Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding gambling among older Filipino-Canadians: recommendations for social work intervention for older gamblers with minority cultural backgrounds

ABSTRACT This study describes gambling motives, behavior, and help-seeking patterns in older Filipino-Canadians through a life-course perspective. Eighteen older Filipino gamblers, three social workers and four gambling service providers in a central Canadian city were interviewed. This study reveals that older Filipino gamblers’ conceptualization of gambling is greatly influenced by their culture of origin, their life trajectories, and their loved ones. Controlled gamblers hold positive to neutral views toward gambling, while problem gamblers generally hold negative views. For some of them, visiting casinos meets their need for active leisure activities. The study concludes with suggestions for social workers on working with older gamblers with minority cultural backgrounds.
Synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanorods with a narrow size distribution

The development of novel materials for energy harvesting applications or strain sensing has generated great interest towards zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, and in particular towards the synthesis of ZnO nanowires or nanorods with well controlled morphology and properties. The high-yield mass production of such nanostructures by catalyst-free methods is a crucial aspect to enable a cost-effective large-scale development of new ZnO-based piezoelectric devices and materials. In the present work, we propose a method for the mass-production of high-purity ZnO-nanorods with a uniform size distribution, based on the combination of thermal decomposition of zinc acetate dihydrate and probe sonication in acetone. The quality of the produced ZnO nanorods is assessed through multi-technique characterization using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and photo-luminescence spectroscopy (PL). The adopted synthesis method is simple, cost effective and feasible for large-scale production. Various process parameters such as precursor amount and growth time have been found to play an important role in controlling the formation of the as grown nanostructures with high uniformity in size and morphology. Size distribution curves were employed to depict the effect of various process parameters for tailoring the morphology, homogeneity and aspect ratio of the nanorods. Our results reveal that the high crystallographic quality of ZnO nanorods grown by a long-time thermal decomposition method is not affected by probe sonication, which is proposed as a post-synthesis step necessary to produce ZnO nanorod powder with a uniform distribution of diameters and lengths.
Use of the BioFire Film Array Blood Culture Identification(BCID) Panel(BioFire Diagnostics, Salt Lake City, Utah) on Pleural Fluid Samples in Pediatric Patients Hospitalized for Community Acquired Pneumonia(CAP)

CAP accounts for approximately 124,000 pediatric hospitalizations annually. Those patients often have received antibiotics prior to admission. Many have concurrent viral infections. Bacterial infections accompanying viral respiratory infections are known to increase morbidity and mortality. Traditional bacterial culture methods are often negative because of previous antibiotic therapy. The BCID, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction(PCR) assay, can identify 19 bacterial pathogens in approximately 90 minutes. It is FDA approved for blood culture isolates. We hypothesized it would detect bacterial pathogens in pleural effusions. BCID panels were done on residual pleural fluid samples from 10 patients with severe community acquired pneumonia during the period 5/2018 – 12/2019. The patients had positive radiographic findings of pneumonia, were inpatients, had intact immune systems by clinical history and had received antibiotic therapy for more than 8 hours before specimen collection. Treatment required 133 inpatient days. 6 of 10 were diagnosed with viral respiratory pathogens. 1 of 9 had a positive blood culture. 1 of 10 had a positive pleural fluid culture. 10 of 10 pleural fluid specimens were positive for a pathogen on the BCID panel – 8, Streptococcus pneumoniae, 1, Staphylococcus aureus and I, Streptococcus pyogens. Two of ten had confirmatory positive cultures. Also, one pleural fluid gram stain showed gram positive cocci in chains and clusters. The BCID detected Streptococcus pyogens. Anti Streptolysin O was strongly positive, 964(0 – 70) IU/mL. The yield of bacterial culture plummets with previous antibiotic treatment. FDA approved multiplex PCR panels have narrowly defined specimen requirements. That increases the cost and decreases test applicability. Despite a history of appropriate immunizations in the sample population Streptococcus pneumoniae may be prevalent in the complex pediatric pneumonia population. The BCID may be effective at pathogen detection in cases of complex pneumonia where patients have received prior antibiotic treatment.
Student and teacher perceptions of student motivation among Korean university English as a Second Language (ESL) students

