Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combining technology readiness and acceptance model for investigating the acceptance of m-learning in higher education in India

PurposeThe study aims to validate a mobile learning readiness scale through the technology readiness and acceptance model (TRAM), thereby assessing students' readiness to adopt m-learning in teaching and learning, including its acceptance.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was administered to open and distance learning (ODL) students in Odisha, India, to assess their readiness and acceptance of m-learning. 665 valid responses were collected, and collected data was analysed using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) and SmartPLS.FindingsThe findings of the study reveal that optimism contributes positively to perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) of m-learning (β = 7.921, p < 0.001; β = 2.123, p < 0.05), whereas innovativeness positively contributes to PEOU of m-learning (β = 2.227, p < 0.05), but not PU of m-learning. ODL student's optimism improves his/her PEOU and PU of m-learning, but innovativeness improves only his/her PEOU. Further, the impact of innovativeness is higher than that of optimism in the TRAM and innovativeness is the strong predictor to adopt m-learning. It also shows that the PU of m-learning positively influences behavioural intention to use m-learning (β = 4.757, p < 0.001). Integrating technology readiness (TR) with technology acceptance model (TAM) to predict students' acceptance of m-learning is very useful.Practical implicationsThe paper will help decision-makers to adopt and use m-learning in higher educational institutions.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to explore the readiness and acceptance of m-learning in higher education in India.
Obesity Measured via Body Mass Index May Be Associated with Increased Incidence but Not Worse Outcomes of Immune-Mediated Diarrhea and Colitis

Simple Summary The association of obesity with a host of comorbidities and its role in cancer have been studied extensively, but its influence on cancer treatments is not well understood. In particular, little is known about the interplay between obesity and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This retrospective single-center study explored this relationship in 202 cancer patients with ICI exposure who developed gastrointestinal irAEs and had existing data on their body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat as measured by CT. Lower BMI was interestingly found to correlate with a more severe disease course. Aside from that, obesity was not found to significantly alter the course of ICI-mediated diarrhea and colitis, nor did it impact the overall survival of this population. Importantly, this study also supports the use of BMI as an indicator of adiposity in cancer patients, as higher BMI values were strongly associated with increased visceral fat on CT imaging. Abstract Obesity defined by high body mass index (BMI) has traditionally been associated with gastrointestinal inflammatory processes but has recently been correlated with better survival in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). We sought to investigate the association between BMI and immune-mediated diarrhea and colitis (IMDC) outcomes and whether BMI reflects body fat content on abdominal imaging. This retrospective, single-center study included cancer patients with ICI exposure who developed IMDC and had BMI and abdominal computed tomography (CT) obtained within 30 days before initiating ICI from April 2011 to December 2019. BMI was categorized as <25, ≥25 but <30, and ≥30. Visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), total fat area (TFA: VFA+SFA), and visceral to subcutaneous fat (V/S) ratio were obtained from CT at the umbilical level. Our sample comprised 202 patients; 127 patients (62.9%) received CTLA-4 monotherapy or a combination, and 75 (37.1%) received PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy. Higher BMIs ≥ 30 were associated with a higher incidence of IMDC than BMIs ≤ 25 (11.4% vs. 7.9%, respectively; p = 0.029). Higher grades of colitis (grade 3–4) correlated with lower BMI (p = 0.03). BMI level was not associated with other IMDC characteristics or did not influence overall survival (p = 0.83). BMI is strongly correlated with VFA, SFA, and TFA (p < 0.0001). Higher BMI at ICI initiation was linked to a higher incidence of IMDC but did not appear to affect outcomes. BMI strongly correlated with body fat parameters measured by abdominal imaging, suggesting its reliability as an obesity index.
On the Solution of the Hamilton-Jacobi Equation by the Method of Separation of Variables

The method of separation of variables facilitates the integration of the HamiltonJacobi equation by reducing its solution to a series of quadratures in the separable coordinates. The case in which the metric tensor is diagonal in the separable coordinates, that is, orthogonal separability, is fundamental. Recent theory by Benenti has established a concise geometric (coordinate-independent) characterisation of orthogonal separability of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation on a pseudoRiemannian manifold. It generalises an approach initiated by Eisenhart and developed by Kalnins and Miller. Benenti has shown that the orthogonal separability of a system via a point transformation is equivalent to the existence of a Killing tensor with real simple eigenvalues and orthogonally integrable eigenvectors. Applying a moving frame formalism, we develop a method that produces the orthogonal separable coordinates for low dimensional Hamiltonian systems. The method is applied to a two dimensional Riemannian manifold of arbitrary curvature. As an illustration, we investigate Euclidean 2-space, and the two dimensional surfaces of constant curvature, recovering known results. Using our formalism, we also derive the known superseparable potentials for Euclidean 2-space. Some of the original results presented in this thesis were announced in [8, 9, 10].
Revealing the Mass Loss Structures of Four Key Massive Binaries Using Optical Spectropolarimetry

