Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Population Growth and Economic Growth: The Case of Singapore

Population growth has an important impact on the economic performance of countries. However, there is no consensus on the direction of the impact in question. Therefore, the relationship between population growth and economic growth is still in debate in the literature. In this context, the aim of this study is to empirically examine whether there is a relationship between population growth and economic growth in Singapore using annual data for the period of 1970-2020. In order to achieve this goal, first of all, ADF and PP unit root tests were performed. Then, Toda-Yamamoto Causality Test was applied to investigate the causal relationship between the variables. According to the empirical findings of the study, there is a unidirectional Granger causality relationship from population growth to economic growth.
TESTES DE VIGOR EM SEMENTES DE MAXIXE (Cucumis anguria L.) COM ÊNFASE AO TESTE DE CONDUTIVIDADE ELÉTRICA 1

This research was conducted with the main objective of studying the efficiency of the different vigor tests to evaluate the physiological quality of gherkin seed lots and also to determine the possibility of reduction of the imbibition period prior to the electrical conductivity readings. Five seed lots were submited to germination, accelerated aging, cold test, seedling emergence and electrical conductivity tests. The imbibition periods adopted for the electrical conductivity test were 02, 04, 08, 12, 16, 20 and 24 hours. Results indicated that the accelerated aging and conductivity electrical tests were efficient to detect different vigor levels of gherkin seed lots. It was also possible to reduce the imbibition period of seeds prior the electrical conductivity test. This procedure represents an improvement to the procedure routinely adopted for the electrical conductivity test.
Understanding the Customers’ Acceptance of Pick-up Apps Over the COVID-19 Pandemic Period, Stay-at-Home Orders: An Integrated Model of UTAUT

Current technological developments allow online sellers to request pick-ups via mobile apps. During the COVID-19 outbreak and with the stay-at-home orders, a survey in Indonesia showed that online transactions are increased, which led to the rise of pick-up and delivery activities. However, the pick-up order cancellation possibly happens, bad reviews appear, and apps abandonment cannot be avoided. The purpose of this study is to examine user acceptance of the pick-up apps and observe its correlation with the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT) model with subjective norm to stay at home from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model as an additional variable. The sample was obtained from 205 users of one of the pick-up apps in Indonesia through a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale. The results showed that the stay-at-home order due to the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic affects customers’ intention to use pick -up apps and performance expectancy and social influence. Then, the non-linear UTAUT variables influence each other, which is the effect of effort expectancy and social influence on performance expectancy. Finally, the main factor influencing the use behavior of pick-up apps is behavioral intention. This study can contribute to IS research on technology acceptance and provides an overview of customer behavior using the pick-up apps from a pick-up service provider viewpoint.
Efectos adversos post-aplicación de vacunas COVID 19 en estudiantes del área de la salud de la costa atlántica colombiana.

La COVID-19 afectó el bienestar y la economía de las comunidades. La vacunación como estrategia de prevención dio esperanza a la población mundial, pero los mitos alrededor de los efectos adversos supuestamente atribuibles a esta son un obstáculo para alcanzar la inmunidad de rebaño. Al respecto, se consideró determinar la ocurrencia de efectos adversos tras la aplicación de vacunas COVID 19 a estudiantes del área de la salud de la costa atlántica colombiana, mediante una investigación cuantitativa, descriptiva, transversal y correlacional. Los efectos adversos encontrados fueron leves y se resolvieron al poco tiempo de su aparición, mayormente no dieron lugar a la búsqueda de atención médica y luego de la inmunización fueron escasos los casos de contagio de la enfermedad.
Numerical modeling of DBD plasma actuators and the induced air flow.

An earlier developed detailed physical model of an asymmetric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator in air driven by repetitive nanosecond voltage pulses and ac/dc bias is used to model realistic experimental conditions, such as nonideal pulses with multiple reflections. The force and heating rate calculated by the plasma model is used as an input to two-dimensional viscous flow solver to predict the time-dependent DBD-induced flowfield. The calculations reproduce the wall jet and vortices observed in experiments and enable determination of the induced flow velocity at the plasma edge and the body force magnitude from the schlieren imaging. A three-electrodes DBD system is theoretically explored, and its advantages are shown to only exist during a very short time following the voltage pulse.
Emirati Parents’ Attitudes toward the Military and National Service in the United Arab Emirates

