Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
College Major Restrictions and Student Stratification

Underrepresented minority (URM) college students have been steadily earning degrees in relatively less lucrative fields of study since the mid-1990s. A decomposition reveals that this widening gap is principally explained by rising stratification at public research universities, many of which increasingly prevent students with poor introductory grades from declaring popular majors. We investigate these major restriction policies by constructing a novel 50-year dataset covering four public research universities’ student transcripts and employing a staggered difference-in-difference design around the implementation of 26 GPA-based restrictions. Restrictions disproportionately filter out less-prepared students with fewer pre-college academic opportunities, decreasing average URM enrollment shares by 20 percent. They do not measurably improve departments’ wage value-added, allocative efficiency across majors, or filtered students’ educational attainment. Using first-term course enrollments to identify students who intend to earn restricted majors, we find that major restrictions disproportionately lead URM students toward less lucrative majors, largely explaining the growth in within institution ethnic stratification since the 1990s.
Pain and pain management experiences following spinal cord injury – a mixed methods study of Australian community-dwelling adults

Abstract Purpose There is a high prevalence of persistent pain following SCI yet insights into its impact and the quality of pain care are limited. We aimed to explore, in-depth, the problem of persistent pain in Australian community-dwelling adults with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Our objectives were to investigate (i) how individuals experience persistent pain, (ii) how they experience pain care and (iii) the concordance between clinical practice guidelines for managing pain and reported care practices. Methods We conducted a mixed-methods convergent parallel study. Adults with SCI and persistent pain completed a survey (n = 43); a subset of participants completed interviews (n = 10). We analysed the data from each method separately and then integrated the findings. Results Results indicated that the life impact of persistent pain is variable but it can be more disabling than physical impairments and compound a sense of isolation and despair. Community-based management was reported to predominantly have a pharmacological focus, with occurrences of opioid misuse apparent in the data. Access to expert, comprehensive and individualised care was frequently reported as inadequate. Conclusion While some people with SCI and persistent pain can effectively self-manage their pain, for others the impact on quality of life is profound and complex care needs are commonly unmet. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Persistent pain is a common consequence of SCI and profoundly impacts quality of life. Complex pain care needs are commonly unmet. Individuals require regular, comprehensive, biopsychosocial assessment. The effectiveness of pain management strategies must be monitored on an ongoing basis. Opportunities for personal self-management support must be available long-term.
Innovation Diffusion and Mobile Payment Adoption amongst Postgraduate Students of UiTM Shah Alam

The advances of technology and introduction of new innovation has changed the world. In Malaysia, the migration from paper-based to electronic payments has long been supported by Bank Negara with the introduction of mobile payment in 2018. The acceptance towards cashless payment shows that Malaysians are keeping pace with the advancement of technologies but still hesitating as mobile payment services in Malaysia are not being widely exposed to the consumers. Therefore, the study was conducted to identify the determinants of innovation diffusion that lead to the mobile payment adoption as well as to determine the relationship between innovation diffusion and mobile payment adoption among the postgraduate students of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam. 180 respondents were selected among the postgraduate students from eight programs of DPPS UiTM Shah Alam using convenience sampling. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 26) Multiple Regression was used to analyse the data collected using online questionnaire to assess the strength of the relationship between an outcome. The findings indicated that all five determinants of innovation diffusion have relationships with mobile payment adoption with the highest being Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Compatibility. It was also found that the most significant impacting mobile payment adoption was Perceived Usefulness. By providing a system that supports user’s work performance, productivity, and effectiveness, it is expected to increase the willingness of future users to use mobile payment.
Tobacco Smoking is a Risk Factor for Decline Peak Expiratory Flow Rate in Young Healthy Smokers

Objective: To compare peak expiratory flow rate among smokers and nonsmokers and to establish a relation between PEFR and smoking.Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Bahria Medical and Dental College, Karachi from August to October 2020. It was comprised of 151 male smokers and nonsmokers healthy subjects of 20 to 25 years age. After taking ethical approval (ERC 21/2020), hundred and fifty one subjects, who fulfill the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study. PEFR values were estimated by Wright’s Peak flow meter. Data was analyzed by SPSS22. Mean PEFR was compared among smokers and nonsmokers. Association between PEFR and smoking was determined by regression analysis. p-value ? 0.05 was considered significant.Results: This study was comprised of 151 male participants. Of total subjects, 49 (32.5%), 102(67.5%) were smokers and nonsmokers respectively. Mean±SD age of the study participant’s was 22.74±2.657 years. Smokers have lower PEFR values as compared to nonsmokers (323.94 versus 352.65L/min.), this difference was statistically significant (p-value 0.04). Regression analysis showed the negative association of PEFR with smoking, however, this association was not statistically significant (p-value 0.17). Conclusion: Peak expiratory rate was comparatively lower in smokers than nonsmokers healthy young subjects.
Hydrological History of a Palaeolake and Valley System on the Planetary Dichotomy in Arabia Terra, Mars