Abstract The majority of massive stars are members of binary systems. However, in order to understand their evolutionary pathways, mass and angular momentum loss from these systems needs to be well characterized. Self-consistent explanations for their behavior across many wavelength regimes need to be valid in order to illuminate key evolutionary phases. I present the results of linear spectropolarimetric studies of three key binaries (β Lyrae, V356 Sgr, V444 Cyg, and WR 140) which reveal important geometric information about their circumstellar material. β Lyrae exhibits a repeatable discrepancy between secondary eclipse in the total and polarized light curves that indicates an accretion hot spot has formed on the edge of the disk in the system. The existence of this hot spot and its relationship to bipolar outflows within the system is important in the understanding of mass transfer dynamics in Roche-lobe overflow binaries. Preliminary work on V356 Sgr suggests the system maybe surrounded by a common envelope. V444 Cyg shows evidence that its shock creates a cone with a large opening angle of missing material around the WN star. This suggests the effects of radiative inhibition or braking, can be significant contributors to the location and shape of the shock within colliding wind binaries. The intrinsic polarization component of WR 140 is likely due to the formation of dust within the system near periastron passages. Continued work on these and additional objects will provide new and important constraints on the mass loss structures within binary systems.
Chiral Metasurface Enabled Circularly Polarized OAM-Generating Folded Transmitarray Antenna With High-Gain Low-Profile and Broadband Characteristics

A broadband low-profile high-gain folded transmitarray antenna (FTA) is proposed to generate orbital angular momentum (OAM) with circular polarization. A chiral metasurface is employed as the top layer with the function of reflecting anticipant circularly polarized (CP) incident waves while transmitting the orthogonal ones. The geometric phase is then introduced to achieve 360° coverage of the transmission phase without affecting the reflection one. To obtain a high-gain and compact planar source, a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> patch antenna array, integrated with the bottom metallic ground, is selected as the feed. Two proof-of-concept prototypes for vortex beam generation are constructed and experimentally measured. Both simulated and measured results demonstrate that <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$l=-1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and +1 OAM mode beams can be generated from 8.7 to 9.5 GHz, and the measured maximum gains for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$l=-1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and +1 reach 18.1 and 18.3 dBi with the corresponding peak aperture efficiencies of 6.1% and 6.4%, respectively. Meanwhile, the axial ratios (ARs) of the peak of far-field patterns are less than 3 dB over the entire operating frequency range, providing broadband CP vortex beams. The proposed high-gain low-profile broadband FTA antenna shows a promising perspective in OAM-based wireless communication.
What Is “Cold” and What Is “Hot” in Mucosal Ablation for Barrett’s Oesophagus-Related Dysplasia: A Practical Guide

Over the last two decades, endoscopic eradication therapy has been established as the therapeutic strategy of choice for patients with Barrett’s oesophagus-related dysplasia and early oesophageal adenocarcinoma. With a multimodal approach, ablative therapies have been highly effective in achieving remarkable eradication rates of metaplastic epithelium with an acceptable adverse event rate. Among ablative techniques, radiofrequency ablation is currently considered as the first-line option as its efficacy and safety are strongly supported by relevant data. Nevertheless, radiofrequency ablation is costly, and not universally available, or applicable to every situation. Moreover, primary failure and recurrence rates are not negligible. In the last few years, cryotherapy techniques and hybrid argon plasma coagulation have been increasingly assessed as potential novel ablative therapies. Preliminary data have been promising and suggest that they may even have a role as first-line options, alternatively to radiofrequency ablation. The aim of this review is to provide a practical guide for the ablation of Barrett’s oesophagus, with emphasis on the different ablative options.
Error Analysis of the Maximum Coupling for HEMP Illumination Tests With EUT Rotations

The maximum electromagnetic (EM) coupling is directly related to the polarization angle of the incident field in the high-altitude EM pulse (HEMP) illumination test. Aimed at the linear system, this letter analyzed the test error of the maximum coupling corresponding to the change of the angle between the polarization direction and the direction of the equipment under test (EUT) in EMP illumination tests. Characterized by the EM norm, the quantization estimation formula of the maximum coupling test error under illuminations with EUT rotations is deduced. The results show that the maximum measurement accuracy is the cosine of 1/2 of the maximum rotation angle of the EUTs. Finally, a test scheme of five illuminations (with rotations of the EUT and the rotation angle of each rotation is 36°) with 95% test accuracy of the maximum coupling of the method itself is recommended in this letter. The results can provide support for the design and evaluation of the EM illumination test.
A Comparative Analysis of Thin-Layer Microwave and Microwave/Convective Dehydration of Chokeberry

