Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Please listen to us: Adolescent autistic girls speak about learning and academic success

Limited research is available with a focus on adolescent Autistic girls and their needs during secondary schooling. Consequently, many issues are often not recognised and addressed by educators. The small-scale Australian research reported here explored the experiences of five Autistic girls during their first 2 years of secondary school, with data being gathered via an online survey and semi-structured interviews. Findings are presented from the perspective of the girls themselves and highlight the negative impact of sensory, communication, and social difficulties, as well as the influence of anxiety and executive dysfunction on their learning and academic success. Unique insights into how the girls feel about school and the anxiety they experience there, together with everyday barriers to learning they encounter provide some important messages to schools and teachers.
Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Preeclampsia, Low Birth Weight and Postpartum Hemorrhage in Northern Ghana

Prevalence and risk factors associated with preeclampsia, low 1 birth weight and postpartum hemorrhage in Northern Ghana. 2 Benjamin Ahenkorah, Samuel Asamoah Sakyi, Gideon Helegbe, Eddie-Williams Owiredu, 3 Winfred Ofosu, Edmund Muonir Der, Richard K.O. Ephraim, Benjamin Amoani, Priscilla 4 Arthur-Johnson, Dominic Apio, Susanna Cheetham, Ben Gyan 5 Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah 6 University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana 7 Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Bolgatanga Technical University, Bolgatanga-Upper 8 East Region, Ghana 9 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana 10 School of Medicine and Health Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana 11 Ghana Health Service, Upper East Region, Ghana 12 Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research 13 School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana 14 8 School of Public Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana 15
Effect of The Physical Characteristics of a Dwelling on Energy Consumption and Emissions: The Case of Castellón And Valencia (Spain)

This research analyses the relation between building and housing attributes and energy consumption and CO2 emissions, considering the spatial dependence present on the Spanish residential market and the different climatic areas. The paper uses a hedonic model with spatial correlation. To measure the spatial dependence, we have combined the Lag Model and the Error Model. The data has been obtained from three different sources and merged in a complex geolocated database, for the provinces of Castellon and Valencia. The results of both regressions indicate that there is a spatial dependence in the sample and a relation between some building attributes and energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The regressions show the existence of low consumption and low emission clusters in the metropolitan area of Valencia and Castellon. Moreover, the endogenous variables indicate that characteristics such as the age, the size, the typology of the house building or dwelling, the use of the surface, or the climatic area have an effect in the energy consumption and the CO2 emissions of the houses in Castellon and Valencia.
CRP Levels in Viral Hepatitis: A Meta-Analysis Study

Context: Viral hepatitis is a common infectious disorder with a high degree of mortality. The host immunological feedback to the hepatitis virus is dim and unable to down-regulate and clear infection. C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute phase reactant synthesized by hepatocytes in response to inflammatory reactions, facilitates apoptosis and phagocytosis. An effort has been made in the current meta-analysis study to elucidate the relationship between CRP and hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Methods: Eighteen published research articles on CRP levels of viral hepatitis patients were included in this study. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled mean level for CRP. Results: The pooled mean level of CRP hepatitis B and hepatitis C was 6.93 mg/L (95% CI: 3.04 - 10.81) and 2.31 mg/L (95% CI: 1.06 - 3.55), respectively. A high degree of variance was observed among the studies, with the I2 more than 90%. Conclusions: The pooled mean level of CRP was within the normal range in patients with hepatitis C; however, it was high in patients with hepatitis B. The pooled mean CRP level reported in this study can be useful to determine the level of liver damage in patients with viral hepatitis.
A High‐Temperature Catalytic Oxidation Technique for Determining Total Dissolved Nitrogen

A high-temperature catalytic oxidation method for determination of total dissolved N has been developed and tested on soil solution and throughfall. Unlike methods generally used for total dissolved N, this method is rapid, quantitative, and does not require use of strong acids or bases. The technique couples a commercially available chemiluminescent N detector with the combustion furnace of a commercially available C analyzer. An aqueous sample is combusted in an ultra pure oxygen environment at 680°C, converting all forms of N to nitric oxide, which then reacts with ozone. The product, metastable NO 2 , is measured chemiluminescently by the N detector. The method is appropriate for samples collected in studies of forest soil solution and throughfall, having a method detection limit of 0.03 mg L -1 total N, and a range from 0.03 to 10.0 mg L -1 . Tests of several organic and inorganic N-containing compounds showed recoveries >90% for concentrations up to 5.0 mg N L -1 . Urea was the only compound tested with recoveries <90%. Numerous field samples were analyzed and compared with results obtained using persulfate oxidation and high-temperature oxidation (uncatalyzed oxidation at 1100°C). Results from this high-temperature catalytic oxidation method compare well with persulfate oxidation and high-temperature oxidation.
Effect of Incorporation of Moringa Leaf Meal at Varying Levels on Serum Biochemical Profile in Japanese Quail Diets