Hundreds of ancient palaeolake basins have been identified and cataloged on Mars, indicating the distribution and availability of liquid water as well as sites of astrobiological potential. Palaeolakes are widely distributed across the Noachian aged terrains of the southern highlands, but Arabia Terra hosts few documented palaeolakes and even fewer examples of open‐basin palaeolakes. Here we present a detailed topographic and geomorphological study of a previously unknown set of seven open‐basin palaeolakes adjacent to the planetary dichotomy in western Arabia Terra. High resolution topographic data were used to aid identification and characterization of palaeolakes within subtle and irregular basins, revealing two palaeolake systems terminating at the dichotomy, including a ∼160 km chain of six palaeolakes connected by short valley segments. Analysis and correlation of multiple, temporally distinct palaeolake fill levels within each palaeolake basin indicate a complex and prolonged hydrological history during the Noachian. Drainage catchments and collapse features place this system in the context of regional hydrology and the history of the planetary dichotomy, showing evidence for both groundwater sources and surface accumulation. Furthermore, the arrangement of large palaeolakes fed by far smaller palaeolakes, indicates a consistent flow of water through the system, buffered by reservoirs, rather than a catastrophic overflow of lakes cascading down through the system.
Incidence of POUR in Patients Having Undergone Elective Spinal Surgery

Purpose: To determine the incidence of POUR (post operative urine retention) in patients that have undergone elective spinal surgeries. Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out in the Department of Orthopaedics and was done by reviewing the post operative records of 150 patients that had undergone elective spinal surgery in the past 8 months and prospectively checked for POUR afterward. Results: The end results show that out of the total number of patients studied, which is 148, (excluding 2 according to the exclusion criteria), 14 developed POUR at the end of the 8-month study while 134 remained unaffected, making the total incidence to be 9.4% for this study.
Predicting travel intentions using self-disclosure, trust and intimacy: the case of Tinder users during COVID-19

PurposeThis paper determines how travel intentions can be predicted using self-disclosure behaviour, trust and intimacy. This case study focuses on Tinder users who utilised the application's Passport feature which allowed them to travel virtually and interact with other users around the globe amid global travel restrictions.Design/methodology/approachThis quantitative research conveniently sampled 294 Tinder users who used the Passport feature during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Data were analysed using PLS-SEM.FindingsThis study revealed that self-disclosure had a significant influence towards future travel intentions. Findings show that the more users self-disclose, the more their intent to travel increase. Trust and intimacy also had significant relationship on travel intentions while intimacy had a mediating effect between self-disclosure and travel intentions.Practical implicationsTourism-oriented establishments and destination marketers should consider Tinder users as a market segment of future tourists. These users have developed travel intentions through in-app interactions and thus comprise an untapped market of potential tourists seeking for meet-ups and niche experiences in a post-pandemic era.Originality/valueThis study provides novelty in showing the predictive relationship of self-disclosure, trust and intimacy towards travel intentions. A model consisting of these constructs in the context of online interactions was also empirically tested and found adequate to predict travel intentions.
Thorium zoning in monazite: A case study from the Ivrea–Verbano zone, NW Italy