Due to high water content, chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa L.) are perishable. Therefore, energy-saving, combined drying technologies have been explored to improve the chokeberry drying. The combined microwave and the traditional convective drying method (MCD) have significantly enhanced the drying effectiveness, efficiency, and energy utilization rate and improved product quality. The MCD method, which implies the microwave power (MD) of 900 W for 9 s and the convective dehydration (CD) at 230 °C for 12 s, has the shortest dehydration time t (24 ± 2 min), has the maximum coefficient of diffusion (Deff = 6.0768 × 10−9 ± 5.9815 × 10−11 m2 s−1), and represents the most energy effective for dehydration process (Emin = 0.382 ± 0.036 kWh). A higher water-holding capacity (WHC) characterized the chokeberries obtained by the MCD method compared to the regular microwave method (MD). The mildest MCD (15 s of MD on 900 W, 7 s of CD on 180 °C) could dehydrate chokeberries with the highest WHC (685.71 ± 40.86 g H2O g−1 d.m.) and the greatest evaluations for sensory attributes in terms of all properties. The results of this study provide the drying behavior of chokeberries that can help develop efficient drying methods and improve existing ones.
Analysis of discrete implementation of generalized cross correlator

A common discrete implementation of the cross correlator uses a parabolic fit to the peak when the delay is not an integral multiple of the sampling period. This correspondence analyzes and assesses the pitfalls of this approach. It is shown that this yields a biased estimate of the time delay, with both the bias and variance of the estimate dependent on the location of the delay between samples, SNR, signal and noise bandwidths, and the prefilter or window used in the generalized correlator.
Oral Health Problems among Canadians Aged 45 to 85: Data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Baseline Survey (2011–2015)

Oral health is a critical component of overall health. The objective of this study was to describe oral health problems among 47,581 adults aged 45 to 85 in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) among those who have at least one natural tooth (92%) and those without natural teeth across various demographic categories. Among the 47,581 participants in the study, 92% reported having at least one natural tooth (dentate). Among those without teeth, 63% reported an income less than CAD 50,000 versus 39% among those with teeth. Whether they had teeth or not, over 30% of people reported two or more oral health problems. Older adults appear to be retaining their natural teeth (28.9%), but still report experiencing oral health problems. As the population ages, loss of all teeth may not be the most useful proxy for poor oral health, and a population-level understanding of oral health problems may help to better define poor oral health.
The short answer: Implications for direct compositionality (and vice versa)

Abstract:This article is concerned with the analysis of ‘short’ or ‘fragment’ answers to questions, and the relationship between these and the hypothesis of direct compositionality (DC) (e.g. Montague 1970). DC claims that the syntax and semantics work ‘in tandem’ to prove expressions well formed, while at the same time assigning them a meaning (a model-theoretic object). DC makes it difficult to state any kind of identity condition for ‘ellipsis’ and would hence lead one to suspect that short answers do not contain hidden linguistic material. This article argues that they indeed do not. Rather, as proposed in Groenendijk & Stokhof 1984, the question and short answer together form a linguistic unit, which I call a Qu-Ans, whose semantics gives the proposition that is understood as following from the pair. Three new arguments are adduced for the Qu-Ans analysis over one making use of silent linguistic material, and a core class of traditional arguments for silent linguistic material are answered. Moreover, it is shown that many of the traditional arguments for silent linguistic material themselves presuppose a non-DC architecture. If (as is claimed) these arguments do not hold, the Qu-Ans analysis of short answers actually supports the DC view, under which no use is made of logical form, and no use is made of representational constraints on structure.
Multiple Choice Questions Versus Very Short Answered Questions in the Evaluation of Students of Veterinary Pathology

Background: Well-developed assessment methods have a positive impact on students’ performance, and higher education institutes are usually encouraged to establish and use effective assessment methods that effectively enhance the learning process. Objectives: This study was designed to compare students’ performance in multiple choice questions (MCQs) including best single answer (BSA) and multiple true and false (MTF) types, and very short answer (VSA) questions, and to evaluate gender differences and feedback from students and faculty. Materials and methods: A test containing three different types of questions, BSA, MTF and VSA questions (10 each), was delivered to eight groups of veterinary pathology students (3rd level, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt) in April 2022. Students’ performance, test reliability and gender differences as well as feedback from students and faculty were evaluated. Results: Students did a significant higher performance in BSA and MTF questions compared to VSA questions. The reliability of BSA, MTF and VSA questions between different groups of students were 0.53, 0.52 and 0.13, respectively. Girl students achieved a higher performance in the whole test compared to boy students. Both boy and girl students showed nearly similar performance in BSA and MTF questions. However, girl students got significant higher score in VSA questions compared to boy students. Students’ and faculty opinions were in favor of BSA and MTF questions. Conclusion: Students did much better in MCQs than VSA questions. BSA and MTF questions are preferentially favored by students and faculty.
Potential Molecular Mechanisms of Alzheimer’s Disease from Genetic Studies

