetes group (TD), Pioglitazone group (P), Linagliptin group (L), and Pioglitazone and Linagliptin group (PL). Daily oral dosage of pioglitazone (10 mg/kg/day), linagliptin (10 mg/kg/day), and their combination were administered. Femur fractures were stabilized intramedullary. At weeks 2 and 6, rats were sacrificed for evaluation radiologically, biomechanically, histopathologically, histomorphometrically, and immunohistochemically. Results: Flexural strength of the L and PL groups were significantly higher compared to the P group. The highest healing score was in the L group and lowest in the P group, while the highest inflammation score was in the P group and lowest in the L group. A cluster of differentiation (CD) CD 34 reactivity was highest in the L group and lowest in the PL group. Conclusion: Linagliptin treatment significantly increased histological healing scores, callus volume, biomechanical strength, and vascularity, however, minimized the inflammatory process, which was increased by pioglitazone. The combination of linagliptin and pioglitazone restored BMD and increased biomechanical strength. Linagliptin monotherapy is rarely indicated; hence, T2DM patients with a high risk of bone fractures can be considered for combined therapy of pioglitazone and linagliptin.
Molecular Identification and Phylogenetic Tree Reconstruction of Marine Fish Species from the Fishing Port of Kutaradja, Banda Aceh

The enormous potential of marine resources possessed by Banda Aceh Province is expected to be utilised optimally. Accuracy in marine fish resource identification is a critical requirement to support their utilisation and preservation in Banda Aceh Province. In this study, a molecular identification approach was carried out in addition to conducting a morphological identification, commonly used by several scientists. The results were 47 COI sequences generated representing 33 genera, 19 families, and five orders. From the resulting COI partial sequences, there is one potential haplotype from the Scombridae family (Auxis thazard), two potential haplotypes from the Carangidae family (Elagatis bipinnulata and Decapterus macarellus), and two potential haplotypes from the Serranidae family (Variola albimarginata and Cephalopholis sonnerati). This study is essential for fisheries biological studies and other fisheries studies to support the sustainable utilisation of marine fisheries potential in Banda Aceh.
Congenital Stationary Night Blindness: Clinical and Genetic Features

Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is an inherited retinal disease (IRD) that causes night blindness in childhood with heterogeneous genetic, electrophysical, and clinical characteristics. The development of sequencing technologies and gene therapy have increased the ease and urgency of diagnosing IRDs. This study describes seven Taiwanese patients from six unrelated families examined at a tertiary referral center, diagnosed with CSNB, and confirmed by genetic testing. Complete ophthalmic exams included best corrected visual acuity, retinal imaging, and an electroretinogram. The effects of identified novel variants were predicted using clinical details, protein prediction tools, and conservation scores. One patient had an autosomal dominant CSNB with a RHO variant; five patients had complete CSNB with variants in GRM6, TRPM1, and NYX; and one patient had incomplete CSNB with variants in CACNA1F. The patients had Riggs and Schubert–Bornschein types of CSNB with autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked inheritance patterns. This is the first report of CSNB patients in Taiwan with confirmed genetic testing, providing novel perspectives on molecular etiology and genotype–phenotype correlation of CSNB. Particularly, variants in TRPM1, NYX, and CACNA1F in our patient cohort have not previously been described, although their clinical significance needs further study. Additional study is needed for the genotype–phenotype correlation of different mutations causing CSNB. In addition to genetic etiology, the future of gene therapy for CSNB patients is reviewed and discussed.
Reducing 1/f noise in Al-AlOx-Al tunnel junctions by thermal annealing