Metamorphism and partial melting of the lower crust is commonly assumed to cause depletion in heat producing elements (HPEs; K, U, Th). In the deep crust, volumetrically subordinate metasedimentary layers, which are source to crustal granites (sensu lato), host the majority of Th ± U, primarily within the REE + Th + U + Y phosphate mineral monazite. We examine the spatial and temporal distribution of Th within monazite grains in metasedimentary rocks from the lower crustal section of the Ivrea–Verbano Zone (Italy), using textural, compositional and geochronological data. We link this to outcrop and regional scale trends described by in‐field gamma‐ray spectrometry data (in‐field GRS) for the purpose of understanding how Th distribution is controlled by progressive metamorphism and partial melting. In‐field GRS data shows that the whole rock budget of Th does not change between granulite facies rocks and their unmelted equivalents but is significantly lower in rocks that have undergone more significant melt loss at ultra‐high temperature (UHT) conditions. Concurrently, the bulk Th budget of monazite increases with metamorphic grade to granulite facies conditions and is greatly reduced in UHT samples. Monazite geochronology returns dates mostly in the range 240–320 Ma with two main peaks at circa 290 and 270 Ma. Textural and chemical constraints indicate that these dates record the timing of pre‐peak to peak metamorphic conditions. Amphibolite facies monazite compositional zones are absent from granulite facies monazite, in contrast to examples from lower‐pressure terranes. This is consistent with the expanded stability of allanite relative to monazite with increasing pressure having an important role in determining the internal structure, composition and extent of inheritance of monazite in going from amphibolite facies to granulite facies rocks. We propose high‐pressure granulites should preserve less monazite inherited from amphibolite facies conditions than low‐pressure granulites. Monazite is preserved at all metamorphic grades and presents a mineralogical mechanism for retaining Th in residual deep crust during partial melting and after melt loss.
Photoperiod‐independent diapause‐inducing thermal response of Trichogramma larvae: Pattern and mechanisms

It is well known that photoperiodic induction of insect diapause can be affected by temperature, whereas photoperiod‐independent diapause‐inducing thermal responses received much less attention of researchers. We studied the influence of a wide range (from 3 to 30°C) of constant and alternating temperatures on the rate of development, on pre‐adult survival and on the induction of pre‐pupal diapause in the egg parasitoid Trichogramma telengai. The progeny of females developed at 20°C and photoperiod of L:D = 18:6 or 12:12 was used in this study. The study showed that the pattern of the thermal response of T. telengai is an asymmetric inverted U‐shaped curve determined by two different mechanisms. The right part of the curve represents S‐shaped effect of temperature on the induction of diapause (the threshold for this response is 13–15°C depending on maternal photoperiod), whereas the left part represents an arrest of development caused by the direct effect of low temperature (with the threshold of about 5°C). We conclude that the effect of temperature on the induction of diapause in T. telengai is based on (or at least closely connected with) the thermal influence on the rate of metabolism and development. The results of this study can be used for the prediction of Trichogramma diapause incidence under natural conditions and for the development of the cold storage methods.
Links Between Faulting, Topography, and Sediment Production During Continental Rifting: Insights From Coupled Surface Process, Thermomechanical Modeling

Continental rifts form by extension, and their subsequent evolution depends on the tectonic and climatic boundary conditions. We investigate how faulting, topography, and the evolution of the sediment flux during rifting are affected by these boundary conditions, in particular whether it is possible to correlate tectonic activity, topography, and sediment flux on long timescales (40 Myr). We use a thermomechanical model coupled with a landscape evolution model and present a series of 14 models, testing the sensitivity of the models to crustal strength, extension rate, and fluvial erodibility. The degree of strain localization drives the structural evolution of the modeled rifts: slow extension, high crustal strength, and efficient surface processes promote a high degree of strain localization, resulting in fewer active faults with larger offset. Overall, the magnitude of sediment production correlates with the degree of strain localization. In case of unchanged erosional power and similar amount of extension, systems with slower extension produce more sediment owing to a stronger positive feedback between erosion and fault offset. We observe a characteristic sequence of events, reflecting the morpho‐tectonic evolution of rifts: the highest rock uplift rates are observed before the maximum elevation, and the highest sediment flux postdates the peak in elevation. Our results indicate that for natural systems, the evolution of the sediment flux is a good proxy for the evolution of topography, and that a time lag of 2–5 Myr between the peaks in main tectonic activity and sediment flux can exist.
Digitalization and sustainability: virtual reality tourism in a post pandemic world

Abstract The government-imposed COVID-19 pandemic control measures brought the tourism sector to a complete halt. However, virtual reality (VR) tourism offered people a way to escape the isolation. Media reports and research have noted heightened activity in VR tourism, which has been touted as “alternative tourism” and “eco-tourism”. However, scholars have yet to determine whether this shift is temporary or will persist after the pandemic is over. Questions also remain regarding the factors driving this behaviour. The present study uses stimulus-organism-response theory (SOR) to propose a sequential mechanism of the interplay of antecedents and outcomes, theorising VR tourism as a sustainable tourism solution long into the future. The model, tested by analysing 359 responses collected from VR users through Prolific Academic, confirmed the positive association of the environmental impact of touristic travel and pandemic travel anxiety with eco-guilt; pandemic travel anxiety, moreover, was also associated with attitude towards VR tourism. Furthermore, attitude towards VR tourism was positively associated with willingness to forgo the pleasure of in-situ tourism and post-pandemic VR tourism continuance intentions, with willingness also mediating the association between the other two. Finally, willingness partially mediated the association of attitude and fully mediated the association of eco-guilt with intentions.
Evaluating the GAD-2 to screen for post-stroke anxiety on an acute stroke unit