Compulsory national service for male citizens presents the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces with an opportunity to recruit future military officers. Research showed that parental attitudes towards the military, manifested through their communication with youths, are likely to influence youths’ decision on a military career. Hence this study examined the attitudes of Emirati parents on the UAE military and national service; particularly parental perceptions of the military work environment; support of a military career for their children; and concerns about national service. Surveys, individual and focus group interviews were conducted with 59 Emirati parents. It found that most participants held the positive view that the military work environment helps attainment of professional goals but were uncertain about personal goals and workplace conditions. Also, more participants were supportive of a military career for sons than daughters. It also identified the basis for parental confidence about enlistment as patriotism and development of positive character traits but main concerns were the exposure to harsh training conditions and threat to life during enlistment. Recommendations were provided for better engagement by the UAE military with Emirati parents and the community.
Recent developments of intumescent fire protection coatings for structural steel: A review

Intumescent paints are specially formulated reactive coatings designed to swell or expand into thick foamed char upon exposure to heat, protecting the substrates against fire by insulation and providing a protective barrier to heat and mass transfer. The present review describes some recent work related to the development of intumescent fire protective coating that is suitable for the protection of non-flammable substrates, such as structural steel, against fire. The key factors in the intumescent formulations, binders, flame retardants, fillers, modifiers, nano-dimensional additives, and weathering that affect the properties and performance of intumescent coatings are described. An attempt has also been made to describe different fire protection methods and testing characterizations involved in the fire protection of structural steel using intumescent fire-resistant coatings.
Homoeopathy a System of Holistic Healing as an Alternative Treatment for PCOS – a Review

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a complex hormonal and metabolic disorder characterized by oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, hyperandrogenism and infertility. Global prevalence of PCOS is estimated to be between 06% and 26%. Homoeopathy, being a system of holistic healing can be accepted as one of the alternative treatments for PCOS. Aim & Objective: The aim of the study is to review clinical data, where the intervention was aimed to treat PCOS through Homoeopathy. The objective of the study is to identify the therapeutic approach, assessment criteria, treatment outcomes through an alternative therapy i.e., Homoeopathy in cases of PCOS. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in the month of June 2021 following International/National search databases for all clinical studies published in the period from 2000 to 2021. This search was aimed to target the entire literature of randomized trials or controlled trials, observational studies case studies/reports on PCOS in homoeopathy. Result:28 articles related to Homoeopathy on PCOS were identified. Out of these 28studies, 22 studies (01 RCT, 02 NRCT,06 observational studies,04 case series and 09 case reports) were included in this review. All studies were published in peer reviewed journals. Conclusions: To establish the evidence-based efficacy of the homoeopathic treatment in cases of RCT more pragmatic studies need to be planned in the future based on proper diagnostic criteria.
Distribution of dividends and value of companies listed on B3

Objective: Based on the trend of international stock markets, it is suggested that companies that do not distribute dividends are better valued by the market than companies that make a small distribution of profits, while companies with larger distributions of dividends are better valued. This scenario in the literature has been described as Relation in “J-Shaped”. In possession of this market aspect, this study aimed to identify whether there is the existence of the "J-Shaped" in the relationship between dividends and company value in the Brazilian capital market. Method: A sample of 3,556 observations of 271 companies, in the period 1996 to 2018, was divided into non-dividend-paying companies (DIV0) and dividend-paying companies, the latter being divided into five groups classified according to the dividend distributed (DIV1 to DIV5). The analysis of the format of the relationship was carried out through the medians of the groups and statistical tests to establish the statistical relationship between the distributed dividend and the firm value (Tobin's q). Results: It was found that the Brazilian market does not have the "J-Shaped". Thus, companies that do not pay dividends had worse values than those that distributed dividends to shareholders with better valuations than those companies that distributed greater volumes of profits to stockholders. Additionally, the relevance of dividends in the value of companies in the Brazilian market was confirmed. Contributions: The work advances in the discussion of dividends and firm ́s value in Brazil by proposing a new statistical approach to the subject, categorizing companies by their distinct profit distribution policies and highlighting the pro-dividend clientele in the Brazilian market.
Moderating effect of operational leverage on the relationship between corporate investment and firm profitability