This paper analyses the differences between what teachers say motivates their students and what students say motivate them at a South Korean university. Using motivational constructs developed by Bandura and Maslow in previous motivation studies, it was determined that both teachers and students think teacher characteristics to be the most important variable motivating students, even more important than the student’s own intrinsic motivation. However, there was no agreement between students and teachers on what this looks like specifically in the classroom: teachers prefer to stimulate students’ creative thinking and to help students solve real-world problems, whereas students prefer to learn with digital media, presentations, and quizzes. Teachers and students both believe students to be highly intrinsically motivated, with the caveat that some students come to class lacking intrinsic motivation. This paper is significant in that students report teacher characteristics and instructional methodologies to be of more importance than a student’s intrinsic motivation. This paper reveals that teachers consistently over-rate the importance of teacher characteristics and methodologies on student motivation.
Inflation comovements in advanced economies: Facts and drivers*

In this paper, we analyse inflation comovements and their macroeconomic drivers across a wide set of advanced economies. We find a high degree of inflation interdependence, which is highest for euro area countries, which show strong trade links and share a common monetary policy. In contrast, core inflation interdependence is very limited. We also find that inflation interconnectedness is a medium‐ to long‐run phenomenon. Inflation comovements across countries are well explained by an open economy new Keynesian Phillips curve.
ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION OF LABOR FROM AGRICULTURE TO NON-AGRICULTURE IN ASIA

Through the dataset from APO (Asian Productivity Organization) comprising 22 countries in Asia from 1980 to 2015, this study is to investigate the growth pattern, decomposition, and determinants of structural transformation in Asia. A decomposition method measuring within-effect, between-static-effect, and between-dynamic-effect was adopted to explain the structural change within sectors of agriculture, industry, and services. The results show that the agriculture sector of all countries in Asia declines slowly. The agriculture sector is no longer the largest contributor to GDP in all Asian countries even though it still has the largest labor in Asian developing countries. Workers moving from the agriculture sector to the services sector as the productivity of the service sector is higher than agriculture. The structural changes positively contribute to productivity growth in Asia as a result of the positive static reallocation effects and negative dynamic reallocation effects. Overall, the structural changes contribute to a large part of labor productivity growth. The important determinants of structural transformation are the employment share in agriculture and trade. Final, the policy implication was proposed for structural changes.
3D Printing of Strong and Tough Double Network Granular Hydrogels

Many soft natural tissues display a fascinating set of mechanical properties that remains unmatched by manmade counterparts. These unprecedented mechanical properties are achieved through an intricate interplay between the structure and locally varying the composition of these natural tissues. This level of control cannot be achieved in soft synthetic materials. To address this shortcoming, a novel 3D printing approach to fabricate strong and tough soft materials is introduced, namely double network granular hydrogels (DNGHs) made from compartmentalized reagents. This is achieved with an ink composed of microgels that are swollen in a monomer‐containing solution; after the ink is additive manufactured, these monomers are converted into a percolating network, resulting in a DNGH. These DNGHs are sufficiently stiff to repetitively support tensile loads up to 1.3 MPa. Moreover, they are more than an order of magnitude tougher than each of the pure polymeric networks they are made from. It is demonstrated that this ink enables printing macroscopic, strong, and tough objects, which can optionally be rendered responsive, with high shape fidelity. The modular and robust fabrication of DNGHs opens up new possibilities to design adaptive, strong, and tough hydrogels that have the potential to advance, for example, soft robotic applications.
Immunohistochemical expression of p16INK4A in the lesions of uterine cervix

Background: Cervical cancer is the major cause of cancer deaths among women. Globally, around 5,70,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 3,11,000 deaths occurred in the year 2018. In India, Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer related mortality among women and the number of deaths is 60,000 per year among 97,000 diagnosed patients, especially those from lower socioeconomic group. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) plays a crucial role in causing cervical dysplasia. This is done by upregulating p16INK4A, a cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor through interaction with cellular regulatory proteins. Hence p16INK4A can be used as a biomarker, since it is directly related variable for the presence of HPV. This study was conducted to evaluate the expression of p16INK4A in benign, premalignant and malignant cervical lesions and to assess its utility in diagnosing and grading cervical lesions. Methods: A total of 80 cervical specimens categorized histopathologically into nonspecific cervicitis, low grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (LSIL), high grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (HSIL) and squamous cell carcinoma cervix were included in this prospective study of one-year duration. Immunohistochemical study of p16INK4A were interpreted qualitatively and semi-quantitatively by Allred scoring system (0 to 8 points) which measures the proportion of stained cells and intensity of staining of cells. The collected data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and chi square test. Result: Qualitative method showed absence of p16INK4A expression in all nonspecific cervicitis. 16.7% (2/12) LSIL, 100% (12/12) HSIL and 100% (28/28) squamous cell carcinoma cases showed p16INK4A positivity. Allred scoring of p16INK4A showed 66% (8/12) HSIL and 85.7% (24/28) squamous cell carcinoma cases with score 3 positivity. Hence high-grade lesions showed higher expression of this marker. Conclusion: IHC expression of p16INK4A showed increasing degree of expression from benign to premalignant and malignant lesions suggesting its diagnostic and prognostic value in the cervical cancer management.
Inverse design of compounds that have simultaneously ferroelectric and Rashba cofunctionality