Al-AlOx-Al tunnel junctions can be stabilized by annealing them in a vacuum chamber at temperature of 400C [1]. Here we report for the first time that the annealing procedure also reduces the characteristic 1/f noise in the samples. Both ultra high vacuum and high vacuum fabricated samples demonstrated a significant reduction in the 1/f noise level, but no effect was found between substrates of nitridized and oxidized silicon wafers. Temperature dependence of noise levels was studied at temperatures between 4.2 and 340 K. The low frequency noise was measured using an AC bridge amplitude modulation technique, which effectively eliminates the otherwise dominating preamplifier 1/f noise [2]. Tunnel junctions have many applications in radiation detectors, Coulomb blockade thermometers, single electron transistors, SINIS coolers and thermometers and quantum computation as a solid-state realization of a qubit. The instability of the junctions is a common problem for applications. The oxide barrier has imperfect crystal structure after fabrication, thus the barrier atoms may try to spontaneously reorganize to equilibrium positions. This is seen as an increase of tunneling resistance with time. 1/f noise is still without commonly accepted theory, but experimental results indicate it originates from defects like a two-level system which spontaneously oscillates, like an impurity atom in a lattice [3]. One motivation to study 1/f noise in Al-AlOx-Al tunnel junctions is the possible use of tunnel junctions in quantum computation. Our results may have some relevance in reducing the critical current fluctuations in superconducting quantum bits based on tunnel junctions, where the 1/f noise causes Decoherence [4].
CD200 as a Potential New Player in Inflammation during Rotator Cuff Tendon Injury/Repair: An In Vitro Model

Rotator cuff tendon (RCT) disease results from multifactorial mechanisms, in which inflammation plays a key role. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and tendon stem cell/progenitor cells (TSPCs) have been shown to participate in the inflammatory response. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still not clear. In this study, flow cytometry analyses of different subpopulations of RCT-derived TSPCs demonstrate that after three days of administration, TNFα alone or in combination with IFNγ significantly decreases the percentage of CD146+CD49d+ and CD146+CD49f+ but not CD146+CD109+ TSPCs populations. In parallel, the same pro-inflammatory cytokines upregulate the expression of CD200 in the CD146+ TSPCs population. Additionally, the TNFα/IFNγ combination modulates the protein expression of STAT1, STAT3, and MMP9, but not fibromodulin. At the gene level, IRF1, CAAT (CAAT/EBPbeta), and DOK2 but not NF-κb, TGRF2 (TGFBR2), and RAS-GAP are modulated. In conclusion, although our study has several important limitations, the results highlight a new potential role of CD200 in regulating inflammation during tendon injuries. In addition, the genes analyzed here might be new potential players in the inflammatory response of TSPCs.
Replacing the Burden of the Gluten Free Diet: Then, Now, and the Future

Without a doubt, a majority of diseases are food-pattern-related. However, one disease stands out as an increasingly more common autoimmune-mediated enteropathy triggered by the ingestion of gluten. Celiac disease (CD) is an old disease, with changing clinical patterns, affecting any age, including infancy and adolescence, and becoming more frequent among the elderly. The gluten-free diet (GFD) has been the sole provider of clinical, serological, and histological improvement for patients with CD for more than seven decades. Nowadays, complete avoidance of dietary gluten is rarely possible because of the wide availability of wheat and other processed foods that contain even more gluten, to the detriment of gluten-free products. Undeniably, there is a definite need for replacing the burdensome GFD. An add-on therapy that could control the dietary transgressions and inadvertent gluten consumption that can possibly lead to overt CD should be considered while on GFD. Nevertheless, future drugs should be able to provide patients some freedom to self-manage CD and increase food independence, while actively reducing exposure and mucosal damage and alleviating GI symptoms. Numerous clinical trials assessing different molecules have already been performed with favorable outcomes, and hopefully they will soon be available for patient use.
Cold-Water Immersion and Sports Massage Can Improve Pain Sensation but Not Functionality in Athletes with Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