Objective: the goal was to analyze how the operational leverage moderates the relationship between corporate investment and profitability of companies listed in the Brazilian stock exchange. Method: The sample consisted of 114 companies active in the stock exchange. Regression with panel data covering the period from 2008 to 2018 was used for data analysis. Static and dynamic models were used. Findings: The main results showed that operational leverage moderates the relationship between investment and ROA, so that the greater the operational leverage and the greater the investment, the greater the ROA. It was also observed that contemporary explanatory variables were more adequate to explain the model. Contributions: The findings indicate that greater operational leverage is an advantage for companies that present growth opportunities and have not reached the point of overinvestment, since ROA decreases as less is invested in this scenario. The research implication is that operating leverage is a factor that must be considered both in investment decisions and in profit forecasting models. This study differs from the previous ones, as it deals with the impact of investment and operational leverage on the contemporary results of companies in a joint manner.
Original Review PHYSICAL INACTIVITY IN YOUTH DURING COVID-19: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

The prevalence of physical inactivity in youth during COVID-19 has varied across countries and depending on age of the youth and whether the data were collected during lockdown versus nonlockdown. In studies that compared activity preand during COVID, activity decreased in 40-59% of youth. Several negative effects have been noted including excessive screen time, sleep problems, over-eating, and affective disturbances. Physical inactivity was a significant correlate of all of these problems. Relatively little intervention research has been conducted and underlying mechanisms have not been explored. As in most of the COVID-19 literature, this research has the limitations of being typically crosssectional and self-reported.
Students of public and private universities in Wielkopolska region (Poland) facing the challenges of remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic

The aim of the presented study is to analyse the diversity of social attitudes of students during the pandemic towards changes in the functioning of universities and teaching methods. In mid-March 2020, after the suspension of classes at universities, the academic community faced the dilemma of choosing new options for continuing education and choosing the most appropriate forms. Despite the availability of e-learning platforms by universities, it was possible to observe a varied degree of their use, both by students and academic teachers. In the case of students, a large part quite quickly accepted new forms of remote teaching, but also some of them, for various reasons, did not undertake any activity in this area. The main problems that emerged were related to the technical and organisational possibilities of using the new tools for continuing Jan Hauke Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Polska Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland Emilia Bogacka Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Polska Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland Anna Tobolska Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Polska Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland Justyna Weltrowska Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Polska Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland 206 Jan Hauke, Emilia Bogacka, Anna Tobolska, Justyna Weltrowska education. Due to the new situation, it becomes important from the point of view of the basic goals of higher education to recognise the diversity of students’ attitudes towards new study conditions, in particular: determining the scope of students’ knowledge about new didactic tools, establishing basic barriers preventing students from taking up classes in new forms of e-learning, learning about the students’ assessment of the offered and used forms of distance learning, learning about the students’ assessment of the organisation and ways of implementing remote classes. The study attempts to answer the research questions based on the survey conducted in the first quarter of 2021, on a sample of over 3,000 students from universities located in the Wielkopolska region in Poland. Słowa kluczowe: nauczanie zdalne; pandemia COVID-19; postawy studentów; uczelnie publiczne i niepubliczne, województwo wielkopolskie
The efficacy of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees crude extract in hospitalised mild COVID-19 patients: a retrospective cohort study

Background: Andrographis paniculata (AP) crude extract has been widely used in Thailand to treat mild COVID-19 infection since early 2020; however, supporting evidence was lacking. Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of AP compared with standard treatment among hospitalised mild COVID-19 patients. Study design: Single-centre retrospective cohort study Methods: We collected data between March 2020 and August 2021 from COVID-19 patients admitted to one hospital in Thailand. Patients whose infection was confirmed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and had normal chest radiography were included, whereas those receiving favipiravir or had unclear chest X-rays at admission were excluded. Participants were categorised as either AP or standard of care and followed for pneumonia confirmed by chest radiography. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyse the main results controlling for age, sex, history of having diabetes, hypertension, receiving statins, and antihypertensive drugs. Results: 605 out of 1,054 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 59 patients (9.8%) developed pneumonia during the median follow-up of 7 days. The incidence rates of pneumonia were 13.93 (95%CI 10.09, 19.23) and 12.47 (95%CI 8.21, 18.94) per 1,000 person-days in AP and standard of care group, respectively. Compared to the standard of care group, the odds ratios of having pneumonia in the AP group were 1.24 (95%CI 0.71, 2.16; unadjusted model) and 1.42 (95%CI 0.79, 2.55; fully adjusted model). All sensitivity analyses produced consistent findings with the main results. Conclusion: We do not have sufficient evidence to show the efficacy of AP in mild COVID-19 infection. Interestingly, we observed the potentially harmful signal of using AP. While waiting for insights from ongoing trials, the use of AP in this condition should be done with caution.
Descriptors for Machine Learning Model of Generalized Force Field in Condensed Matter Systems