Cofunctionality---the coexistence of different (possibly even contraindicated) properties in the same compound---is an exciting prospect that never fails to deliver interesting surprises, as in transparent while electrically conducting compounds, topological insulators having Rashba spin split bands, or electrically conducting while thermally insulating (thermoelectric) compounds. Here we study a cofunctionality of ferroelectricity and Rashba effect that combines the directional helical spin-polarization characteristic of the energy bands of bulk Rashba compounds with the existence of two opposite electric polarization states, characteristic of atomic displacements in displacive ferroelectrics. Flipping of the ferroelectric polarization (e.g., via an applied electric field) would result in the reversal of the Rashba spin polarization. However, thus far, only very few (essentially one) compounds have been found to be ferroelectric Rashba semiconductors (FERSCs), e.g., GeTe ($R3m$). In this paper, we propose a general strategy for the identification of compounds that possess cofunctionalities and apply it to perform an inverse design, finding compounds that simultaneously have ferroelectricity and Rashba spin splitting. The inverse design combining functionality ${f}_{1}$ with ${f}_{2}$ involves definition and utilization of causal factors that enable the said functionalities, and involves three steps: (1) screening materials that satisfy the enabling DPs common to the two functionalities ${f}_{1}$ and ${f}_{2}$; (2) filtering the materials according to DPs that are unique to each of the individual functionalities ${f}_{1}$ and ${f}_{2}$; and (3) by using the ensuing two compound lists of compounds $C({f}_{1})$ and $C({f}_{2})$ identifying the intersection between them, i.e., compounds $C({f}_{1},{f}_{2})$ possessing simultaneous ${f}_{1}$ and ${f}_{2}$. Based on this process, we design 52 atomic combinations not suspected to be FERSCs that were previously synthesized. Of these 52 compounds, we find 24 FERSCs that are thermodynamically stable (i.e., reside on the convex hull) and, at the same time, feature larger spin splitting (large than 25 meV). These include ${\mathrm{BrF}}_{5}(Cmc{2}_{1})$, $\mathrm{TlI}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}(R3m)$, $\mathrm{Zn}{\mathrm{I}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}(P{2}_{1})$, $\mathrm{LaTa}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}(Cmc{2}_{1})$, ${\mathrm{Tl}}_{3}{\mathrm{S}}_{3}\mathrm{Sb}(R3m)$, ${\mathrm{Sn}}_{2}{\mathrm{P}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{6}$ (Pc), and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{5}(Cmc{2}_{1})$ that have Rashba spin splitting of 31, 57, 111, 40, 90, 67, and 76 meV, respectively. Density functional theory calculations illustrate the reversal of the spin texture when the electric polarization is flipped. This paper validates a general approach for the search of other cofunctionalities based on causal enabling design principles rather than uncovering machine correlations.
The effect of music education on the social values of preschool children

This study aims to explore the effect of music education on the acquisition of social values by preschool children. In this study, a quasi-experimental pattern model with the pretest–posttest control group is employed. The Preschool Social Values Scale is used for collecting the data. The participants of this study are 26 preschool children (the experimental and control groups contain 13 children each). Whilst the experimental group underwent 30 minutes of music training twice a week for 10 weeks, the control group pursued their preschool education. Music education with the experimental group consists of activities, where students are active and experience music. Songs containing social values were taught to children in the unity of play music and movement. At the end of the study, the scores related to the social values of the experimental group improved as compared to that of the control group. No meaningful difference was detected between the posttest and follow-up test social values’ scores. Keywords: Music education, social values, preschool education, value education.
USING THE UNIFIED THEORY OF ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY (UTAUT) MODEL TO DETERMINE FACTORS AFFECTING MOBILE LEARNING ADOPTION IN THE WORKPLACE: A STUDY OF THE SCIENCE MUSEUM GROUP