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of moringa leaf meal (MLM) at varying levels in the diet of quails on serum biochemical profile. One hundred and fifty day old quail chicks were randomly allotted into 5 experiment groups (T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5) each with 3 replicates of 10 chicks. MLM was incorporated at 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0% levels, respectively, in the different experimental groups. All the diets formulated were iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous. At the end of the experiment, blood was collected from 2 birds/ replicate, thus a total of 30 birds and serum was separated. Results revealed that the albumin, calcium and phosphorus contents were increased (p<0.05), while glucose decreased (p<0.01) with increase in the level of MLM for 0 to 6.0 % in the diet. And the values for total protein and globulin increased (p>0.05), while triglycerides, total cholesterol and creatinine decreased (p>0.05) with linear increase of MLM in quail diets. Further, increase (p<0.05) in HDL Cholesterol level and decrease (p>0.05) in LDL and VLDL Cholesterol levels were recorded in serum with increased level of inclusion of MLM from 0 to 6.0 % in the diet. The present study indicated that moringa leaf meal can be included up to 6.0 % level in the diet of quails for production of low cholesterol meat without any adverse effects on production performance.
Recognition of partially occluded faces using regularized ICA

Face recognition approaches that use subspace projection are heavily related to basis images, especially in the case of partial occlusion. To improve the recognition performance, the occlusion should be excluded from the test image during the recognition process. In terms of similarity with image reconstruction, the proposed approach aims at representing the whole face image based on facial subregion. In this respect, face representation can be considered as an inverse problem. The Tikhonov regularization approach is combined with independent component analysis (ICA) in order to obtain the image parameter from the occluded image, where this parameter is compared with that trained by ICA. The combined algorithm is named as RegICA and is performed on face images in the AR Face Database. Cumulative match characteristics was taken as a measure for evaluating the performance of RegICA with occlusion. Compared with ICA on facial occlusion problem, it was found that the proposed approach outperforms ICA. In addition, it has the ability to recognize faces using any facial subregion even if it is small. Furthermore, it is shown that RegICA is not time-consuming, and it outperforms some of the recent approaches in terms of accuracy.
Involving native speakers in oral corrective focused grammar feedback while conversing: an activity theory perspective

ABSTRACT Higher education institutions often pair native speakers with English as a second and foreign language learners to encourage oral conversation practice. Born out of such circumstances, the current investigation, drawing upon the activity theory perspective, examined the plausibility of native-speaking conversation partners providing oral corrective focused grammar feedback. Two advanced South Korean male English learners were recruited as case studies – one received explicit oral corrective focused grammar feedback on plural noun errors while the other did not receive corrective feedback. Results of the learners’ grammatical accuracy during four conversation sessions, stimulated recalls, and the native speaker conversation partner’s reflection reports were analysed and discussed. Providing oral corrective focused feedback resulted in a decrease in language output and grammar accuracy while increasing languaging. The conversation activities were driven and defined by the learners’ motives, and their motives were shaped and influenced by the sociocultural conditions that the students had experienced. The learners formed different stances and patterns of interactions while encountering rules and division of labour in the conversation activity with the native speaker. The levels of motives and agency were not stagnant but fluctuated over time because of the dynamic influence of internal and external factors related to the conversation activity. Suggestions for conversation partner training are provided and the practicalities of native-speaking conversation partners providing oral corrective focused grammar feedback are discussed.
Genetic variability of milk proteins in two cattle breeds of Piedmont region and the potential effects on milk quality