This study aimed to investigate the effects of cold-water immersion (CWI) and sports massage on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in amateur athletes. Sixty male amateur athletes were randomised into four equal groups (n = 15) receiving either CWI, sports massage, their combination, or served as controls after applying plyometric training to their lower extremities. The main outcomes measures were pain, exertion, rectus femoris perimeter, knee flexion range of motion, knee extensors isometric strength and serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels examined before the plyometric training, immediately after the treatment, and 24, 48 and 72 h post exercise. We observed no significant differences between study groups in the most tested variables. CWI improved pain compared to the combined application of CWI and sports massage, and the control group both on the second and third day post exercise. Sports massage combined with CWI also led to a significant reduction in pain sensation compared to the control group. In conclusion the treatment interventions used were effective in reducing pain but were unable to affect other important adaptations of DOMS. Based on the above, sports scientists should reconsider the wide use of these interventions as a recovery strategy for athletes with DOMS.
Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases among Older Adults in India

Understanding socioeconomic inequalities in non-communicable disease prevalence and preventive care usage can help design effective action plans for health equality programs among India’s aging population. Hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are frequently used as model non-communicable diseases for research and policy purposes as these two are the most prevalent NCDs in India and are the leading causes of mortality. For this investigation, data on 31,464 older persons (aged 60 years and above) who took part in the Longitudinal Ageing Survey of India (LASI: 2017–2018) were analyzed. The concentration index was used to assess socioeconomic inequality whereas relative inequalities indices were used to compare HTN, DM, and preventive care usage between the different groups of individuals based on socioeconomic status. The study reveals that wealthy older adults in India had a higher frequency of HTN and DM than the poor elderly. Significant differences in the usage of preventive care, such as blood pressure/blood glucose monitoring, were found among people with HTN or DM. Furthermore, economic position, education, type of work, and residential status were identified as important factors for monitoring inequalities in access to preventive care for HTN and DM. Disparities in non-communicable diseases can be both a cause and an effect of inequality across social strata in India.
Reverse magnetostructural transformation in Co-doped NiMnGa multifunctional alloys

We studied the composition dependence of the structural and magnetic properties of Co-doped Ni–Mn–Ga alloys around the Mn-rich composition Ni50Mn30Ga20. By varying the Co and Mn content we have been able to tune the critical temperatures. In particular, in a suitable composition range, the Curie temperature of martensite is lower than Curie temperature of austenite and lower than martensitic transformation temperature, giving rise to a paramagnetic gap between magnetically ordered martensite and austenite and to the occurrence of a reverse magnetostructural transformation.
Spectroscopy of defects in germanium‐doped silica glass

We present data concerning the dynamics of photoexcitation of defect centers in germanium‐doped silica glass optical fibers and fiber preforms. It is shown that two‐photon absorption of mode‐locked and Q‐switched light at 527 nm results in partial ionization of the germanium oxygen deficiency center (GODC) 400‐nm luminescence band. This bleaching induces loss in the 320–600‐nm wavelength range, which we argue is due to the introduction of Ge(1) centers and charges trapped at structural defects in the glass. The excitation and relaxation of dynamics of the GODC are analyzed by examining the photoluminescence and absorption spectra, and two models are proposed to explain the observed behavior.
PREDICTIONS OF THE STRUCTURE OF RADIATION-RESISTED SHOCK WAVES

The continuum, inviscid‐flow equations of gas dynamics are used to predict the effect of thermal radiation on the internal structure of a shock wave. Numerical solutions of the governing equations show that considerable variation in the nature of the temperature and velocity profiles occurs, depending on the magnitude of the over‐all velocity change and the relative strengths of the radiative and convective energy fluxes. A unique feature of the work is the demonstration that, for a range of parametric values, discontinuities necessarily arise in the temperature and velocity profiles. The results include: (a) numerical integration of the basic equations for a representative range of parameters; (b) an analytic study of the equations by means of expansion procedures; (c) a study of the uniqueness of the solutions; (d) proof that previously published investigations cannot be generally applicable since they are restricted to continuous solutions; (e) prediction within a strong shock of a temperature maximum .