It has been observed that mobile learning (mLearning) in institutions like Museums in the United Kingdom (UK) has been underutilized. mLearning usage could potentially increase productivity by delivering just-in-time technical knowledge to the science museum group (SMG) staff. This study uses the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model to determine factors affecting mLearning adoption at the SMG. Two research questions were formulated based on an adaptation of the UTAUT model. 1) What are the determinants of behavior intentions to use mLearning at the SMG? 2) Does gender or age have a moderating effect on the factors that determine behavior intentions to use mLearning at the SMG? 118 respondents were surveyed from the SMG. Data obtained were analyzed using Structured Equation Modelling on IBM SPSS 20 and Amos version 25. Results indicate that the UTAUT constructs, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions are all significant determinants of behavioral intention to use mLearning. A newly proposed construct, self-directed learning was not a significant determinant of behaviour intentions. Further examination found age and gender moderate the relationship between the UTAUT constructs. These findings present several useful implications for mLearning research and practice for ICT service desk at the SMG. The research contributes to mLearning technology adoption and strategy.
Benchmarking an operational hydrological model for providing
seasonal forecasts in Sweden

Probabilistic seasonal forecasts are important for many water-intensive activities requiring long-term planning. Among the different techniques used for seasonal forecasting, the ensemble streamflow prediction (ESP) approach has long been employed due to the singular dependence on past meteorological records. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute is currently extending the use of long-range forecasts within its operational warning service, which requires a thorough analysis of the suitability and applicability of different methods with the national SHYPE hydrological model. To this end, we aim to evaluate the skill of ESP forecasts over 39 493 catchments in Sweden, understand their spatio-temporal patterns, and explore the main hydrological processes driving forecast skill. We found that ESP forecasts are generally skilful for most of the country up to 3 months into the future but that large spatio-temporal variations exist. Forecasts are most skilful during the winter months in northern Sweden, except for the highly regulated hydropower-producing rivers. The relationships between forecast skill and 15 different hydrological signatures show that forecasts are most skilful for slowreacting, baseflow-dominated catchments and least skilful for flashy catchments. Finally, we show that forecast skill patterns can be spatially clustered in seven unique regions with similar hydrological behaviour. Overall, these results contribute to identifying in which areas and seasons and how long into the future ESP hydrological forecasts provide an added value, not only for the national forecasting and warning service, but also, most importantly, for guiding decisionmaking in critical services such as hydropower management and risk reduction.
An Approach towards Investigating Factors Affecting Intention to Book a Hotel Room through Social Media

Today, social media have become a major trend, and consumers are engaging more and more in the social media platforms used by hotels. This does not mean that they book a hotel room via social media, as the booking process is a complex one. The paper investigates the factors that affect users’ intention to book a hotel room using social media applications. The recent enforcement of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in California may have an impact on consumers’ behavior. To investigate this further, the study integrates into a model the following constructs: Perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, trust in online hoteliers, social media use, and permission-based-acceptance. The survey was conducted on Greek users of social media. An online questionnaire was used for data collection. The conceptual model was tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis. The study identified four factors that directly or indirectly influence consumers’ intention to book hotel rooms through social media. Usefulness directly affects intention to book online. Permission-based acceptance plays a core role in the model. Both constructs trust in online hoteliers and social media use, and have a direct positive effect on permission-based acceptance, whereas permission-based acceptance has a direct positive influence on intention to book through social media. The validated model stretches the need for hoteliers to obtain permission from consumers in carrying out their marketing activities. It is important for hotel owners, managers, and social media specialists to keep consumers in mind, offer them useful information and services, and have a trustworthy behavior in order to boost bookings through social media.
The Implementation and Challenges of using Role-Play to Improve Chinese University Students’ English Communicative Competence

English is taught as a compulsory course in Chinese universities and it is necessary to find feasible ways to improve students’ English ability to communicate. Role-play is believed as an effective way to enhance second language learners’ communicative competence and it is also supposed to be able to be effective in Chinese universities EFL classes. The real effect, however, relies on the actual implementation in classes. If the teachers inappropriately adopt role-play, it is hard to be useful. Due to the lack of research paying attention to this issue, it is not clear how Chinese university English teachers use role-play and whether it is effective. For this reason, a case study was conducted, with a Chinese university EFL teacher taking part in the interviews. The results show that participants attempt to maximise the effectiveness of role-play to improve students’ English communicative competence by practising comprehensive language skills, linguistic knowledge, and workplace topics. Nonetheless, some issues, namely script preparation, students’ proficiency difference and class size are identified. These may challenge the actual effectiveness of role-play. Possible solutions, including selecting role-play according to students’ ability, considering individuals’ condition, mixed-ability grouping and small class size, are suggested thereafter.