Simple Summary We systematically reviewed genetic studies employing single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq) or spatial genomics in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research to highlight potential molecular mechanisms and explore what changed from previous findings. An overview of molecular imbalances in AD and differences in their mechanisms across sex, period of onset, age, and immunity are presented. Our study provides evidence for continuing research to identify common causes and possible solutions to ameliorate AD. scRNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics have the advantage of providing more in-depth results, which is vital for identifying crucial factors for AD-modifying investigations. Abstract The devastating effects of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are yet to be ameliorated due to the absence of curative treatment options. AD is an aging-related disease that affects cognition, and molecular imbalance is one of its hallmarks. There is a need to identify common causes of molecular imbalance in AD and their potential mechanisms for continuing research. A narrative synthesis of molecular mechanisms in AD from primary studies that employed single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq) or spatial genomics was conducted using Embase and PubMed databases. We found that differences in molecular mechanisms in AD could be grouped into four key categories: sex-specific features, early-onset features, aging, and immune system pathways. The reported causes of molecular imbalance were alterations in bile acid (BA) synthesis, PITRM1, TREM2, olfactory mucosa (OM) cells, cholesterol catabolism, NFkB, double-strand break (DSB) neuronal damage, P65KD silencing, tau and APOE expression. What changed from previous findings in contrast to results obtained were explored to find potential factors for AD-modifying investigations.
Real-Time Implementation of Single-Doppler Radar Analysis Methods for Tropical Cyclones: Algorithm Improvements and Use with WSR-88D Display Data

Abstract The NOAA/NWS/NCEP/Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center has sought techniques that use single-Doppler radar data to estimate the tropical cyclone wind field. A cooperative effort with NOAA/Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory/Hurricane Research Division and NCAR has resulted in significant progress in developing a method whereby radar display data are used as a proxy for a full-resolution base data and in improving and implementing existing wind retrieval and center-finding techniques. These techniques include the ground-based velocity track display (GBVTD), tracking radar echoes by correlation (TREC), GBVTD- simplex, and the principal component analysis (PCA) methods. The GBVTD and TREC algorithms are successfully applied to the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) display data of Hurricane Bret (1999) and Tropical Storm Barry (2001). GBVTD analyses utilized circulation center estimates provided by the GBVTD-simplex and PCA methods, whereas TREC analys.
Natural Compounds Targeting the Autophagy Pathway in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

Autophagy is a highly conserved intracellular degradation pathway by which misfolded proteins or damaged organelles are delivered in a double-membrane vacuolar vesicle and finally degraded by lysosomes. The risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) is high, and there is growing evidence that autophagy plays a critical role in regulating the initiation and metastasis of CRC; however, whether autophagy promotes or suppresses tumor progression is still controversial. Many natural compounds have been reported to exert anticancer effects or enhance current clinical therapies by modulating autophagy. Here, we discuss recent advancements in the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in regulating CRC. We also highlight the research on natural compounds that are particularly promising autophagy modulators for CRC treatment with clinical evidence. Overall, this review illustrates the importance of autophagy in CRC and provides perspectives for these natural autophagy regulators as new therapeutic candidates for CRC drug development.
The Lack of Race and Ethnicity Data in Australia—A Threat to Achieving Health Equity

Collecting meaningful race and ethnicity data must be part of the national agenda and must be one of its primary objectives in order to achieve public good and support public interests. Yet, Australia does not collect data on race and ethnicity, and prefers the use of collective cultural groups, whose information is not consistently collected and reported at all levels of government and service delivery. This paper examines the current discrepancies in race and ethnicity data collection in Australia. The paper begins with examining the current practices related to collecting race and ethnicity data and then moves on to examine the various implications and public health significance of not collecting data on race and ethnicity in Australia. The evidence suggests that (1) race and ethnicity data matter, are imperative to ensuring proper advocacy and to reducing inequities in health and social determinant factors; (2) that White privilege is constructed as realized or unrealized personal and systemic racism; and (3) the use of non-committal collective terminologies makes visible minorities invisible, leads to the distorted allocation of governmental support, and legitimises and institutionalises racism and othering, hence perpetuating exclusion and the risk of victimisation. There is an urgent need for the collection of customized, culturally competent racial and ethnicity data that can be consistently integrated into all policy interventions, service delivery and research funding across all levels of governance in Australia. Reducing and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities is not only an ethical, social, and economic imperative, but must also be a critical item on the national agenda. Bridging the racial and ethnic disparities will require concerted whole-of-government efforts to collect consistent and reliable data that depict racial and ethnic characteristics beyond collective cultural groupings.