Abstract In a scenario of climate change and risk of losing biodiversity, the safeguard of locally adapted breeds and their genetic reservoirs assumes a key role. Furthermore, these breeds are linked to their rearing territory maintenance also through the nutritional, economic or social value of their products. This study focussed on the analysis of milk protein genetic variability of the Piedmontese, the most abundant beef Italian breed, and the Barà-Pustertaler breed, through the testing of individual milk samples by isoelectrofocusing. Allelic and haplotypes frequencies were analysed and the presence of rare variants (CSN1S1*G, 0.7%, and CSN2*C, 0.7%, in Barà and Piedmontese breeds, respectively) was detected. The analysed breeds showed allelic frequencies close to the one found in breeds with good cheesemaking aptitude, like the Italian Brown and Reggiana breeds (e.g. CSN2*B, 20.7% and 16.4%, and CSN3*B, 41,1% and 35%, in Piedmontese and Barà breeds, respectively), and are a good reservoir of alleles that are decreasing (e.g. CSN2*B) in Italian Holstein. Moreover, they have higher frequencies of interesting haplotypes (e.g. BA1B, 8% and 11.2%, and BA2B, 20.8 and 13.1% in Piedmontese and Barà breeds, respectively) that could positively influence composition, nutritional, and technological properties of milk. These breeds could be used to further investigate the effects of variants and haplotypes that could help support the evolution and the changing demands of the dairy sector. Highlights In order to address the problem of climate change effects on animal biodiversity, local breeds should be safeguarded and valorised. The analysed breeds have discrete frequencies of milk protein variants and casein haplotypes associated with good technological properties. Knowing the genetic background of non-dairy commercial breeds is the first step to preserve potentially useful genetic variability.
Altered sense of agency in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: behavioural, clinical and functional magnetic resonance imaging findings

Abstract Current neurocognitive models of motor control postulate that accurate action monitoring is crucial for a normal experience of agency—the ability to attribute the authorship of our actions and their consequences to ourselves. Recent studies demonstrated that action monitoring is impaired in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, a movement disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics. It follows that Tourette syndrome patients may suffer from a perturbed sense of agency, the hypothesis tested in this study. To this end, we recruited 25 Tourette syndrome patients and 25 matched healthy controls in a case-control behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging study. As an implicit index of the sense of agency, we measured the intentional binding phenomenon, i.e., the perceived temporal compression between voluntary movements and their external consequences. We found evidence of an impaired sense of agency in Tourette syndrome patients who, as a group, did not show a significant intentional binding. The more reduced was the individual intentional binding, the more severe were the motor symptoms. Specific differences between the two groups were also observed in terms of brain activation patterns. In the healthy controls group, the magnitude of the intentional binding was associated with the activity of a premotor–parietal–cerebellar network. This relationship was not present in the Tourette syndrome group, suggesting an altered activation of the agency brain network for self-generated acts. We conclude that the less accurate action monitoring described in Tourette syndrome also involves the assessment of the consequences of actions in the outside world. We discuss that this may lead to difficulties in distinguishing external consequences produced by their own actions from the ones caused by others in Tourette syndrome patients.
Because I believe in it: examining intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for sustainability in festivals through self-determination theory

ABSTRACT In today’s fast-paced and globalized business landscape, the need for sustainability has increased for organizations. The need to re-evaluate practices, however, can be difficult if existing practices or models of operation are traditionally change adverse. For organizations to be motivated to make these changes, understanding both the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for change are essential. This is especially true in the festival industry. This study applied the Drivers of Sustainability Framework and linked it to the underlying psychological factors outlined in Self-determination Theory in the context of Canadian festivals. Interviews were conducted with 38 festival organizers to determine intrinsic and extrinsic motivations along with barriers towards the implementation of sustainability practices. Four key findings were identified. First, intrinsic motivations were the primary driver towards festival sustainability management and are a key influence on the holistic integration of sustainability. Second, intrinsically driven volunteers contribute greatly to the adoption of sustainability practices. Third, extrinsic motivations affect how festivals address their sustainability efforts but are often short-term and isolated in nature. Fourth, autonomy, competence, and relatedness were recognized to increase self-determination of festivals in adopting sustainable initiatives.
Feasibility of Population-Based Input Function for Kinetic Modeling of [11C]-DPA-713

Feasibility of Population-Based Input Function for Kinetic Modeling of [C]-DPA-713 Mercy I. Akerele, PhD; Sara A. Zein, PhD; Sneha Pandya, MSc; Anastasia Nikolopoulou, PhD; Susan A. Gauthier, DO, MPH; Ashish Raj, PhD; Claire Henchcliffe, MD, DPhil; P. David Mozley, MD; Nicolas A. Karakatsanis, PhD; Ajay Gupta, MD; John Babich, PhD; Sadek A. Nehmeh, PhD a Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021 b Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021 c Feil Family Brain and Mind Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021
A decision tree model for evaluating the cost effectiveness of Single-Photon Emission-Computed Tomography compared with stress echocardiography for diagnosis of coronary artery disease