ABSTRACT Post stroke anxiety is associated with reduced quality of life, worse rehabilitation outcomes and poor social functioning in stroke survivors. Despite its clinical relevance, there are a lack of screening tools to identify post-stroke anxiety. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A) and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) are the only self-report screening test for anxiety validated in stroke patients. However, both of these measures have limitations associated with their clinical utility, length of time to administer and cost to purchase. This study aimed to assess the classiciation accuracy of a freely available and shorter alternative, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item (GAD-2) for use in the acute stroke setting. This study used retrospective analysis of a sequential sample in a clinical database of mood and cognitive scores. Patients' scores on the GAD-2 and HADS-A were compared. The GAD-2 demonstrated strong convergent validity with the HADS-A and good specificity and sensitivity for clinical anxiety. In conclusion, the GAD-2 may be a useful screening assessment of post-stroke anxiety in the acute setting; however, it should be used with due consideration of the methodological limitations of this study.
Contextual-Learning-Based Waveform Scheduling for Wireless Power Transfer With Limited Feedback

In this article, we study the waveform scheduling problem for a wireless power transfer (WPT) system consisting of a power beacon (PB) and multiple energy-harvesting-empowered Internet of Things (EH-IoT) devices. In each time slot, each device requests power to the PB if it needs power, and the PB transmits a WPT signal for which the waveform is designed based on the harvested power satisfaction rate of the power-requesting devices. Under this setup, we formulate an optimization problem that maximizes the average number of EH-IoT devices whose power requests are satisfied. We first solve this problem, assuming that the perfect channel state information (CSI) of all devices is known at the PB. Since the problem is difficult to solve even with perfect CSI, we transform it into a more tractable problem via proper approximations and propose an efficient algorithm to solve it. Next, to tackle the issue that it is practically difficult for the PB to acquire the perfect CSI of each device, we propose a contextual learning-based WPT waveform scheduling algorithm, requiring only 1-bit feedback from each device at one time. Numerical results show that our proposed waveform scheduling algorithm provides a higher satisfaction rate than existing algorithms under perfect CSI, and that with limited CSI feedback achieves performance close to the case with perfect CSI.
Apigenin exerts protective effect and restores ovarian function in dehydroepiandrosterone induced polycystic ovary syndrome rats: a biochemical and histological analysis

Abstract Background Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the major causes encouraging the elevation of androgens, obesity along with menstrual complications. Here we study the effect of Apigenin in rat model of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Methods Female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were treated with Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) (6 mg/100g) opting the post-pubertal approach for developing rat model of polycystic ovarian syndrome, Metformin was used as standard. The treatments were given for 21 days along with coloproctological analysis. After the treatment regimen, the biochemical analysis was carried in plasma samples, whereas the ovaries were submitted for histopathological analysis. Results The treatment of DHEA resulted in disturbed lipid profile and anti-oxidant status along with increased weight, ovarian diameter and cysts in rats confirming the development of PCOS. However, treatment of Apigenin showed ameliorative effect by improving the lipid profile and anti-oxidant status, the treatment also normalised the body weight, reduced ovarian diameter, cysts and restored the healthy follicles compared to control rats. The treatment of Apigenin also suppressed the levels of oestradiol and testosterone compared to control group, also, levels of progesterone were increased in Apigenin treated group of rats. The treatment of Apigenin suppressed the levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. It was observed that the effect of Apigenin were to some extent parallel to standard drug Metformin. Conclusion The findings confirmed that Apigenin ameliorates the disturbed hormonal levels, lipid profile and antioxidant status in PCOS rats.
Seismic risk analysis of a data communication network

ABSTRACT Data communication networks have large importance for the immediate post-earthquake emergency management and community resilience. In this study, the framework of simulation-based probabilistic seismic risk analysis of data communication infrastructure is applied to the real case of the inter-university data network of the Campania region (southern Italy). The network is constituted by point-like facilities (racks located within buildings and containing the device routing and managing traffic) and distributed links (buried fiber optic cables). The seismological, geological, and geotechnical features of the region were characterized together with the seismic vulnerability of each element of the network. The network performance is quantified in terms of traffic loss before and after the seismic event. Results are provided in terms of annual rate of events exceeding traffic loss thresholds and allow to identify the portion of the network mostly contributing to the seismic performance.