We outline the general framework of machine learning (ML) methods for multi-scale dynamical modeling of condensed matter systems, and in particular of strongly correlated electron models. Complex spatial temporal behaviors in these systems often arise from the interplay between quasi-particles and the emergent dynamical classical degrees of freedom, such as local lattice distortions, spins, and order-parameters. Central to the proposed framework is the ML energy model that, by successfully emulating the time-consuming electronic structure calculation, can accurately predict a local energy based on the classical field in the intermediate neighborhood. In order to properly include the symmetry of the electron Hamiltonian, a crucial component of the ML energy model is the descriptor that transforms the neighborhood configuration into invariant feature variables, which are input to the learning model. A general theory of the descriptor for the classical fields is formulated, and two types of models are distinguished depending on the presence or absence of an internal symmetry for the classical field. Several specific approaches to the descriptor of the classical fields are presented. Our focus is on the group-theoretical method that offers a systematic and rigorous approach to compute invariants based on the bispectrum coefficients. We propose an efficient implementation of the bispectrum method based on the concept of reference irreducible representations. Finally, the implementations of the various descriptors are demonstrated on well-known electronic lattice models.
'Moving On' - Investigating Inventors' Ethnic Origins Using Supervised Learning

Patent data provides rich information about technical inventions, but does not disclose the ethnic origin of inventors. In this article, I use supervised learning techniques to infer this information. To do so, I construct a dataset of 96′777 labeled names and train an artificial recurrent neural network with long short-term memory (LSTM) to predict ethnic origins based on names. The trained network achieves an overall performance of 91.4% across 18 ethnic origins. I use this model to predict and investigate the ethnic origins of 2.68 million inventors and provide novel descriptive evidence regarding their ethnic origin composition over time and across countries and technological fields. The global ethnic origin composition has become more diverse over the last decades, which was mostly due to a relative increase of Asian origin inventors. Furthermore, the prevalence of foreign-origin inventors is especially high in the USA, but has also increased in other high-income economies. This increase was mainly driven by an inflow of non-Western inventors into emerging high-technology fields for the USA, but not for other high-income countries.
Negative Imaginary Systems Theory for Nonlinear Systems: A Dissipativity Approach

Negative imaginary (NI) systems theory is a well-established system theoretic framework for analysis and design of lineartime-invariant (LTI) control systems. In this paper, we aim to generalize negative imaginary systems theory to a class of nonlinear systems. Based on the time domain interpretation of the NI property for LTI systems, a formal definition in terms of a dissipativity with an appropriate work rate will be used to define the nonlinear negative imaginary (NNI) property for a general nonlinear system. Mechanical systems with force actuators and position sensors are nonlinear negative imaginary according to this new definition. Using Lyapunov stability theory, we seek to establish a nonlinear generalization of the NI robust stability result for positive feedback interconnections of NNI systems. An example of a nonlinear mass-spring-damper system with force as input and displacement of the mass as output will be presented to illustrate the applicability of the NNI stability result. Furthermore, the case of NI systems with free motion will be investigated in the nonlinear domain based on the dissipativity framework of NNI systems.
Relaxation of contact pressure and self-loosening in dynamic bolted joints

Bolted joints are widely used in a variety of engineering applications where they are dynamically loaded with frequencies of vibration spread over a wide spectrum with the same general effects. When under dynamic loading, bolted joints can become loose due to a loss in clamping pressure in the joints. This vibrational loosening sometimes can cause serious problems, and in some cases can lead to fatal consequences if it remains undetected. Non-intrusive ultrasonic and image processing techniques were simultaneously used to investigate the relaxation of contact pressure and loosening of bolted joints subjected to cyclic shear loading. Three critical areas, the contact interface of the bolted component, the bolt length and the rotation of the bolt head, were monitored during loosening of the joints. The results show that loosening of bolted joints can be grouped into three stages: very rapid, rapid, and gradual loosening. The earliest stage of the loosening of bolted joints is characterised by cyclic strain ratcheting–loosening of the bolted joint during vibration without rotation of the bolt head. The higher the rate of relaxation at this early stage, the lower is the resistance of the bolted joint to vibration-induced loosening. Both the dynamic shear load and an additional constant shear load in another direction were observed to affect the rate of loosening, and at this early stage, a rise in the magnitude of the additional constant shear load increases the rate of loosening. Furthermore, the contact pressure distribution affects the rate of loosening at the bolted joint interface, as loosening increases away from area of high contact pressure.