Background Early diagnosis of coronary artery disease is very vital for success in treatment of this disease. However, the appropriate diagnostic modality for diagnosis of coronary artery disease is uncertain. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare the cost-effectiveness of Single-Photon Emission-Computed Tomography (SPECT) versus stress echocardiography for diagnosis of coronary artery disease in Iran.Methods A decision tree model was developed to compare the cost-effectiveness of SPECT versus stress echocardiography. This study was conducted in Tehran, capital of Iran, between April 1, 2017, and September 1, 2018. The cost analysis was conducted from a societal perspective and medical direct costs, nonmedical direct costs and indirect costs were estimated. Effectiveness was defined as the accurate detection of coronary artery disease and invasive coronary angiography was used as a gold standard. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was defined as an additional cost per correct diagnosis.Results SPECT was associated with higher costs and lower effectiveness compared with stress echocardiography. Therefore stress echocardiography is dominant alternative compared to SPECT. The results also indicated that total cost per patient were $970.49 and $781.8 for SPECT and stress echocardiography, respectively. Also, the percent of true positive and true negative responses were %88 and %79 for SPECT and %90 and %92 for stress echocardiography.Conclusions The results of this study indicate that stress echocardiography is the cost-effective modality in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease compared with SPECT. According to the results, it is suggested cardiologists use stress echocardiography instead of SPECT for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. The result of the current study has significant concepts for decision-making in designing clinical guidelines for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
On the connection between bound and scattering states of finite square-well potentials: a unified approach

We discuss a general description of the solutions to the 1D time-independent Schrödinger equation that does not a priori distinguish between scattering states and bound states and emphasizes and reinforces their relationship and connection to each other. This manuscript also introduces the concept of transfer matrices, which it presents as a logical extension of the traditional approach to evaluating 1D potentials. Using the transfer matrix method and a finite step approximation allows for a simple and straight-forward numerical solution of arbitrary 1D potentials. It also separates the process of solving the Schrödinger equation from selecting physically relevant solutions, which is a critical skill in quantum mechanics and is at the core of physics problems in general.
Mechanism of the Removal of AuCl−4 Ions from Aqueous Solution by Means of Peat Soil Humin

Peat soil humin, obtained after the removal of fulvic and humic acid fractions according to the recommended procedure of the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS), has the ability to remove AuCl−4 ions from aqueous solution. The removal was greatest at medium acidity, which was equivalent to pH 2.0, and it was governed by two different processes, i.e. attachment onto un-ionized –COOH groups through hydrogen bonding and reduction to Au metal by the action of the –OH group. Purification of humin through repeated immersion and shaking in a mixed solution consisting of 0.1 M HCl and 0.05 M HF led to the abrupt increase in the –COOH contents from 386 mmol/kg to 2510 mmol/kg, while the content of total –OH functional groups remained relatively constant at values slightly higher than 3000 mmol/kg. The increase in –COOH content improved the removal of AuCl−4 ions from 23 mg/g to 27 mg/g, but it was unfortunately accompanied by a diminished reduction ability to Au metal. Hence, the role of the –COOH functional group in removing AuCl−4 ions through hydrogen bonding was more significant for the purified humin, while that of the –OH group in removing AuCl−4 ions through reduction to Au metal was better for the crude (unpurified) humin.
Internal Audit Effectiveness and Audit Committee Characteristics: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

Internal audit function (IAF) is a critical component of corporate governance mechanisms, and researchers have argued that internal audit effectiveness (IAE) is of utmost importance to serve the purpose. The study attempts to contribute to a better understanding on the role of audit committee (AC) characteristics (i.e. AC size, AC meeting frequency, AC expertise and AC independence) as a driver of IAE in public limited companies listed in Pakistan stock exchange (PSX). Two sets of questionnaires were distributed in 400 listed companies, whereas 162 completed sets in all respects with a response rate of 41% were received back. The collected data was analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results of the study indicated a positive influence of AC size and AC meeting frequency on the IAE of the listed companies. At the same time, the responses failed to establish any significant relationship between AC independence and AC expertise on the IAE.
An Assessment of Urban Development and Control Mechanisms in Selected Nigerian Cities

The paper makes a critical assessment of urban development in Nigeria against the backdrop of a rapidly changing population and growth rate. The Authors interrogated the effects of development control- mechanisms through the lenses of identified social anomalies in three selected pilot cities of Nigeria (Kaduna, Abuja FCT, and Lagos). Thematic areas examined include, the state of critical infrastructure, population dynamics, urban sprawl, city polarization, transportation, waste management systems, security/crime and economics. The Authors identified structural transformation of three Nigerian cities with focus on the causes and attendant consequences on urban development. The study found that urban growth has over-stretched the state of critical infrastructure in the cities and the mechanisms of development control seem ineffective in stemming unregulated growth, compromises and unplanned ‘development’. The paper noted that the impact of these developments has overstretched the state of critical infrastructure with far-reaching consequences. The authors conclude with some recommendations for strategic planning and sustainable development strategies aimed at mitigating the problems of urban development in Nigeria.